PULP Board of Directors
Stuart Appelbaum
Stuart Appelbaum is President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. In addition to having previously held the offices of RWDSU Secretary-Treasurer and an RWDSU Vice President, he has also served as Assistant to the President and Coordinator of Special Projects. He serves on the AFL-CIO Executive Council and is a Vice President of the United Food and Commercial Workers, with which the RWDSU is affiliated. Throughout his years working for the RWDSU, he has been involved in many of the union’s activities, including shaping the union’s health and safety program and serving as a trustee of the RWDSU’s health and benefit and pension funds. In addition to his posts at the RWDSU, he is a vice president of the New York City and New York State AFL-CIO, the AFL-CIO Department for Professional Employees, and the Jewish Labor Committee.
Stuart appears through his delegee Josh Kellermann.
Patricia Bah
Patricia Bah joined the Board in 2019 to occupy PULP’s Consumer Seat, a Board position dedicated to the community PULP serves.
Charles W.F. Bell – Secretary
Charles Bell is the Programs Director for Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine. He works closely with Consumers Union’s advocacy offices in California, New York, Texas, and Washington, D.C., on a wide range of consumer policy issues, including healthcare restructuring, financial services, energy, telecommunications, and the environment. He also engages in direct advocacy in the Northeastern states on Consumers Union’s priority campaign issues and works with its external relations department to develop grants, organizational collaborations, and events. In addition, he manages the Colston E. Warne Program, which provides financial and technical support for U.S. and international consumer organizations, and serves as a member of the Board of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).
Sam Faduski, Esq.
Sam Faduski is currently a staff attorney in the public benefits unit at Neighborhood Legal Services. Previously, Mx. Faduski worked for the Erie County Department of Social Services, PULP, and Legal Services of Central New York. During their time at PULP, Mx. Faduski led multiple trainings regarding LGBTQ+ people and their utility rights and assisted in authoring the Affirming Gender Identity in Utilities Act. Mx. Faduski is a graduate of the University at Buffalo dual JD/MSW program and is a licensed master social worker in addition to being an attorney.
Alfred Fuente, Esq.
Alfred Fuente, Esq. currently works as a litigator at Fuente & Fuente. Prior to his current position, Alfred worked at Jajan & Associates, and in the Storm Response Unit at the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG). Alfred obtained his J.D. from the American University Washington College of Law, and two Master’s Degrees from the University of Paris I – Panthéon-Sorbonne and University of Paris III – La Sorbonne Nouvelle, respectively. Alfred is admitted to the bar of the State of New York. He is a member of the New York County Lawyers’ Association and is Secretary of the Committee on the Supreme Court. Alfred is a member of the New York City Bar Association, and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS). Alfred is fluent in English, Spanish, and French.
Kirsten Keefe, Esq.
Kirsten Keefe is a Senior Staff Attorney with the Consumer Finance and Housing Unit in Empire Justice Center’s Albany offices. Kirsten is also Director of Empire Justice’s Anchor Partner for the NYS Office of the Attorney General’s Homeownership Protection Program (“HOPP”), overseeing the statewide administration of grants to non-profit organizations providing direct assistance to homeowners. Kirsten started providing direct legal services in 1998, served on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System’s Consumer Advisory Council, and has taught law at the Beasley School of Law, Albany Law School, and other local universities. She received her J.D. from the Beasley School of Law at Temple University.
Gerald Norlander, Esq.
Gerald Norlander was Executive Director of the Public Utility Law Project of New York, Inc. (“PULP”) from 2000 to January 2015. Prior to that, he was Deputy Director of PULP, and before that, he was Executive Director of Westchester Legal Services and was a Board member of PULP. Early in his career, Gerry was a Peace Corps Volunteer in India and he received an R.H. Smith Community Lawyer Fellowship. He has published articles on matters relating to utility consumer protection, and market-based rates and has been a long champion of legal assistance to low-income persons. While at the helm of PULP, he was chair of the NASUCA Electric Committee for six years. He is a member of the bar of New York State, the U.S. District Courts, the Courts of Appeals of the Second Circuit and the District of Columbia, and the United States Supreme Court. He has served the legal community in many ways, among them as a member of the Committee to Improve Availability of Legal Services, pursuant to an appointment by the Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals. He received his J.D. from the University of Minnesota.
Lisa Steglich – Board Chairperson
Lisa Steglich is Chair of PULP’s Board of Directors and also serves on the Board of the Northstar Fund. She is 1st Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager of Amalgamated Bank. Prior to Amalgamated Bank, Ms. Steglich worked as an executive at both JP Morgan Chase and Chemical Bank and worked as a Field Organizer for the Obama Campaign. Ms. Steglich holds a BA from Harvard University. (Prior to her election as Chair, Ms. Steglich served as delegee for Keith Mestrich of Amalgamated Bank.)
Anna Sommer
Anna Sommer is a Principal at Energy Futures Group and is based in Canton, NY. She provides expert testimony for clients across the country on many issues related to utility-scale electric generation planning including modeling electric power systems, energy efficiency planning, and carbon capture and storage. She is grateful for the opportunity to sit on PULP’s board because she believes the affordable, fair, and just provision of public utility services to low and moderate-income households is a key component of an equitable society. Ms. Sommer holds a BS in Economics and Environmental Studies from Tufts University and an MS in Energy and Resources from UC Berkeley.
Richard D. Winsten, Esq.
Richard D. Winsten, Esq. is a member of the firm of State and Broadway. With his practice based in Albany, New York’s Capital District, Mr. Winsten has significant and longstanding relationships with members of the state legislature, state agencies, and all levels of state government. He has been a registered and active New York State lobbyist since 1978, previously served as Legislative Director for the NYS AFL-CIO, and has received numerous gubernatorial appointments. Mr. Winsten is a graduate of the New York University Law School.