Consumer Assembly 2011
March 17 & 18, 2011
Embassy Suites Convention Center Hotel, Washington, D.C.
Program
Thursday, March 17, 2011
8:30am
Welcome
Stephen Brobeck, Executive Director
Consumer Federation of America
8:45am
Consumer Protection: What’s at Stake in the 112th Congress?
Introducer
Janet Domenitz, Executive Director, Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group
President, Consumer Federation of America
Speaker
The Honorable Henry Waxman
United States House of Representatives
9:15am
Public Opinion in an Era of Discontent
Introducer
George Gaberlavage, Policy Integration Director, Consumer & Livable Communities, Office of Policy Integration
AARP
Speaker
Scott Keeter, Director of Survey Research
Pew Research Center
9:45am
The Consumer Reform Agenda
Moderator
Travis Plunkett, Legislative Director
Consumer Federation of America
Panelists
Ellen Bloom, Director of Federal Policy and the Washington Office
Consumers Union
Erik Olson, Deputy Director, The Pew Health Group, Food Portfolio
The Pew Charitable Trusts
Sally Greenberg, Executive Director
National Consumers League
Ed Mierzwinski, Consumer Program Director
U.S. PIRG
11:00am
Do All Consumers Need a Bank Account? Are Prepaid Cards an Alternative?
Moderator
Jean Ann Fox, Director of Financial Services
Consumer Federation of America
Roundtable Participants
Steve Streit, CEO
Green Dot Corporation
Ellen Lazar, Senior Advisor to the Chairman on Consumer Policy
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Jennifer Tescher, President and CEO
Center for Financial Service Innovation
Suzanne Martindale, Staff Attorney
Consumers Union
Donna Ortega, National Manager, Financial Innovation
AARP Foundation
Graciela Aponte, Senior Legislative Analyst, Wealth-Building Policy Project
National Council of LaRaza
Ardie Hollifield, Project Manager, Safe Checking in the Electronic Age
The Pew Charitable Trusts
Michael Christian, Manager, Savings & Checking
Navy Federal Credit Union
11:00am
Turning Tragedy Into Advocacy
Moderator
Rachel Weintraub, Director of Product Safety and Senior Counsel
Consumer Federation of America
Panelists
Linda Ginzel, President and Co-Founder
Kids In Danger
Nancy Donley, President
Safe Tables Our Priority
Janette Fennell, Founder and President
KidsAndCars.org
11:00am
Trends in Consumer Complaints and Complaint Resolution
Moderator
Eric Friedman, Director
Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection
Roundtable Participants
Maria Tribble, Consumer Response Center Program Manager
Federal Trade Commission
Beverly Baskin, Senior Vice President & Chief Mission Officer
Council of Better Business Bureaus
Eduard Bartholme, Executive Director
Call For Action
John Breyault, Vice President
National Consumers League
Joe Ridout, Consumer Services Manager
Consumer Action
12:15pm
Lunch and Keynote Address – America’s 12 Tribes: The Socio-Economic, Cultural and Political Divides That Shape the U.S.
Introducer
Janet Domenitz, Executive Director, Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group
President, Consumer Federation of America
Speaker
Dante Chinni, Author
Our Patchwork Nation
2:00pm
Consumber Debt Burdens and Solutions
Moderator
Travis Plunkett, Legislative Director
Consumer Federation of America
Roundtable Participants
Barrett Burns, President and CEO
VantageScore Solutions, LLC
Ellen Merry, Senior Economist, Division of Consumer and Community Affairs
Federal Reserve Board
Patricia Hasson, President
Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Delaware Valley
Gail Kilmer, Senior Vice President, Senior Card Marketing Product Executive
Bank of America
Lori Trawinski, Senior Strategic Policy Advisor, Consumer and State Affairs Team
AARP Public Policy Institute
Margot Saunders, Of Counsel
National Consumer Law Center
Claudia Warszawski, Manager of Personal Finance Management
Navy Federal Credit Union
Graciela Aponte, Senior Legislative Analyst, Wealth-Building Policy Project
National Council of LaRaza
2:00pm
Prioritizing Safety Risks
Moderator
Donald L. Mays, Senior Director, Product Safety/Technical Policy
Consumers Union
Roundtable Participants
Ronald Medford, Deputy Administrator
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Dennis Blasius, Eastern Region Director, Office of Compliance and Field Operations
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Sandra Hoffmann, Economist, Food Economics Division
USDA/Economic Research Service
Cindy Pellegrini, Associate Director, Department of Federal Affairs
American Academy of Pediatrics
Matthew R. Madia, Federal Regulatory Policy Analyst
OMB Watch
2:00pm
The Role of the Federal Trade Commission in an Evolving Marketplace and Regulatory Environment
Moderator
Susan Grant, Director of Consumer Protection
Consumer Federation of America
Roundtable Participants
David Vladeck, Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection
Federal Trade Commission
Julie Nepveu, Senior Attorney, AARP Foundation Litigation
AARP
Robert Gellman
Privacy and Information Policy Consultant
Thomas D. Domonoske, Of Counsel
The Legal Aid Justice Center
Sharon Goott Nissim, Consumer Protection Fellow
Electronic Privacy Information Center
Ellyn Kay, Investigator
Fairfax County Consumer Affairs
3:30pm
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: An Update of Critical Safety Issues
Introducer
Linda Ginzel, President and Co-Founder
Kids In Danger
Speaker
Robert S. Adler, Commissioner
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
4:00pm
Vulnerable Consumers in the Great Recession
Moderator
Willard P. Ogburn, Executive Director
National Consumer Law Center
Panelists
Lawrence Mishel, President
Economic Policy Institute
Arloc Sherman, Senior Researcher
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Jonathan Rochkind, Vice President and Director of Research
Public Agenda
Friday, March 18, 2011
9:00am
The Future of Consumer Communications
Moderator
Parul Desai, Communications Policy Counsel
Consumers Union
Panelists
Lee Rainie, Director
Pew Internet and American Life Project
Link Hoewing, Vice President, Internet Technology and Policy
Verizon
Elizabeth Grossman, U.S. Technology Policy Strategist
Microsoft Research
Mark Cooper, Research Director
Consumer Federation of America
10:30am
Financial Challenges Facing American Households
Introducer
Stephen Brobeck, Executive Director
Consumer Federation of America
Speaker
Michael Barr, Professor of Law
University of Michigan Law School
11:00am
Evolving Our Safety Culture
Introducer
Jack Gillis, Public Affairs Director
Consumer Federation of America
Speaker
The Honorable David L. Strickland, Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation
11:30am
The Role of the FTC and Other Consumer Protection Agencies in Today’s Marketplace
Introducer
Ira Rheingold, Executive Director
National Association of Consumer Advocates
Speaker
Julie Brill, Commissioner
The Federal Trade Commission