Aragon Joins CPSC as Compliance Chief

Ray Aragon is CPSC’s new Director of Compliance and Field Operations. He began the week of May 20. He comes to the agency from the Washington, D.C. office of McKenna Long & Aldrige. He joined the firm in 1992. A partner, his practice included focus on product liability defense. He has represented clients during investigations by CPSC and the Food and Drug Administration. Prior to McKenna, he was with Cooley Godward in San Francisco (1988-1992) and Crowell & Moring in D.C. (1986-1988).

He holds a law degree from Yale (1986) and a BA in economics from University of Maryland (1981). He is admitted to the Maryland, D.C., and California (inactive) bars as well as the U.S Supreme Court; the 4th, 6th, and 9th U.S. Courts of Appeal; and U.S. District Courts in D.C., Maryland, California (northern and central), and Michigan (northern). He has served as general counsel for the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute and is a member of the Hispanic Bar Association of Washington, D.C.

He is the fourth person to lead Compliance since 2010. Deputy Director Marc Schoem has been acting director since former director Andy Kameros stepped aside about a year ago (PSL, 6/4/12, p. 1) to work in the agency’s General Counsel office. Prior to Kameros, current Deputy Director Safety Operations Jay Howell was acting director in 2010 and 2011 after former Compliance chief Gib Mullan received a special assignment in mid-2010 with Customs and Border Protection. Mullan later left for a congressional job.