CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum Announces New General Counsel

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) today announced the hiring of Stephanie Tsacoumis as the new General Counsel for CPSC. Ms. Tsacoumis will begin her tenure with the agency on December 10, 2012.

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Ms. Tsacoumis brings more than 25 years of award-winning legal experience to CPSC and our vital safety mission on behalf of American's consumers," said Chairman Inez Tenenbaum.  "Adding her impressive skill set to the fantastic team we have at CPSC will make us even more effective and help us sustain our position as the global leader in consumer product safety."       

Ms. Tsacoumis joins CPSC after serving as Vice President and General Counsel at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., from 2009 through 2012.  She was responsible for all legal affairs and compliance matters at the university, including health and safety regulations, litigation, federal contracts and grants, and intellectual property.  Ms. Tsacoumis was named "Outstanding Chief Legal Officer" in 2011 by Washington Metro Area Corporate Counsel Association and "Non-Profit Lawyer of the Year 2012" by the American Bar Association.   Her leadership of the Office of Georgetown General Counsel was recognized by Corporate Counsel magazine as a finalist for "Best Legal Department" nationwide.  

Prior to working at Georgetown University, Ms. Tsacoumis was a Corporate Partner and Co-Partner in Charge at the international law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.  During her time at the firm, she represented government-chartered entities, nonprofit organizations, and top public and private companies in regulatory, advisory, corporate and transactional matters.  Among Ms. Tsacoumis' achievements at the firm was increasing the administrative capacity of the Girl Scouts of the USA by 50 percent through the implementation of an innovative reorganization that merged 309 local councils into 115 entities.

She is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law and The College of William and Mary.

The Office of the General Counsel within CPSC performs several key functions, including providing advice and counsel to the Chairman and Commissioners, coordinating petitions and rulemaking, pursuing civil penalties and administrative lawsuits, and enforcing federal safety standards.

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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $900 billion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals - contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, go online to: SaferProducts.gov, call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054 for the hearing and speech impaired. Consumers can obtain this news release and product safety information at www.cpsc.gov. To join a free e-mail subscription list, please go to www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx.

CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: Scott Wolfson, (301) 504-7800

SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission