Governmental Affairs Luncheon

With more than 70 million automobile airbags to be under recall across the nation – four million of which are in Texas and another 500,000 in North Texas – the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched a massive outreach campaign, under the direction of an independent monitor, urging drivers to check their cars for defective airbags. To date, four persons have died from defective airbags deploying during an accident – two of them in Texas – with several hundred more injured.

At our next meeting, you’ll receive an update on this important public safety issue as well as learn how to check to see if your car and other cars in your family have defective airbags. Our speaker, North Texas Public affairs consultant Ken Benson, indicates they regularly find up to ten percent of the cars they check have defective airbags.

These recalls are for models through 2016. 
 
Benson, who has been coordinating the North Texas outreach campaign for the independent monitor, will provide background on the issue as well as update members on the status of the recall efforts to date.
 
Benson has more than 30 years’ experience in the North Texas market helping companies, organizations, and agencies with their public affairs and public policy issues. Besides his current effort related to defective airbags, he has also worked on outreach campaigns associated with the affordable care act, Medicare Part D, and many trade-related issues. His clients have included the Hotel Association of North Texas, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Xerox Business Services, 7-Eleven, and American Airlines among others. He is also the state public affairs chair for the U.S. Department of Defense’s Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve Committee. The ESGR works to serve as a bridge between employers and members of the Guard and Reserve on issues related to their military service.
 
Benson graduated from Southern Methodist University and holds a master’s in public administration from the University of Southern California.

All Government Affairs Luncheon are included with your membership, but an RSVP is necessary​ to attend.