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