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UCAN Staff

Michael Shames

Job Title
Executive Director
Email
Joined UCAN in
January 1983

Executive Director and Co-founder, Utility Consumers' Action Network (UCAN) a non-profit consumer watchdog group made up of 31,000 San Diego house­holds and small businesses. Represents the interests of San Diegans in energy, telecommunication, water, financial and Internet-related matters before the state and federal regulatory bodies. Also serves as an expert witness and attorney on behalf of UCAN and served for 10 years as an adjunct professor at University of San Diego School of Business.   Graduated with a BA from UCLA and a JD from University of San Diego where, as a law student, he helped create UCAN.

Charles Langley

Job Title
Publisher, UCAN Watchdog
Email
Joined UCAN in
June 1996

Charles Langley in his office
Charles Langley joined UCAN in 1996. He is the publisher of the UCAN Watchdog and developed the world's first crowd-sourced gas pricing service, the UCAN Gasoline Project. More.

Dr. Sue A. Macomber, deceased, January 20, 2011

Job Title
Fraud Squad Supervisor
Email
Joined UCAN in
June 2001

Dr. Sue Macomber

Sue Macomber managed the UCAN Fraud Squad Consumer Hotline. During her tenure at UCAN, she helped develop a statewide coalition of more than 50 consumer groups and NGOs to form California's first statewide database documenting telecommunications fraud. She passed away January 19th, 2011. You can read her public obituary here, the official UCAN obituary here, and watch her speak in this brief video about the Fraud Squad.

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Art Neill

Job Title
Senior Staff Attorney, Director New Media Rights
Email
Joined UCAN in
May 2005

Practices public interest and consumer law in the areas of telecommunications, energy, intellectual property, and the internet. Art is the founder of New Media Rights, which provides pro bono legal resources to creators, artists, citizen journalists and online publishers at NewMediaRights.org.  Art was also a creator of the new UCAN.org.

  • Member of the California Bar (admitted 2006)
  • Member of the San Diego County Bar Association

Recent interviews:

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Laura Impastato

Job Title
Membership Database Manager, Member Relations
Email
Joined UCAN in
May 2005

Laura_Impastato_Head_and_shoulders
Laura Impastato manages UCAN's growing member database and is responsible for Member Relations. Laura joined UCAN in 2005 after working as a reporter and editor with community newspapers in San Diego. Laura was also managing editor of several regional Souther California publications designed for the senior market.

 

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Special Agent 00K9 (aka Max the Bulldog)

Agent00K9.JPG
Job Title
Watchdogging, Slobbering, Looking adorable
Email
Joined UCAN in
August 2006

The most elite member of the UCAN staff, Max (um, 00K9) is renown for his ability to get tough for consumers while still looking adorable.

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Joshua C. Anaya, Esq.

Job Title
Staff Attorney, UCAN Fraud Squad
Email
Joined UCAN in
January 2010

Joshua Anaya, Esq.
Josh Anaya is a Staff Attorney with the UCAN Fraud Squad and UCAN's MeterWatch, a program for monitoring the deployment of SDG&E Smart meters. More.

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David A. Peffer, Esq.

Job Title
Staff Attorney - Water Project
Email
Joined UCAN in
June 2010

Dvid A Peffer, Esq. Dean's Fellow, UCAN Water Advocacy Project
David Peffer is a Lead Attorney with UCAN's Water Advocacy Project.

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Patricia Anderson

Job Title
Consumer Advocate
Email
Joined UCAN in
December 2010

Patricia Anderson

Patricia is a Consumer Advocate for UCAN.  She has a BA in Political Science and a background in fundraising, sales, and customer service.

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See former UCAN staff in the UCAN staff archives!


Like what you see? Go ahead and show your support! UCAN is a truly independent non-profit watchdog organization, dependent on grassroots donations like yours!

 

Utility Consumers' Action Network - (619) 696-6966

Terms and Conditions

UCAN.org is made available by the Utility Consumers' Action Network to assist you in becoming what you always knew you could be: a consumer ROCK STAR! We take no corporate money, and are beholden only to you, the consumer. As such, the site is here for educational, advocacy, and empowerment purposes, as well to to give you general information and a general understanding of the law. Just remember this site is NOT here to provide specific legal advice. By using this web site you of course understand that there is no attorney-client relationship between you and the Web Site publisher, UCAN. The Web Site should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state.

That said, get to digging on the site, inform yourself, speak your mind, and earn Watchdog Bones! This is YOUR site, and we mean it. So comment on any of the content, discuss the latest issues in the forums, file a complaint on a company with the Fraud Squad, and generally cut loose.

See our Terms of Use, Privacy, and Copyright complaint policies as well as our Content Reuse Policy, Some Rights Reserved. Remember, if you have any questions about copyright law or need legal information regarding intellectual property, the internet, or new technologies, visit our affiliate New Media Rights at www.newmediarights.org. If you are in the San Diego region, you can also can apply to use New Media Rights' multimedia studio and equipment for free.