Consumer Assembly 2018
52nd Annual Consumer Assembly
May 10 & 11, 2018
Embassy Suites DC Convention Center Hotel – 900 10th Street NW
Program – Brochure
Thursday, May 10
8:15am
Welcome and Introduction
Stephen Brobeck, Executive Director
Consumer Federation of America
8:30am
Keynote: Consumers United: Opposing the Corporate Takeover of Congress and the Courts
View Livestream
Introduction
Rachel Weintraub, Legislative Director and General Counsel
Consumer Federation of America
Speaker
Congressman Jamie Raskin
U.S. House of Representatives
9:00am
America’s Current Politics: The Consumer’s Perspective
Introduction
Jim Blau, Director of Negotiated Benefits
UFCW International Union
Speaker
Scott Keeter, Senior Survey Advisor
Pew Research Center
View Presentation
9:30am
Consumer Protections for Servicemembers & Military Families
Moderator
Carrie Wofford, President
Veterans Education Success
Panelists
Christopher Peterson, Senior Fellow & Professor of Law
Consumer Federation of America/University of Utah
Jenna Lang, Legislative Coordinator
National Military Family Association
John McElligott, Deputy Executive Director
Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service
James Ahn, Financial Services Counsel
Office of Senator Jack Reed
10:30am
Keynote Address: How Illinois Works to Protect Its Consumers
Introduction
Nancy Cowles, Executive Director
Kids In Danger
Speaker
The Honorable Lisa Madigan, Attorney General
State of Illinois
11:15am
Combating Auto Sales Abuses
Moderator
Sheryl Harris, Director
Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs
Panelists
Lisa Dyen, Assistant Attorney General
Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division
Lorelei Salas, Commissioner
New York City Department of Consumer Affairs
Christopher Peterson, Senior Fellow & Professor of Law
Consumer Federation of America/University of Utah
11:15am
The Future of Net Neutrality and Universal Service
Moderator
Sandra Fulton, Government Relations Director
Free Press
Panelists
Olivia Wein, Staff Attorney
National Consumer Law Center
Chris Lewis, Vice President
Public Knowledge
Nicol Turner-Lee, Fellow – Governance Studies, Center for Technology Innovation
The Brookings Institution
Brent Olson, Vice President, Global Public Policy
AT&T
11:15am
The Promise and Perils of New Technology on Product Safety
Moderator
Ami V. Gadhia, Director, Federal Advocacy and Regulatory Affairs
American Academy of Pediatrics
Panelists
Nancy Cowles, Executive Director
Kids In Danger
Brian Grochal, Digital Innovations Manager, Consumer and Retail Services
UL Verification Services, Inc.
Heather Capell Bramble, Partner
Venable
1:15pm
Luncheon Keynote
Introduction
Stephen Brobeck, Executive Director
Consumer Federation of America
Speaker
Norm Ornstein, Resident Scholar and Author
American Enterprise Institute. Co-Author, One Nation After Trump: A Guide for the Perplexed, the Disillusioned, the Desperate, and the Not-Yet Deported
2:00pm
Preventing Robocalls and Other Unwanted Calls
Moderator
Maureen Mahoney, Policy Analyst
Consumers Union
Panelists
Margot Saunders, Senior Counsel
National Consumer Law Center
Mark Stone, Deputy Chief, Consumer and Government Affairs Bureau
Federal Communications Commission
Michele Shuster, Founding Partner
Mac Murray & Shuster LLP
Kevin Rupy, Vice President, Law and Policy
US Telecom
2:00pm
Fintech: Implications for Consumers and Advocates
Moderator
Ed Mierzwinski, Senior Director, Federal Consumer Program
U.S. PIRG
Panelists
Anna Laitin, Director, Financial Policy
Consumers Union
Heidi Mandanis Schooner, Professor of Law
The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law
Brian Peters, Executive Director
Financial Innovation Now
2:00pm
The Role of Civil Penalties in Consumer Protection
Moderator
Rachel Weintraub, Legislative Director and General Counsel
Consumer Federation of America
Panelists
Jason Levine, Executive Director
Center for Auto Safety
Remington A. Gregg, Counsel for Civil Justice and Consumer Rights
Public Citizen
Jill Furman, Deputy Director, Consumer Protection Branch
U.S. Department of Justice
3:30pm
Autonomous Vehicles: Bane or Boon to Consumers?
Moderator
Jack Gillis, Public Affairs Director
Consumer Federation of America
Panelists
Mary “Missy” Cummings, Associate Professor, Duke University
Director, Duke University Humans and Autonomy Laboratory
David Strickland, Counsel and Spokesperson, Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets
Former Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
4:15pm
Effective Strategies for Convincing Agencies to Put Consumers First
Moderator
Rachel Weintraub, Legislative Director and General Counsel
Consumer Federation of America
Panelists
Jessica Rich, Vice President, Advocacy
Consumers Union
David Vladeck, A.B. Chettle Chair in Civil Procedure
Georgetown University Law
Robert Weissman, President
Public Citizen
Rob Randhava, Senior Counsel
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
Friday, May 11
8:00am
Breakfast Dialogue: Grassroots, Grasstops, and Federal Advocacy
Moderator
Ann Baddour, Director, Fair Financial Services Project
Texas Appleseed
Panelists
Omar Hakim, Grassroots Organizer
Consumers Union
Kalitha Williams, Policy Liaison
Policy Matters Ohio
Sarah Ludwig, Founder & Co-Director
New Economy Project
9:00am
Keynote: A U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Update
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Introduction
Robert Adler, Commissioner
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Speaker
Ann Marie Buerkle, Acting Chairman
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
9:30am
A Digital Electric Grid: Consumer Concerns and Opportunities
View Video
Moderator
Delia Patterson, Senior Vice President of Advocacy & Communications and General Counsel
American Public Power Association
Panelists
John Howat, Senior Energy Analyst
National Consumer Law Center
View Presentation
Jim Spiers, Senior VP, Business and Technology Strategies
NRECA
Laurence Daniels, Director of Litigation
Office of the People’s Counsel of DC
View Presentation
Mark Cooper, Senior Fellow
Consumer Federation of America
10:30am
The Insecure Digital World: Data Breaches and Other Threats to Consumers
View Video
Moderator
Susan Grant, Director of Consumer Protection and Privacy
Consumer Federation of America
View WatchOut Video
Panelists
Justin Brookman, Director, Consumer Privacy and Technology Policy
Consumers Union
Michelle Richardson, Deputy Director of Security & Surveillance
Center for Democracy & Technology
Steven Roosa, Partner
Holland & Knight