Consumer Assembly 2014
March 20 & 21, 2014
Embassy Suites Convention Center Hotel, Washington, D.C.
Program — Brochure
Thursday, March 20, 2014
8:30am
Welcome
Stephen Brobeck, Executive Director
Consumer Federation of America
8:45am
The Consumer Priorities of Public Policymakers
Introduction
Ellen Bloom, Senior Director of Federal Policy
Consumers Union
Speaker
The Honorable Chris Van Hollen
United States Congress
9:15am
The Consumer Priorities of Americans
Introduction
Katie Smith Sloan, Senior Vice President & COO
LeadingAge, Inc.
Speaker
Scott Keeter, Director of Survey Research
Pew Research Center
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10:00am
How Social Media Can Empower Consumers
Introduction
Ed Mierzwinski, Consumer Program Director
U.S. PIRG
Speaker
Alan Rosenblatt, Partner
Turner Strategies
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11:00am
Deceptive and Unconscionable Auto Sales Practices
Moderator
Ellen Taverna, Senior Legislative Associate
National Association of Consumer Advocates
Panelists
Rosemary Shahan, President
Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety
Bob Nealon, Regional Vice President
CU Direct Corporation
Chris Kukla, Senior Counsel for Government Affairs
Center for Responsible Lending
Jack Fitzgerald, President/CEO
Fitzgerald Auto Malls
11:00am
Should Consumer Data Brokers be Regulated?
Moderator
Susan Grant, Director of Consumer Protection
Consumer Federation of America
Panelists
Christopher Olsen, Assistant Director, Division of Privacy and Identity Protection
Federal Trade Commission
Pam Dixon, Executive Director
World Privacy Forum
Rachel Nyswander Thomas, Executive Director of the Data-Driven Marketing Institute and Vice President of Government Affairs
Direct Marketing Association
Jennifer Barrett-Glasgow, Chief Privacy Officer
Acxiom
11:00am
Pitfalls and Successes of Government Databases with Consumer Incident Information
Moderator
Rachel Weintraub, Legislative Director and Senior Counsel
Consumer Federation of America
Panelists
Sean E. Kane, Founder and President
Safety Research & Strategies, Inc.
Ruth Susswein, Deputy Director
Consumer Action
Scott Michelman, Attorney
Public Citizen
Ami Gadhia, Senior Policy Counsel
Consumers Union
12:30pm
Luncheon and Keynote
Introduction
Stephen Brobeck, Executive Director
Consumer Federation of America
Speaker
Norm Ornstein, Resident Scholar
American Enterprise Institute
2:00pm
How Prepaid Cards Can be Made Even More Consumer Friendly
Moderator
Tom Feltner, Director of Financial Services
Consumer Federation of America
Panelists
Lauren Saunders, Managing Attorney
National Consumer Law Center
Michelle Scales, Consumer and Community Banking Product Innovation Director
JPMorgan Chase
Thaddeus King, Senior Associate, Safe Checking in the Electronic Age Project
The Pew Charitable Trusts
Christina Tetreault, Staff Attorney
Consumers Union
2:00pm
Mandatory Arbitration and Other Seller Restrictions on Consumer Remedies
Moderator
Ira Rheingold, Executive Director and General Counsel
National Association of Consumer Advocates
Panelists
F. Paul Bland, Jr., Senior Attorney
Public Justice
Andrew Guzzo, Attorney
Kelly & Crandall, PLC
Scott Michelman, Attorney
Public Citizen
2:00pm
The Role of Government in Ensuring the Safety of New Technologies and Products
Moderator
Jack Gillis, Director of Public Affairs
Consumer Federation of America
Panelists
Nancy Cowles, Executive Director
Kids in Danger
Tom Neltner, Senior Attorney
Natural Resources Defense Council
Sarah Wilson, Partner
Covington & Burling LLP
Shaun Kildare, Director of Research
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety
3:30pm
How Improved Energy Efficiency Can Reduce Consumer Energy Use and Costs
Moderator
Mel Hall-Crawford, Special Projects Director
Consumer Federation of America
Panelists
Ursula Schryver, Vice President, Education and Customer Programs
American Public Power Association
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Nic Lutsey, Program Director and US Co-Lead
International Council on Clean Transportation
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Jennifer Thorne Amann, Buildings Program Director
American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy
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Mark Cooper, Research Director
Consumer Federation of America
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Friday, March 21, 2014
8:30am
SEC Priorities
Introduction
Barbara Roper, Director of Investor Protection
Consumer Federation of America
Speaker
Mary Jo White, Chairman
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
9:00am
Consumer Protection Challenges and Priorities
Moderator
Eric Friedman, Director
Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection
Panelists
Jessica Rich, Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection
Federal Trade Commission
John Sours, Administrator
Georgia Governor’s Office of Consumer Protection
Brian Stiger, Director, Department of Consumer Affairs
County of Los Angeles
10:00am
Building the Broadband Network Compact
Introduction
Mark Cooper, Research Director
Consumer Federation of America
Speaker
Tom Wheeler, Chairman
Federal Communications Commission
10:45am
Public Interest Obligations in a Digital World
Moderator
Mark Cooper, Research Director
Consumer Federation of America
Panelists
Harold Feld, Senior Vice President
Public Knowledge
Robert Quinn, Senior Vice President-Federal Regulatory and Chief Privacy Officer
AT&T
Olivia Wein, Staff Attorney
National Consumer Law Center
11:45am
Will the Proposed EU/US Trade Agreement Jeopardize Consumer Protections?
Introduction
Katherine McFate, President and CEO
Center for Effective Government
Speaker
Robert Weissman, President
Public Citizen
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