DC People’s Counsel Sandra Mattavous-Frye to Receive High Honor from National Consumer Advocates Association

The National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates (NASUCA) this evening will present the “Robert F. Manifold Lifetime Service Award” to Sandra Mattavous-Frye, People’s Counsel for the District of Columbia, for her “many years of service to utility consumers in Washington, DC.”

The Robert F. Manifold Award is given to “individuals who have demonstrated the highest level of dedication to public service over their career,” said NASUCA Executive Director David Springe in announcing the award. NASUCA’s highest honor, the award is named for Robert F. Manifold, who served as Chief Public Counsel for the Washington State Attorney General’s Office and was a passionate supporter of NASUCA.

“I thank NASUCA’s Executive Committee for choosing me for this award and for recognizing that the service I give to District of Columbia consumers comes from my passionate commitment and insistence that consumers are entitled to safe, reliable, affordable, and environmentally sustainable utility services,” said Mattavous-Frye. She further remarked, “the utility industry has undergone sweeping changes during my 30- year tenure and I predict future changes will be equally far-reaching. While we must prepare for shifting paradigms, we must never lose sight of our fundamental obligation to utility consumers.”

“I accept this award with gratitude for my staff at the Office of the People’s Counsel who are daily in the trenches carrying out our mission. As we all faced difficult times during the COVID-19 pandemic, they worked hard to ensure that District residents received the same high level of service OPC delivers during normal times.”

The Manifold Award will be presented at NASUCA’s Virtual Annual Meeting, Monday, November 8, between 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm eastern. NASUCA is an association of 55 consumer advocates across the United States and the Caribbean. NASUCA’s members are designated by the laws of their jurisdictions to represent the interests of utility consumers.

Media Contact:

Doxie McCoy

Public Information Officer

(202) 731-9152

dmccoy@opc-dc.gov