Consumer Assembly 2015
March 12 & 13, 2015
Embassy Suites Convention Center, Washington, D.C.
Program — Brochure
Thursday, March 12, 2015
8:45am
Welcome
Stephen Brobeck, Executive Director
Consumer Federation of America
9:00am
Keynote
Introduction
Lisa Donner, Executive Director
Americans for Financial Reform
Speaker
Damon A. Silvers, Director of Policy and Special Counsel
AFL-CIO
View Presentation
9:30am
Political Polarization and the American Public
Introduction
Martin Lowery, Executive Vice President, Member & Association Relations
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
Speaker
Scott Keeter, Director of Survey Research
Pew Research Center
View Presentation
10:00am
The 114th Congress: Friend or Foe of Consumer Protection?
Moderator
Carrie Hunt, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and General Counsel
National Association of Federal Credit Unions
Panelists
Neera Tanden, President
Center for American Progress
Steve Bartlett, Senior Advisor
Treliant Risk Advisors
11:00am
Telemarketing Abuses: Can Anything Be Done to Stop Them?
Moderator
Susan Grant, Director of Consumer Protection
Consumer Federation of America
Panelists
Lois Greisman, Associate Director, Division of Marketing Practices
Federal Trade Commission
Kristi Thompson, Deputy Division Chief, Telecommunications Consumers Division
Federal Communications Commission
Delara Derakhshani, Policy Counsel
Consumer Reports
Kevin G. Rupy, Vice President, Law & Policy
USTelecom
Aaron Foss, Founder
Nomorobo
11:00am
Product Recalls: Are There New Solutions to an Old Problem?
Moderator
Rachel Weintraub, Legislative Director and General Counsel
Consumer Federation of America
Panelists
Tanya Topka, Fast Track Team Lead in the Office of Compliance
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Nancy A. Cowles, Executive Director
Kids In Danger
Clarence M. Ditlow, Executive Director
Center for Auto Safety
Jean Halloran, Director, Food Policy Initiatives
Consumers Union
Jennifer Thompson, Director of the Global Non-Foods Quality Assurance, Recalls and Product Safety
Costco Wholesale Corporation
Dr. Regina Tan, Director, Recall Management and Technical Analysis, Food Safety and Inspection Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture
11:00am
Auto Insurers and Low-Wealth Drivers: Discriminatory Pricing and Unfair Practices
Moderator
Douglas Heller, Consultant
Consumer Federation of America
Panelists
Beth Sammis, Deputy Director for Consumer Affairs, Federal Insurance Office
Department of Treasury
Birny Birnbaum, Executive Director
Center for Economic Justice
Marceline White, Executive Director
Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition
12:30pm
Luncheon and Keynote
Introduction
Will Ogburn, Executive Director
National Consumer Law Center
Speaker
Marta L.Tellado, President & CEO
Consumer Reports
2:00pm
Consumer Information Disclosures: When Are They Useful?
Moderator
Christopher Waldrop, Director of Food Policy Institute
Consumer Federation of America
Panelists
Nancy Becker, Nutrition Policy Manager
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Carol Pollack-Nelson, Human Factors Psychologist
Independent Safety Consulting
Pedro G. Leon, Privacy Fellow
Center for Internet and Society, Stanford University
Barbara Roper, Director of Investor Protection
Consumer Federation of America
2:00pm
Connected Cars: Consumer Benefits and Challenges
Moderator
Adrian Lund, President
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Panelists
Nathaniel Beuse, Associate Administrator, Vehicle Safety Research
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Khalia Barnes, EPIC Administrative Law Counsel
Electronic Privacy Information Center
Shaun Kildare, Research Director
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety
Mark Dowd, Assistant General Counsel
Global Automakers
2:00pm
Electronic Payment Networks: Preventing Fraud and Abuse
Moderator
Tom Feltner, Director of Financial Services
Consumer Federation of America
Panelists
Christopher Koegel, Assistant Director, Division of Financial Practices
Federal Trade Commission
Jay Isaacson, Vice President, Business Protection
CUNA Mutual
Cindy Jenkins, Senior Director and Group Manager, ACH Network Risk Management
NACHA, The Electronic Payments Association
John Grogan, Partner
Langer, Grogan & Diver P.C.
3:30pm
A Conversation with FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez
Interviewer
Ed Mierzwinski, Consumer Program Director
U.S. PIRG
Speaker
Edith Ramirez, Chairwoman
Federal Trade Commission
4:00pm
The Future of Solar Energy: How Will This “Disruptive Technology” Affect Consumers?
Moderator
Mel Hall-Crawford, Special Projects Director
Consumer Federation of America
Panelists
Minh Le, Director, SunShot Initiative
U.S. Department of Energy
View Presentation
Dan Ebert, Senior Vice President for External Affairs
WPPI Energy
John Rogers, Senior Energy Analyst
Union of Concerned Scientists
Friday, March 13, 2015
8:30am
NHTSA Priorities and Opportunities: A Two-Year Sprint
Introduction
Jackie Gillan, President
Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety
Speaker
Mark R. Rosekind, Administrator
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
9:00am
The Future of Investigative Journalism: Implications for Consumers
Moderator
Jack Gillis, Director of Public Affairs
Consumer Federation of America
Panelists
Michael Isikoff, Chief Investigative Correspondent
Yahoo News
Brody Mullins, Investigative Reporter
Wall Street Journal
Lawrence Roberts, Senior Editor
ProPublica
Brian Ross, Chief Investigative Correspondent
ABC
10:15am
Keynote
Introduction
Barbara Roper, Director of Investor Protection
Consumer Federation of America
Speaker
Thomas E. Perez, Secretary of Labor
U.S. Department of Labor
11:00am
The Digital Revolution and Personal Information: Consumer Benefits and Concerns
Moderator
Gigi Sohn, Special Counsel for External Affairs
Federal Communications Commission
Panelists
Chris Calabrese, Senior Policy Director
Center for Democracy & Technology
Lee Tien, Senior Staff Attorney
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Frank Torres, Director, Consumer Affairs
Microsoft
Mark Cooper, Research Director
Consumer Federation of America