Maida Coleman

Maida Coleman

Nonpartisan

Missouri Public Service Commission

Tenure

2015 - Present

Years in position

9

Predecessor

Robert S. Kenney

Compensation

Base salary

$105,570

Elections and appointments

Appointed

August 10, 2015

Education

Bachelor's

Lincoln University

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Maida Coleman is a member of the Missouri Public Service Commission. Coleman assumed office on August 10, 2015.

Biography

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Coleman began her career in the public sector, spending time in the office of the Missouri Secretary of State and the St. Louis Housing Authority. Her political career began when she was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2000. After serving for a less than one term, Coleman was elected to the state senate in a special election, where she served until 2009. During her tenure in the senate, Coleman became the first African American woman to serve as Senate Minority Leader, serving in that role from 2004-2008. After Coleman left the state senate, she joined the Missouri Department of Economic Development as the executive director of the Missouri Workforce Investment Board.

In September, 2014, Coleman began serving as the inaugural director of the Missouri Office of Community Engagement, which was created in response to the Ferguson protests in order to better reach out to minority communities in Missouri. She remained the director until her appointment to the Missouri Public Service Commission.

Education

• B.A., in journalism, Lincoln University (1976)
  
• Doctor of Humane Letters, Harris-Stowe State University (2008)

Political career

Missouri Public Service Commission (2015-present)

On August 10, 2015, Coleman was appointed to the Missouri Public Service Commission. Her final appointment is contingent on approval from the Missouri State Senate.

Director of the Missouri Office of Community Engagement (2014-2015)

In September, 2014, Governor Jay Nixon created a new department called the Office of Community Engagement, in the wake of the Ferguson protests, which erupted after an African American teenager was shot and killed by a police officer on August 9, 2014. Nixon named Coleman director of the new department. According to their website:

The Office of Community Engagement (OCE) is responsible for facilitating and encouraging meaningful communication between all Missouri citizens and state and local governments. OCE is also responsible for assisting the development of policy solutions and strategies that foster greater prosperity and opportunity for low-income individuals and minority communities. In addition, the office is charged with engaging and assisting communities, public and private sector leaders, clergy, and citizens across the state regarding critical social issues such as race, poverty and education.

Coleman was replaced by the OCE's deputy director and general counsel, Marvin Teer Jr., upon her appointment as Public Service Commissioner on August 10, 2015.

Missouri State Senate (2002-2009)

After winning a special election in 2002, Coleman began serving as a state senator for the 5th state senate district, completing the term of former senator Paula Carter (D) who died in office. She was re-elected in 2004 to serve a full, four-year term. From 2004-2008 Coleman also served as Senate Minority leader, becoming the first African American female in Missouri state history to do so.

During her tenure, Coleman sponsored a "hot-weather rule" which made it illegal for utilities companies to discontinue service to residents during extremely hot summer temperatures. The bill was particularly aimed at helping low-income Missourians.

While in the Senate, she served on the following permanent committees:

• Administration
  
• Agriculture, Conservation, Parks and Natural Resources
  
• Education
  
• Financial and Governmental Organizations and Elections
  
• Gubernatorial Appointments
  
• Joint Committee on Corrections
  
• Joint Committee on Education
  
• Joint Committee on Government Accountability
  
• Joint Committee on Public Employee Retirement

Missouri State House of Representatives (2001-2002)

Coleman was elected to the Missouri State House of Representatives in 2000. She remained in the House until winning a special election to the Missouri State Senate in 2002.

Appointments

2015

On August 11, 2015, Coleman was appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon to the Missouri Public Service Commission to replace outgoing commissioner Robert S. Kenney, whose term had expired.

2014

In September, 2014, Gov. Nixon announced the creation of a new office aimed at reaching out to Missouri's minority communities called the Office of Community Engagement. Nixon announced that Coleman would serve as the office's inaugural director.

Elections

2004

Incumbent Senator Maida Coleman was unopposed in the Democratic Party primary and went on to defeat her general election opponent, Robb E. Cunningham, in the general election.

Missouri State Senate, District 5 (2004)
Candidates		Votes	Percent
Maida Coleman (D)		47,561	91.2%
Wayne Henke (D)		4,580	8.8%

2002

On February 5, 2002, a special election was held to fill the senate seat of Paula Carter (D), who had passed away. Maida Coleman defeated her Republican opponent, Roger Plackemeier.

Missouri State Senate, District 5 (2002)
Candidates		Votes	Percent
Maida Coleman (D)		3,527	80.5%
Wayne Henke (D)		856	19.5%

2000

Maida Coleman ran unopposed for a seat in the Missouri State House of Representatives for the 63rd district.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Maida Coleman campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2004	Missouri State Senate, District 5	Won	$47,341	N/A**
2000	Missouri State House, District 63	Won	$6,230	N/A**
Grand total			$53,571	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

External links

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Robert S. Kenney	Missouri Public Service Commission 2015-Present	Succeeded by -