This year, we are excited to honor Consumer Champions for their work protecting Georgians in 2023:
Representative Josh Bonner (R-Fayetteville, Defense & Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman), our Champion for Fair Lending, for his hard work to protect Georgians from predatory car title lending by introducing legislation to make them subject to rate caps and regulation by the Department of Banking and Finance.
John F. King, Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, our Champion for Marketplace Fairness, for his steadfast commitment to ensuring fair car insurance rate filings; quick actions to prevent unfair practices by a home insurer; overseeing fair implementation of state and federal surprising billing consumer protection laws, and cracking down on a health insurer for inaccurate, inadequate provider networks and delayed payment of claims.
Kathleen Toomey, M.D., Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health, our Champion for Maternal, Child and Community Heath, for her tireless efforts to promote healthcare access and improve maternal and infant health outcomes by uplifting Community Health Workers around the state.
Berneta L. Haynes, J.D., Senior Staff Attorney with the National Consumer Law Center, our Champion for Energy and Health Equity, for her dedicated state and federal advocacy focused on the nexus between consumer protection and racial justice, especially to reduce medical debt and high energy bills.
Justin Gray, Investigative Reporter, WSB-TV, our Champion for Financial Protection, for his dogged investigations and reporting on misdeeds that have helped Georgians avoid financial hardship, also helping pass new laws to protect them, including helping victims of bank fraud, homeowner scams, unfair health insurance denials, wage garnishment for false debts, and harmful real estate deals.
Margaret Coker, Editor in Chief, The Current, our Champion for Shining Light on Title Lenders, for her ongoing series exposing the business practices that trap Georgians in debt.
We are proud to recognize these standout leaders protecting Georgians every day!
