March 28, 2014 | On March 27, 2014, President Obama nominated Elliot F. Kaye as chairman of the Consumer Product SafetyCommission (CPSC). Currently the executive director of the CPSC, Mr. Kaye’s chairmanship nomination awaits confirmation by the U.S. Senate. If confirmed, he would fill the vacancy left by Inez Tenenbaum, whose four-year term as CPSC chair ended in November 2013.

Mr. Kaye joined the agency in 2010, holding several positions including chief of staff and chief counsel to chairman Tenenbaum.While at the CPSC, Mr. Kaye focused his efforts on reducing brain injuries in youth sports, preventing injuries to children from the ingestion of coin cell batteries and combating deaths and injuries from carbon monoxide poisoning.

“The Toy Industry Association (TIA) and the toy industry congratulate Mr. Kaye on his appointment as the Commission's new Chairman,” said Ed Desmond, TIA executive vice president of external affairs.  “We look forward to building upon our current positive relationship CPSC and the Commission as we continue to pursue our mutual goal of keeping kids safe at play.”

Prior to joining the CPSC, Mr. Kaye was an attorney at Hogan Lovells and Cooley Godward Kronish LLP. He was also a judicial clerk for the Honorable Sterling Johnson, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Having earned a B.S.J. from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern and a J.D. from NYU Law School, Mr. Kaye has held the positions of chief of staff, legislative director and communications director for U.S. Representatives John Tierney, Pat Danner and Earl Hutto.

It is expected that Mr. Kaye and Joe Mohorovic, who was nominated as the new Republican Commissioner following Commissioner Nancy Nord’s departure last October, will be confirmed by the Senate in the coming months. Mr. Kaye and Mr. Mohorovic would join Commissioners Robert Adler (now acting chair), Ann Marie Buerkle and Marietta Robinson.
 
TIA will continue to monitor this topic and keep members apprised of any developments.