Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

MEDIA ADVISORY: McKenna to Welcome National Consumer Protection Experts to Seattle on June 19

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

SEATTLE, June 19, 2006 – Attorney General Rob McKenna will welcome consumer protection advocates from across the nation next week when they converge in Seattle for the 31st annual conference of the National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators. Experts from the public and private sectors will address hot issues including predatory lending, high-tech scams and telemarketing fraud, new credit and bankruptcy regulations, and proven strategies to protect consumers.

WHAT: National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators 31st annual conference: "North by Northwest: A New Direction for Consumer Protection"

WHEN: June 18-21

8:15-10:15 a.m. Monday, June 19: Opening Session with Attorney General Rob McKenna and NACAA President Stephen Hannan

WHERE: The Red Lion Hotel in downtown Seattle
1415 Fifth Avenue
Seattle, Washington 98101

WHO: Attorney General Rob McKenna, state and federal officials, industry leaders, and consumer advocates

AGENDA HIGHLIGHTS:

(Schedule subject to change.)

MONDAY, JUNE 19

8:15 - 10:15 a.m.: New Directions for Consumer Protection

  • Kathleen Baker, Director of Consumer Services, WA Attorney General’s Office
  • Rob McKenna, Washington State Attorney General
  • Sharon Nelson, Chair of the Consumers Union Board of Directors and Chief of the WA Attorney General’s Office Consumer Protection Division
  • Stephen Hannan, NACAA President
  • Herb Weisbaum, "The Consumerman," news correspondent

The New Vantage Score: Rod Griffin, Public Education Manager, Experian

11:00 - 12:15 p.m.: The Storm after the Storm: Helping Consumers Prepare for Disasters

  • Eric Holdeman, Director, King County Office of Emergency Management
  • C. Steven Baker, Midwest Regional Office Director, Federal Trade Commission
  • Isabel Wingerter, Consumer Protection Division Chief, Louisiana Attorney General’s Office
  • Carlos Morales, Chief Consumer Investigator, Orange County (FL) Consumer Fraud Unit (moderator)

Best Practices Workshop: Teaching About Credit Cards

  • Laurel Kamen, Vice President, American Express (moderator)
  • Linda Sherry, Editorial Director, Consumer Action
  • Candace Acevedo, Director, Consumer Action

1:30-2:45 p.m.: U.S. Postal Service Consumer Education and Fraud Prevention Initiatives

  • Art McShane, Fraud Program Manager, U.S. Postal Inspection Services
  • Patricia Morse Jarman, Commissioner, Nevada Consumer Affairs Division (intro)

Best Practices Workshop: Agency Performance

  • Craig Stone, Deputy Ombudsman, Consumer Assistance, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
  • Gynne Whitley, Corporate Director of Service Excellence, Wachovia Corporation
  • Steve Hannan, Administrator, Howard County (MD) Office of Consumer Affairs (moderator)

3:00-4:15 p.m.: Military Workshop: Easy Money and Consequences

  • Danny Orroch, Legislative Coordinator, Georgia Watch
  • Diane Sarber, Financial Chief, Relocation and Community Service, Fort Gordon, GA (moderator)

International Workshop: Consumer Protection Spans the Globe

  • Susan Grant, Vice President of Public Policy, National Consumers League

4:30-5:15 p.m.: eBay and PayPal: Tools for Consumers/Consumer Protection

  • Jack Christin, Trust & Safety Counsel, eBay Inc.
  • Cheryl Fujii, Community Outreach Coordinator, eBay Inc.
  • Jill Miles, Deputy Attorney General, West Virginia Attorney General’s Office (moderator)

Consumer Action en Espanol

Nicole Vincent, Handbook Manager, Federal Citizen Information Center

TUESDAY, JUNE 20

8:15-9 a.m. Weapons of Fraud: A Source Book for Fraud Fighters

  • Doug Shadel, Director, Washington State AARP
  • Laurel Pallock, Investigator, San Francisco District Attorney’s Office (intro)

9:15-10:45 a.m. "The New Bankruptcy Law – Six Months Later"

  • Bradford W. Botes, Executive Director, National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys
  • Robert A. Martin, Associate Director, District Council 37, Municipal Employee Legal Services Plan
  • William P. Binzel, General Counsel, National Foundation for Credit Counseling
  • Paul Schlaver, Executive Director, Cambridge Consumers’ Council (moderator)

(The conference will continue off-site for the afternoon at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond.)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21

8:15-9 a.m. Federal Consumer Protection Partners

  • Dan Rumelt, Senior Outreach Advisor, Federal Communications Commission
  • Janet McDonald, Pubic Affairs Specialist, Food and Drug Administration
  • Chuck Harwood, Northwest Regional Office Director, Federal Trade Commission
  • Pastor Herrera, Jr., Director, Los Angeles County Department of Consumer Affairs (moderator)

9:45 a.m. The Tragic Impact of Predatory Lending

  • Christopher Peterson, Assistant Professor, University of Florida Levin College of Law
  • Cynthia Kinser, Deputy Attorney General, Tennessee Attorney Generals’ Office (intro)

10:45 a.m. Too Good to be True? Spotting the Pitfalls in the World of Investing

  • John M. Gannon, Vice President for Investor Education, National Association of Securities Dealers
  • Jeff Hill, Senior Counsel, Tennessee Attorney General’s Office (intro)

The National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators represents more than 160 consumer agencies at all levels of government in the United States and several other countries. NACAA members who work directly with consumers to solve problems, advance legislation, and support consumer outreach and education. For more information, visit the organization’s Web site at www.nacaa.net

 

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Media Contacts:

Kristin Alexander, Attorney General's Office, (206) 464-6432
Elizabeth Owen, Executive Director, NACAA, cell: (615) 498-1563

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