Attorney Stephen T. Penny was appointed to serve as a Commissioner by then Senate President Pro Tempore Donald Williams on August 7, 2013. Mr. Penny graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with a B.A. degree in 1970, and from the University of Connecticut School of Law with a J.D. degree in 1973. Since that time, he has been engaged in the general practice of law in the Town of Manchester, including real estate, litigation, labor relations, municipal and zoning law. He currently is a law partner at Penny, Botticello & O'Brien, P.C., also in Manchester. Mr. Penny is a former mayor of Manchester, having served on its Board of Directors for ten years. He currently sits on the Cheney Hall Foundation Board and was President of the Manchester Rotary Club. He is also a member of Friendship Lodge of Masons, Sphinx Temple Shriners, and is the announcer at the Manchester Road Race, one of the oldest and most respected races in the country.

Michael J. Ajello was appointed to the Commission by then Senate Minority Leader John McKinney in November 2013. By profession, he is an attorney and has been for over twenty years. His practice is focused in the areas of real estate closings, real estate law, and civil litigation. A large portion of his litigation experience involves real estate issues including foreclosures, condemnation actions, partition actions, land use appeals, summary process and other landlord-tenant disputes, and other property related litigation, as well as commercial litigation, and contracts. He has also served as Chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission of Hamden. Mr. Ajello has a Bachelor of Science degree from Northeastern University and a Juris Doctor from Thomas M. Cooley Law School, and was past president of the Paradise Country Club.

Shannon R.T. Bergquist was appointed to the Commission by Speaker of the House Matt Ritter for a term commencing in April of 2021. Ms. Bergquist graduated from Colby College in 1997 with a bachelor's degree in Government as well as a juris doctor degree from Northeastern University School of Law in 2003. She has been an instructor at the University of Connecticut's Registrar of Voters Certification Program since 2016. Prior to joining the Commission, she also served as an attorney in the Commission's Enforcement Unit, an election support officer for the Office of the Secretary of the State, a law clerk to the Honorable Thomas A. Bishop of the Connecticut Appellate Court, and handled various bankruptcy and commercial litigation matters at Baker, O'Sullivan and Bliss, P.C. Ms. Bergquist also served as the vice-chairperson of the Town of Colchester’s Ethics Commission.

Gregory W. Piecuch was appointed to the Commission in 2021 by House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora. Mr. Piecuch earned his Bachelor of Arts in Government from Franklin & Marshall College and his Juris Doctor from the University of Connecticut School of Law. Professionally, his law practice focuses on real property matters and commercial law. Before joining the Commission, Mr. Piecuch was active in local politics in his hometown of Simsbury. Over the years, he served in various town committee offices, including as treasurer and secretary, while managing many campaigns. Mr. Piecuch was twice elected to municipal office, first to the Planning Commission and then to the Zoning Board of Appeals. He also participated in the Citizens’ Election Program as a candidate for state representative. He has proudly volunteered his time in his community, including as a director of the Simsbury Performing Arts Center.

Attorney Sonia Worrell Asare was appointed to the Commission in 2023 by Governor Ned Lamont. Sonia graduated from Spelman College with a BA in Economics, Syracuse College of Law with a Certification in Business Law, and master’s in economics from Syracuse University Maxwell School of Public Administration. She has a master’s in business administration from Quinnipiac University and holds a Certification in Health Care Compliance and Black Belt designation in Six Sigma Lean Process Management. She recently received her certification in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion from Cornell University. Sonia has served in several legal and leadership roles with the State of Connecticut and Trinity Health of New England. Most recently Sonia joined Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island as the Chief Compliance Officer. In current her role, she leads the corporate compliance, government programs compliance team, and commercial compliance accreditation team. Sonia is the recipient of several leadership awards during her tenure in state service, including being a member of Governor Malloy’s Aspiring Leaders Program and was honored for her fundraising endeavors for local nonprofits with the Sherbie Worthen Volunteer Award for 2013-2014 Connecticut State Charitable Giving Campaign Award. Sonia is also a 2017 winner of the Hartford Business Journal’s 40 under Forty.