NAIC Names 2020 Consumer Liaison Representatives

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners recently named 32 consumer liaison representatives for 2020.

The 20 funded and 12 unfunded consumer representatives began their terms Jan. 1. Fifteen of the funded consumer representatives participated in the program in 2019. They receive funds from the NAIC, typically in the form is expense reimbursement for travel and lodging at NAIC meetings.

Established in 1992, the Consumer Liaison Program "promotes consumer interaction with the NAIC's members, the insurance industry and interested parties through the individuals' dedication and commitment to serving the public interest," an NAIC press release said.

“Our consumer liaison representatives are experts in their fields and the NAIC relies on them to provide our regulators with direction and support,” said Ray Farmer, NAIC president and director of the South Carolina Department of Insurance. “The work that consumer liaisons do alongside our members supports our organization in continuing to protect consumers.”

The 2020 Funded Consumer Liaison Representatives:

New funded representatives are noted with an asterisk.

Amy Bach: Executive Director, United Policyholders

Birny Birnbaum: Executive Director, Center for Economic Justice

Brendan M. Bridgeland: Director, Center for Insurance Research

Courtney Bullard: Education and Collaborations Director, Utah Health Policy Project*

Bonnie Burns: Training and Policy Specialist, California Health Advocates

Thomas M. Callahan: Executive Director, Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance

Laura Colbert: Executive Director, Georgians for a Healthy Future

Brenda J. Cude: Professor, Department of Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics, University of Georgia

Kimberly Donovan: Chief Policy Analyst, Office of Public Insurance Counsel*

Erica Eversman: President, Automotive Education & Policy Institute

Justin Giovannelli: Associate Research Professor, Georgetown University Center on Health Insurance Reform

Ross Hammond: Strategic Advisor, The Sunrise Project*

Katherine (Katie) Keith: Consultant Advisor and Steering Committee Member, Out2Enroll

Karrol Kitt: Emeritus Associate Professor, The University of Texas at Austin School of Human Ecology Department of Human Development & Family Sciences

Peter R. Kochenburger: Associate Clinical Professor of Law, Executive Director, Insurance Law Center, University of Connecticut School of Law

Sarah Lueck: Senior Policy Analyst, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Wayne Turner: Senior Attorney, National Health Law Program*

Caitlin Westerson: Policy Director, Colorado Consumer Health Initiative*

Jackson Williams: Vice President, Public Policy, Dialysis Patient Citizens

Silvia Yee: Senior Staff Attorney and Analyst, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund

The 2020 Unfunded Consumer Representatives

New representatives noted with an asterisk.

Ashley Blackburn: Senior Policy Analyst, Community Catalyst

Benjamin Chandhok: Senior Director of State Legislative Affairs, Arthritis Foundation

Lucy Culp: Executive Director, State Government Affairs, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Deborah Darcy: Director of Government Relations, American Kidney Fund

Eric Ellsworth: Director, Health Data Strategy, Consumers Checkbook/Center for the Study of Services

Marguerite Herman: Consumer Advocates: Project Healthcare

Anna Howard: Principal, Policy Development, Access to and Quality of Care, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network

Amy Killelea: Director, Health Systems Integration, National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors

Ken Klein: Professor of Law, California Western School of Law

Matthew Smith: Director of Government Affairs, Coalition Against Insurance Fraud

Andrew Sperling: Director of Legislative Advocacy, National Alliance on Mental Illness

Harold M. Ting: Healthcare Consumer Advocate