NEPPA would like to congratulate Sharon A. Staz, General Manager & Treasurer of the Kennebunk Light & Power District, for receiving the James D. Donovan Individual Achievement Award at the APPA National Conference held this year in Nashville, Tennessee. This award recognizes individuals who have made significant individual contributions to the electric utility industry and to public power. 

Sharon A. Staz has been General Manager & Treasurer of the Kennebunk (Maine) Light & Power District since 1998.  In addition to her duties at the District, Ms. Staz serves on the Town of Kennebunk’s Energy Efficiency and Economic Development Committees. She previously served 12 years as Manager of the Princeton (Mass.) Municipal Light Department, where she received the American Public Power Association’s Seven Hats Award (1989) for outstanding service to the community.

During her tenure, Princeton received the Massachusetts Governor’s Energy Award in the renewable energy category for its wind-generating site.  She is active in the Northeast Public Power Association (NEPPA), having served on the Board of Directors and continues to be Chair of its Legislative Committee, a post she has held since the early 90s.

Her commitment to legislative issues was also recognized by the American Public Power Association when she served a term as Vice-Chair and a term as Chair of its Legislative Committee.  In 1998, she was recipient of NEPPA’s Francis "Skip" Willey, Jr. Individual Achievement Award for her professional commitment to public power.  Ms. Staz served as a member of the Twenty First Century Task Force for the American Public Power Association (APPA). She was elected to the APPA Board of Directors in 2004 and served a term as Chair of the Board’s Membership Committee.  In 2009/2010, she was asked to serve as a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors.  She is the first person in Maine ever elected to serve on the APPA Board.  The Board has 30 members representing more than 2,000 public power utilities across the United States and the Virgin Islands.  Ms. Staz also serves as Secretary and Legislative liaison for DIRIGO, the consumer-owned utility association of the state of Maine.  In 2006. she served on the Governor’s Renewable Energy Task Force and the Governor’s Maine Energy Council. 

 Most recently, in August of 2008, she was named the Northeast Public Power Association’s (NEPPA) Person of the Year.  NEPPA has 76 member utilities throughout the six New England states. The Association's most prestigious award is presented to individuals who have distinguished themselves through their sustained, outstanding service and contributions to the entire public power community.  In July of 2010, Staz served as a representative of APPA on a fact finding mission to Japan on solar power, sponsored by the Solar Electric Power Association.  Staz is also a member of a service organization dedicated to improving the lives of children in Maine through literacy and needs support.  Prior to joining public power, she held financial and business management posts at several academic institutions of higher learning.