Douglas Heller

In addition to being Consumer Watchdog's executive director, Doug Heller is the organization's lead legislative and regulatory advocate on insurance and energy issues. Heller spearheaded the two-year battle for the nation's strongest whistleblower protections, which are now California law.

In the past year, Heller has worked with patient rights groups around the country speaking to lawmakers and media about the necessity of insurance regulation and the injustice of restrictions on the legal rights of victims of medical negligence. Heller has authored numerous reports on issues such as energy deregulation, medical malpractice and insurance industry low-balling. He is a participant in a number of California insurance and consumer oriented boards and panels.

Heller led the 2001 lobbying effort against a legislative bailout of California electric utilities. Through both advocacy work and community outreach, Heller has been the state's consumer leader in the effort to implement and expand the nation's first low-cost auto insurance program for low-income motorists.

Prior to advocacy work, Heller was an organizer, training and managing volunteers. After receiving his B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, Heller spent two years as a public school teacher in rural Louisiana