Jonathan Mintz, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs since Mayor Bloomberg appointed him to the post in 2006, leads the nation’s oldest and most powerful municipal consumer protection agency dedicated to empowering consumers and businesses to ensure a fair and vibrant marketplace. Regulating more than 71,000 businesses in 55 industries, Commissioner Mintz and his team have tackled large-scale enforcement and litigation initiatives focused on ending industry-wide deceptive practices in the consumer marketplace. He launched the Department’s Office of Financial Empowerment, the country’s first local government initiative aimed expressly at educating, empowering, and protecting those with low incomes so they can build assets and make the most of their financial resources. This unique approach to leveraging the powers and opportunities of municipal government in the field of asset building has been replicated in cities across the country through Mayor Bloomberg’s Cities for Financial Empowerment Coalition, founded and co-chaired by the Commissioner. The Commissioner’s years as an attorney, a law professor and even a Second grade teacher have contributed to his commitment to educating consumers and businesses about their rights and responsibilities in our complex marketplace.
Panelist Biography