The National Association of Insurance Commissioners named its2009 funded and unfunded consumer liaison representativestoday.

Established in 1992, the program promotes consumer interactionwith the NAIC's members, the insurance industry and interestedparties through the individuals' dedication and commitment toserving the public interest.

The Kansas City, Mo.-based association said 13 of the fundedconsumer representatives participated in the program in 2008, whilethree are new to the program this year.

The 2009 NAIC funded consumer liaison representatives are:

o Betty Ahrens, executive director for Iowa Citizen ActionNetwork in Coralville, Iowa.

o Amy Bach, executive director for United Policyholders in SanFrancisco.

o Birny Birnbaum, executive director of the Center for EconomicJustice in Austin, Texas.

o Pamela J. Bolton, director of policy and research for TexasWatch in Austin.

o Brendan M. Bridgeland, director for the Center for InsuranceResearch in Cambridge, Mass.

o Brenda J. Cude, professor at the University of Georgia inAthens, Ga.

o Evelyn Dacalos Gay (Langga), project director for Elder RightsProject, Georgia Legal Services in Garfield, Ga.

o Bonita A. Kallestad, attorney at law for Mid-Minnesota LegalAssistance, Western Minnesota Legal Services in Wilmar, Minn.

o Karrol Kitt, associate professor at The University of Texas atAustin.

o Sonja L. Larkin-Thorne in Avon, Conn.

o Kevin P. Lembo, state healthcare advocate, state ofConnecticut with the office of the Healthcare Advocate in Hartford,Conn.

o Kevin Lucia, assistant research professor at GeorgetownUniversity, Washington, D.C.

o Sally Baker McCarty, insurance and advocacy consultant for theNational Hemophilia Foundation, Hemophilia of Indiana inIndianapolis.

o S. Colleen Repetto of Fair Insurance Rates in Monroe, Fla.

o Daniel Schwarcz, associate professor of law at the Universityof Minnesota Law School in Minneapolis.

o Gregory D. Squires, professor of sociology and public policyand public administration at George Washington University inWashington, D.C.

Ms. Bolton, Ms. Larkin-Thorne and Ms. Repetto are new NAICfunded consumer representative for this year.

The NAIC has also named Howard Goldblatt, who is director ofgovernment affairs for the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud inWashington, D.C., as an unfunded consumer representative.