Commissioner Madia Coleman

Commissioner Madia Coleman served as State Representative and Senator from St. Louis from 2001-2009, becoming the first African-American woman in state history to serve as Senate Minority Leader. While in the Missouri Senate Commissioner Coleman sponsored the Hot Weather Law, which prevents utilities from disconnecting cooling-related service for residential customers during summer weather extremes. She also sponsored legislation that became law to protect children from lead poisoning. The former senator was appointed to the Missouri Public Service Commission (MPSC) in August 2015. Prior to her appointment, Commissioner Coleman was the Director of the Missouri Office of Community Engagement. She previously served as Executive Director of the Missouri Workforce Investment Board at the Department of Economic Development, and in a leadership role at the Missouri Department of Labor. She regularly moderates and speaks at numerous community and energy regulatory events. She’s also facilitated a workshop for the United States Agency for International Development Ethiopia Energy Regulatory Partnership, as well as facilitated a Peer Review on Emergency Preparedness and Public Consultation in Sri Lanka. Commissioner Coleman is a guest columnist for the St. Louis County Community News. She has a B.A. in Journalism from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, and was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters Degree from Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis. For these accolades and many others, The Trailblazer Awards honor her.