Consumer protection
I served from 2020 through July 2025 on the Maryland body now called the Consumer Protection Commission. My appointment was confirmed by the Maryland Senate on 5 February 2021.
During the earlier part of my service, its name was the Consumer Council. The change to Consumer Protection Commission took effect on 1 October 2024. Both names therefore belong in a description of this period.
What the institution does
The Commission advises the Attorney General’s Division of Consumer Protection, studies consumer issues, and can report and recommend action. It also works with other organizations concerned with consumer interests. Its advisory role should be distinguished from enforcement authority held by the Division.
For me, this belongs to the same continuing question about institutions: can the people affected by a process understand it, challenge it, and find someone who is responsible for it?