Commerce: Consumer Protection vs. Anti-competitive Barriers

Electronic Commerce: Consumer Protection vs. Anti-competitive Barriers
Tuesday, July 22, 2003
8:30 - 9:45 am
Moscone Center 131- Exhibit Level

Steve DelBianco, Vice President, Association for Competitive Technology
Executive Director, the NetChoice Coalition www.netchoice.org
Washington, DC
866- 259-3800

Mr. DelBianco brings twenty years of experience in marketing, management, and technology services to the Association for Competitive Technology, where he serves as Vice President for Public Policy. He also serves as Executive Director of the NetChoice coalition, which promotes e-commerce in state and federal policy arenas, on behalf of coalition members like eBay, Orbitz, eRealty, and 1-800 Contacts. Before joining ACT, Steve was founder and president of Financial Dynamics, an IT consulting firm specializing in financial and marketing solutions. Steve led marketing and business development efforts, including hands-on management of the firm's largest single account. Financial Dynamics grew to over $20 million in revenues by 1997, when a national firm acquired it. Virginia governor Jim Gilmore appointed Steve as a Director of the state's Economic Development Partnership. Steve was re-appointed to the Advisory Committee on Privacy for Virginia's Joint Commission on Technology and Science, Consumer Protection working group. Steve holds degrees in Engineering and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Wharton School.

Steve Gross
State Relations Manager
Wine Institute www.wineinstitute.org
San Francisco, California
415-512-0151

Steve Gross is State Relations Manager at the Wine Institute, where he has been employed since 1986. His responsibilities include overseeing the activities of Wine Institute's State Relations field staff as they track state legislation affecting the wine industry, as well as coordinating Wine Institute's legislative and regulatory activities with staff, contract lobbyists and member wineries. Mr. Gross regularly participates in many national programs addressing issues facing the wine industry, both on the legislative and regulatory level. Also, he is involved in various public policy forums that are currently working toward reforming California's governance structure, the state's education and public finance systems, as well as environmental, smart growth and sustainability issues.

Carol J. Kent
Director of Enforcement
Texas Motor Vehicle Board
Motor Vehicle Division
Department of Transportation
Austin, Texas
512-416-4911

Carol Kent is the Director of the Enforcement Section for the Motor Vehicle Division under the Texas Motor Vehicle Board. This Texas Department of Transportation division regulates motor vehicle dealers, manufacturers, and converters doing business in Texas. The enforcement

section oversees advertising and sales practices of approximately 20,000 licensees. As the Enforcement Director, Ms. Kent is responsible for guiding the enforcement activities of the division that administers the Texas Motor Vehicle Commission Code and the Dealer Law section of the Texas Transportation Code. After 10 years in private law practice, in 1993 Ms. Kent joined the Motor Vehicle Division as an administrative law judge for the Consumer Affairs (Lemon Law) Section of the division. In May of 1994 she accepted her current position as head of the Enforcement Section of the MVD. Ms. Kent speaks regularly at meetings with dealers, consumers, tax authorities, credit unions, advertising agencies, law enforcement agencies and industry conferences, and she frequently contributes articles to industry magazines. Ms. Kent graduated from Southwest Texas State University with honors and South Texas School of Law.