October 18, 2016 | 6:00-8:00 pmVerizon

1300 I St, NW, Washington, D.C.

Awards Ceremony&

Reception

Consumer Action has been a champion of underrepresented consumers nationwide since 1971. A non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, Consumer Action focuses on consumer education that empowers low- and moderate-income and limited-English-speaking consumers to financially prosper. It also advocates for consumers in the media and before lawmakers to advance consumer rights and promote industry-wide change.

By providing consumer education materials in multiple languages, a free national hotline, a comprehensive website and annual surveys of financial and consumer services, Consumer Action helps consumers assert their rights in the marketplace and make financially savvy choices. Nearly 7,000 community and grassroots organizations benefit annually from its extensive outreach programs, training materials and support.

Our theme this year is “Celebrating Consumer Champions,” to bring deserved attention to the efforts of dedicated and committed advocates who, through their leadership, have forged significant change for consumers. Our honorees’ efforts have benefited thousands of consumers by enforcing the laws that protect them, informing them of changes in the marketplace and fighting for improved consumer protections.

CelebratingConsumer

Champions

Welcome Remarks and IntroductionNathaniel Sillin, VISA

Chair, Consumer Action 45th Anniversary Fundraising Committee

Presentation of the Consumer Excellence Awards

MEDIA AWARDKen Harney, Washington Post Writers Group

Presented by Steve Brobeck, Consumer Federation of America

COMMUNITY AWARDNational Fair Housing Alliance

Presented by Scott Chang, Relman, Dane & Colfax

REGULATORY AWARDThe Honorable Richard Cordray

Presented by Ken McEldowney and Ruth Susswein, Consumer Action

Closing Remarks Ken McEldowney

Executive Director, Consumer Action

2016 Awards Program

National FairHousing Alliance

Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) is the only national organization dedicated solely to ending discrimination in housing. NFHA is the voice of fair housing, and works to eliminate housing discrimination and to ensure equal housing opportunity for all people through leadership, education and outreach, membership services, public policy initiatives, community development, advocacy and enforcement. NFHA is a consortium of more than 220 private, non-profit fair housing organizations, state and local civil rights agencies and individuals from throughout the United States. NFHA recognizes the importance of home as a component of the American Dream and aids in the creation of diverse, barrier-free communities throughout the nation. A key part of NFHA’s work is achieved through fair housing investigations and enforcement actions. These measures have included cases against large banks, housing developers, insurance companies, real estate companies, asset managers and others involved in renting, selling, financing, insuring, managing, designing or building housing in a discriminatory manner. NFHA seeks systemic change and reform by shaping the way housing providers do business by helping to define and enforce parameters for equitable, non-discriminatory practices. In recent years, NFHA’s investigations have uncovered racial steering in home sales, non-compliance with accessibility standards in multi-family construction, and rental discrimination against the deaf and hard of hearing. Among NFHA’s active cases are several involving disparities in the way that major banks and other investors maintain and manage

Honorees

COMMUNITY AWARD

their foreclosed homes (also known as “Real Estate Owned” or “REOs”) in communities of color as compared to those in white communities. These bank-owned foreclosures often remain vacant for years, and the failure to properly maintain and market these properties creates blight and diminished living standards for neighboring homes and entire communities. In 2013, NFHA and 13 of its member fair housing organizations entered into a conciliation agreement with Wells Fargo and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development over discriminatory treatment of REO properties in communities of color. As a result of this agreement, $42 million has been invested in community development efforts and other local relief in 19 cities. NFHA also plays an active role in public policy, working with its allies on a range of issues that affect access to housing and homeownership for people of color, families with children, people with disabilities and other members of protected classes under fair housing and fair lending laws. Its activities have included development of policies to prevent foreclosure, reform of the mortgage lending and servicing practices that led to the foreclosure crisis, implementation of protections in the mortgage market for borrowers with limited proficiency in English and women on maternity leave, elimination of barriers to housing faced by people with criminal records, and establishment of a stronger regulatory framework to pursue the mission of the Fair Housing Act. NFHA has also played a pivotal role in mounting a defense against attacks on the Fair Housing Act, its implementing regulations and fair housing enforcement funding. As Co-Chair of the Fair Housing Task Force of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, NFHA organizes a broad coalition of civil rights, housing, community development and academic advocates to identify and address the nation’s pressing fair housing issues.

Ken Harney

Kenneth Harney is a nationally-syndicated columnist on real estate for the WASHINGTON POST WRITERS GROUP. His column, the “Nation’s Housing,” appears in cities across the country and has received numerous professional awards, including multiple Best Column-All Media awards from the National Association of Real Estate Editors, and the Consumer Federation of America’s Betty Furness Consumer Media Service Award for “invaluable and unique contributions to the advancement of consumer housing interests.” The Nation’s Housing column is closely read on Capitol Hill, and several columns have led directly to changes in federal law. As the result of a column that documented a loophole in federal law—the lack of consumer protection coverage for mortgage refinancers under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act—the Senate Banking Committee chairman published the full text of the column in the Congressional Record, and introduced a corrective amendment. The amendment passed both houses and is now law. Nation’s Housing columns also have played prominent roles in federal regulatory or Congressional actions on removal of private mortgage insurance (PMI), prohibition of private transfer fees by developers and investment groups, adoption of consumer protections governing transfers of mortgage servicing, mandatory legal standards for lenders in resolving consumer complaints, and convincing Fannie Mae to terminate an “equity sharing” reverse mortgage program that harmed American seniors by collecting excessive interest payments on loans. A Nation’s Housing column led to a policy reversal by student lender Sallie Mae regarding

MEDIA AWARD

non-reporting of the company’s seven million borrowers’ credit histories to all three national credit repositories. The non-reporting had the effect of lowering some borrowers’ credit scores and raising their mortgage interest rates when they sought to buy a home. Under threat of congressional action prompted by the column, Sallie Mae began reporting all borrowers’ payment histories to the credit bureaus. In 2013, a Nation’s Housing column led to the cancellation of a scheduled but likely illegal foreclosure against a 92-year-old widow in Arizona. Mr. Harney served a three-year term as a member of the Federal Reserve Board’s Consumer Advisory Council, a statutory body that reviews Fed actions on home mortgage, consumer credit and banking industry regulation. He was also the host of “Real Estate Magazine,” a weekly TV show televised by FNN (now CNBC). He is a contributor to NewHomeSource.com, the most heavily visited site for consumers interested in buying a new residence, as well as to NextAvenue.org, published by Twin Cities Public Broadcasting System and focused on seniors and retirement. Mr. Harney is a past president and chairman of the board of the National Association of Real Estate Editors. He is the author of two books on mortgage finance and real estate. His articles have appeared in numerous magazines, newspapers and professional journals, and he has been a guest on many television and radio talk shows. Mr. Harney received his undergraduate degree cum laude from Princeton University, and was a graduate fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. He lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with his wife, Andrea Leon Harney. The Harneys have four grown children who live in Shanghai, San Francisco, New York and Silver Spring, MD.

Hon. Richard CordrayDirector, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

REGULATORY AWARD

In 2011, President Obama nominated Richard Cordray to become the first director of the newly established Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the only federal financial regulator whose mission it is to empower and protect consumers. Director Cordray has said his goal is to help create a marketplace “where prices are clear up front, risks are visible, nothing is buried in fine print, and everyone plays by the rules.”

Created in the wake of the financial crisis as part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform act, the CFPB is in the unique position of overseeing both bank and non-bank financial services companies, from mortgage companies and payday lenders to credit reporting agencies and money transmitters. Despite nearly constant opposition from industry and Congressional Republicans, Director Cordray has led the Bureau to create meaningful new rules to govern mortgage lending and servicing, money transfers, prepaid cards, mandatory arbitration and class action lawsuits, and is taking aim at payday lending and debt collection rules next.

In addition, Director Cordray and his agency have worked to hold accountable those businesses that engage in unfair or deceptive practices. Under his management, the CFPB has returned approximately $12 billion to more than 27 million consumers through its enforcement actions against companies both large and small.

Under Director Cordray’s leadership, the CFPB has engaged American consumers, given them a voice and empowered them to make informed financial decisions. In the face of intense industry resistance, Director Cordray created a consumer complaint system to help resolve financial disputes, and an online complaint database that allows users to share the details of their financial experiences with others. The Bureau has crafted a website with extensive tools and information for consumers in multiple languages, and established special offices dedicated to protecting and informing students, servicemembers, older Americans, minorities and other groups that face particular financial challenges. Years into his tenure, Director Cordray still travels around the country every month to hear first-hand from communities what their challenges and needs are at issue-focused field hearings.

Prior to joining the Bureau, Mr. Cordray served on the front lines of consumer protection as Ohio’s Attorney General, where he recovered more than $2 billion for the state’s retirees, investors and business owners and took major steps to help protect its consumers from fraudulent foreclosures and financial predators.Mr. Cordray is a graduate of Michigan State University, Oxford University and the University of Chicago Law School. In addition to serving as editor-in-chief of the University of Chicago Law Review and later clerking for U.S. Supreme Court Justices Byron White and Anthony Kennedy, he has argued seven cases before the United States Supreme Court, including by special appointment of both the Clinton and Bush Justice Departments.

Mr. Cordray lives in Grove City, Ohio, with his wife Peggy—a professor at Capital University Law School in Columbus—and twin children Danny and Holly.

UNDERWRITERS

Financial

DONORS

LEADERSHIP CIRCLE

Contributors

BENEFACTORSAT&T

Comcast1-800 CONTACTSAmerican ExpressBank of America

Citi Community DevelopmentEnterprise

FICO

SPONSORSFinancial Services Roundtable

Neil GendelWalmart

PATRONSCertified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA)

Law Offices of David A. BaltoPayPal

SPECIAL FRIENDSThe Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, Inc.

Consumer Attorneys of California Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca, LLP

Future of Privacy Forum James Beck

Dr. Norman BockPastor Herrera, Jr.

Resolute Forest Products

Financial

SUPPORTERSJames Sturdevant

Patricia SturdevantWestern Union

LOYALISTSBen Lau

Chris Bjorklund Debbie Berlyn Erwang Mao Heidi Kotzian John Jensen

Martin MattesRufus Cole

Contributors

Consumer Action’s Educational Partners

Amplify Public Affairs/TracFone WirelessAT&T

Bank of America Charitable FoundationCalifornia Department of Insurance

Capital OneChargebacks911.com

ComcastConsumer Federation of AmericaConsumer Relations Consortium

Dezenhall Resources Ltd. DCI

FacebookGoogle

Investor Protection TrustThe Rose Foundation for Communities

and the EnvironmentVerizon

Visa

Consumer Action’s work is supported in part by cy pres awards from these lawsuits

Cal. Insurance Education Project v. LockyerCredit/Debit Card Tying Cases

Chase Check Loan Cy PresDeLeon v. Bank of America Cy Pres Fund

Gateway Cy Pres FundGriego v. Rent-A-Center

Insurance Brokerage Global Settlement FundMarenco v. Visa

Nguyen Privacy Cy Pres FundReed v. 1-800 CONTACTS

Smith v. National Corrective GroupThe AT&T Lawsuits

Title and Escrow Consumer Education and Outreach Corporation

Trombley v. Bank of America

Consumer Action

Alliance for Justice (AFJ)Americans for Financial Reform (AFR)

Auto Financing Coalition (CRL)Auto Insurance LMI Working Group (CFA)

California Consumer Affairs Association (CCAA)California Latinos for Economic Justice

California Reinvestment Coalition (CRC)CFPB Consumer Complaint Process Committee (AFR)

CFPB Language Access Issues CommitteeCFPB Mortgage Complaints Committee

Coalition for Patient PrivacyCoalition to Protect Patient Choice

Coalition for Quality Credit Counseling (CQCC)Consumer Federation of America (CFA)

Consumer Federation of California (CFC)Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Task Force (AFR)

Consumer Labor Coalition (National Consumers League)Consumer Partnership for eHealth (CPeH)

Consumer Policy Solutions RoundtableConsumer Relations Consortium

Consumer Video Choice CoalitionDigital Due Process Coalition

Digital Privacy and Security Working GroupEPIC Privacy Coalition

Fair Arbitration Now (FAN) CoalitionFan Freedom Project

For-profit College Loans Reform Working GroupForeclosure Prevention Task Force (AFR)

Fraud Alliance

Get Older Adults onLine (GOAL)Grand Alliance to Save our Public Postal ServiceHigh Cost Credit/Payday Loan Coalition Identity Theft Prevention CoalitionInland Empire Disabilities CollaborativeInternet Privacy Working GroupLifeline CoalitionMortgage Reform Task Force (AFR)National CAPACDNational Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC)National Consumer Protection Week PartnersNational Cyber Security AllianceNational Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA)“No Ripoff Clause” CoalitionPostal Consumer CouncilPrivacy Group (Center for Digital Democracy)Protect Your Identity Week Safe Checking Working Group (Pew) Safe Rental Car Coalition San Diego Veterans Coalition San Francisco Smart Money NetworkSave Our Retirement CampaignSoutheast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) Student Loan Reform Coalition Take On Wall Street CoalitionTransatlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD)Univision Consumer Protection CommitteeVeterans Financial CoalitionWe Need to Know

Partners with These Coalitions

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Patricia Sturdevant, Board PresidentPastor Herrera, Jr., Board Vice President

Sue Hestor, Board Treasurer Ken McEldowney, Board Secretary

Anna Alvarez Boyd Anna Flores

Ben Lau Faith Bautista

Dr. Irene Leech Sue Rogan

Kay Pachtner, Emeritus

EVENT CHAIRNathaniel Sillin, Visa Inc.

EVENT COMMITTEEAlice Gaston, DCI Group

Angie Lathrop, Bank of AmericaCarlye Greene, Capital One

Christian Merida, American ExpressFrank Torres, Microsoft

James Sturdevant, The Sturdevant Law FirmJennifer Openshaw, Mercer

Leigh Foley, NABMegan Hannigan, PayPal

Richard Nash, PayPalSusan Diegelman, AT&T

Consumer Action

SAN FRANCISCO STAFF1170 Market Street, Suite 500, San Francisco, CA 94102(415) 777-9648Email: info@consumer-action.org

Ken McEldowney, Executive DirectorMichael Heffer, Business ManagerKathy Li, Director, San Francisco (SF) OfficeNani Susanti Hansen, Associate Director, SF Office Audrey Perrott, Associate Director, Outreach & TrainingMonica Steinisch, Senior Associate, Editorial Jamie Woo, Community Outreach ManagerJoseph Ridout, Consumer Services ManagerCui Yan Xie, Project AssociateVickie Tse, Development CoordinatorHazel Kong, Administrative Associate/Consumer Advice CounselorAngela Kwan, Web ManagerRicardo Perez, Mail Room OperationsRose Chan, Consumer Advice CoordinatorSchelly Gartner, Tasneem Pitalwala, Ralph Stone, Consumer Advice CounselorsAlden Chan, Robert La, Support

LOS ANGELES STAFF11901 Santa Monica Blvd, PMB 563, Los Angeles, CA 90025(213) 624-4631

Nelson Santiago, Community Outreach Manager Linda Williams, Outreach & Training Manager

WASHINGTON, DC STAFFP.O. Box 70037, Washington, DC 20024(202) 544-3088

Linda Sherry, Director, National PrioritiesRuth Susswein, Deputy Director, National Priorities (Editor, Consumer Action News)Lauren Hall, Associate, National Priorities Alegra Howard, Associate, National Priorities

1170 Market Street, Suite 500 San Francisco, CA 94102ph: 415-777-9648 fax: 415-777-5267

www.Consumer-Action.org