Division Descriptions

Wess Henderson, Executive Director

Executive Division

As appointing authority, the executive director directs the management, administration, operations, information and technology services and training, and work product of the Missouri Public Service Commission. There are four distinct divisions comprised of attorneys, accountants, engineers, economists and other professional staff who support the commission by providing legal and technical expertise. The executive director is responsible for leading the agency’s strategic planning; technical and administrative policy and procedure development and implementation; and budgeting process. The executive director ensures work product of professional and technical staff meets or exceeds substantive standards within prescribed deadlines and serves as liaison between the commissioners and staff, between the commission and the Department of Economic Development and serves as a primary contact with external entities as appropriate. 

Dana K. Joyce, Director Administration and Regulatory Policy

Administration Division

The Administration Division is responsible for managing the Commission’s human and fiscal  resources.  The division has agency-wide responsibilities with departments that are responsible  for the annual budget, fiscal services and procurement, human resources and payroll.  The Regulatory Policy and Public Information Department, another unit of the division, develops and distributes information to the media on agency activities, responds to media requests, and provides utility consumer educational materials.  The Legislative Coordinator, the agency’s primary contact person with the General Assembly, is also assigned to this division and assists in responding to constituent inquiries.

Steven C. Reed, Secretary/General Counsel

Secretary/General Counsel Division

The General Counsel is authorized by statute to represent the Public Service Commission in all actions and proceedings, whether arising under the Public Service Commission Law or otherwise.  Attorneys of the General Counsel’s Office appear in state and federal trial and appellate courts on behalf of the commission.  The General Counsel also provides legal advice to the commission and each commissioner as requested.  When authorized by the commission, the General Counsel seeks civil penalties from persons or companies that have violated the Public Service Commission Law or the commission’s regulations or orders.  The General Counsel’s Office also appears for the commission before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Within the Secretary/General Counsel Division, the adjudication department is the PSC’s quasi-judicial component.  A staff of regulatory judges handles cases from their filing until their resolution.  The assigned judge presides over the hearings, rules on objections and motions, and drafts all orders, as directed by the commission, for that particular case.  The Data Center receives all incoming pleadings and issues all commission orders.  In addition, the Data Center maintains and preserves the official case files, tariffs and other official documents of the commission.

Kevin A. Thompson, Chief Staff Counsel

Staff Counsel Division

Attorneys of the Staff Counsel Division represent the commission’s staff in administrative matters before the commission.  The Staff Counsel Division also provides legal advice to the commission’s staff.  The division houses the Consumer Services Department, the clearinghouse for all utility consumer inquiries.  Consumer Services investigates and responds to complaints to ensure compliance with commission rules and utility tariffs.  When a consumer has an issue that is not satisfactorily resolved after an initial contact with the utility, the consumer may call the PSC consumer hotline 1-800-392-4211 for assistance.

Natelle Dietrich, Director

Utility Operations Division

The Utility Operations Division is comprised of four departments: Telecommunications; Energy; Water and Sewer; and Manufactured Housing. It supports the commission in meeting its statutory responsibilities by providing technical expertise in safety; utility rates, tariffs, rules and regulations; economic analysis; engineering oversight and investigations; and construction inspections. The Manufactured Housing Department is governed by Sections 700.010-700.692 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri. This department is responsible for overseeing the annual registration of dealers and manufacturers of manufactured homes and modular units; prescribing and enforcing uniform construction standards by conducting code inspections; and enforcing tie-down requirements. The division accomplishes its mission by making recommendations to the commission in the form of expert testimony, formal recommendations, and presentations.

Robert Schallenberg, Director

Utility Services Division

The Utility Services Division consists of five departments that support the Public Service Commission by providing expertise in the areas of utility accounting, auditing, engineering, finance, management, and natural gas procurement. Division members perform audits, examinations, analysis, and reviews of the books and records of the utilities providing service in Missouri. These employees express their conclusions and findings in the form of expert testimony and recommendations filed with the commission. The division is also responsible for investigating and responding to consumer complaints and making recommendations to the commission regarding their resolution.