51st Annual Consumer Assembly
May 11 & 12, 2017
Washington Plaza – 10 Thomas Circle NW

ProgramBrochure


Thursday, May 11

8:30am
Welcome and Introduction

Stephen Brobeck, Executive Director
Consumer Federation of America

8:45am
America’s Current Politics: The Consumer’s Perspective
Introduction

Katie Smith Sloan, President and CEO
LeadingAge, Inc.

Speaker

Scott Keeter, Senior Survey Advisor
Pew Research Center
View Presentation

9:15am
Changes in Washington and What They Mean for Consumer Advocates
Introduction

Larry Blanchard, Consultant
CUNA Mutual Group

Speakers

Rich Galen, Columnist & Republican Strategist
Mullings

Mike McCurry, Distinguished Professor of Public Theology
Wesley Theological Seminary
Of Counsel, Public Strategies Washington, Inc.

10:05am
The Costs of Not Regulating
Moderator

Rachel Weintraub, Legislative Director and General Counsel
Consumer Federation of America

Panelists

Lisa Heinzerling, Justice William J. Brennan, Jr., Professor of Law
Georgetown University

Mark Cooper, Research Director
Consumer Federation of America
View Presentation

11:30am
Safety Implications in the New Administration
Moderator

Ami Gadhia, Assistant Director, Department of Federal Affairs
American Academy of Pediatrics

Panelists

Jackie Gillan, President
Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety

Michael Jacobson, Co-Founder and President
Center for Science in the Public Interest

Michael Carome, Director, Health Research Group
Public Citizen

Rachel Weintraub, Legislative Director and General Counsel
Consumer Federation of America

11:30am
Are the Appliances and Other Products We Use Spying on Us?
Moderator

Susan Grant, Director of Consumer Protection and Privacy
Consumer Federation of America

Panelists

Ryan McCrate, Associate General Counsel for Digital Legal
Amazon

John Verdi, Vice President of Policy
Future of Privacy Forum

Kathryn Montgomery, Professor, School of Communication
American University

Josh Golin, Executive Director
Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood

View Video About Spying Toys

11:30am
Protecting Consumers through Litigation
Moderator

Ira Rheingold, Executive Director
National Association of Consumer Advocates

Panelists

Allison Zieve, Director
Public Citizen Litigation Group

Lynn Rhinehart, General Counsel
AFL-CIO

Philip Ziperman, Director, Office of Consumer Protection
Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia

1:15pm
Luncheon Keynote
Introduction

Ed Mierzwinski, Consumer Program Director and Senior Fellow
U.S. PIRG

Speaker

Marta Tellado, President and CEO
Consumer Reports

2:00pm
What’s New in Fraud and What’s Being Done to Fight It?
Moderator

Rebecca Bowman, Administrator
Howard County Office of Consumer Protection

Panelists

Martha (“Marti”) S. Phillips, Esq., CIPP/US, Director, Identity Theft Unit
Deputy Administrator
South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs

Emma Fletcher, Director, Scam and Fraud Initiatives
BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust

Kati Daffan, Acting Assistant Director, Division of Marketing Practices
Federal Trade Commission

John Breyault, Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications & Fraud
National Consumers League

2:00pm
Consumer Campaigns to Change Corporate Practices
Moderator

Michael Landis, Litigation Director
U.S. PIRG

Panelists

Jean Halloran, Director of Food Policy Initiatives
Consumer Reports
View Presentation

Rosemary Shahan, President
Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety
View Presentation

Brandon Rees, Deputy Director, Office of Investment
AFL-CIO

2:00pm
The Future of Net Neutrality
Moderator

Bill Newton, Deputy Director
Florida Consumer Action Network

Panelists

Chris Lewis, Vice President
Public Knowledge

Olivia Wein, Staff Attorney
National Consumer Law Center

Diane Holland, Vice President for Law & Policy
USTelecom

3:30pm
The Road Ahead for Consumer Financial Protection
Moderator

Rohit Chopra, Senior Fellow
Consumer Federation of America

Panelists

Natalia Abrams, Executive Director
Student Debt Crisis

Christine Hines, Legislative Director
National Association of Consumer Advocates

Robert F. Norton, COL, USA (Ret.), Senior Advisor
Veterans Education Success

Friday, May 12

8:00am
Breakfast Dialogue – Challenges to Consumer Protection in States and Strategies to Preserve these Protections
Moderator

Janet Domenitz, Executive Director
MASSPIRG

Panelists

Marceline White, Executive Director
Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition

Cassandra Gould, Executive Director
Missouri Faith Voices

Liana Molina, Director of Community Engagement
California Reinvestment Coalition

Sarah Ludwig, Executive Director
New Economy Project

9:00am
State Legislative Keynote
Introduction

Marceline White, Executive Director
Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition

Speaker

Delegate C. William Frick
Maryland House of Delegates

9:30am
The Prospects for a Clean, Electric Energy Future
Moderator

Martin Lowery, Executive Vice President Member & Association Relations
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association

Panelists

Sue Kelly, President & CEO
American Public Power Association
View Presentation

Betty Watson, Senior Manager, Energy Policy
Tesla
View Presentation

John Howat, Senior Energy Analyst
National Consumer Law Center
View Presentation

Mark Cooper, Research Director
Consumer Federation of America
View Presentation

10:45am
The Future of Investigative Reporting
Moderator

Jack Gillis, Director of Public Affairs
Consumer Federation of America

Panelists

Tom Costello
NBC News

Josh Meyer
Politico

Jeff Leen
Washington Post

Pema Levy
Mother Jones

Ron Nixon
The New York Times

12:00pm
Adjournment