MaineBusiness.com

William N. Lund, a veteran state official who has gained the trust and respect of the consumers he is sworn to protect as well as businesses he is charged with protecting them from, has been unanimously selected by the Maine Merchants Association board of directors to receive the organization’s 2009 Government Service Award.

The award was slated for presentation at the association’s 76th annual meeting October 20 at Southern Maine Community College in South Portland.

Lund became superintendent of the Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection in 1987. The post is traditionally characterized as a political appointment and is not protected by classified service laws. It generally changes hands when gubernatorial administrations do. However, Lund was initially appointed by Republican Gov. John McKernan, and subsequently reappointed by Independent Angus King and Democrat John Baldacci.

“Maine Merchants Association has worked with Will Lund for all his years in state government and has found his door always open,” said Jim McGregor, Maine Merchant’s veteran director of government affairs. “He has never viewed an issue simply as consumer vs. business, although his bottom line is clearly consumer protection.

“In almost two decades at Maine Merchants Association, I have never known Will Lund not to return a phone call, regardless of the issue, and I have never been reluctant to refer a complaining consumer or a frustrated business to his office,” said McGregor. “He is known to work with businesses as well as consumers to resolve an issue without heavy-handed regulatory tactics whenever possible.”

Lund, who is often utilized as an impartial resource by several legislative committees, is a graduate of Bowdoin College and the University of Maine Law School. Prior to assuming his present position, he was in private law practice and worked for the Maine Attorney General’s Office. He has also served as chair of the Federal Reserve Board’s Consumer Advisory council in Washington, and is a current member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s New England Consumer Advisory Group. He has authored more than 50 consumer law articles for the Maine Lawyer’s Review and is a frequent speaker on consumer law, privacy, and predatory lending issues.

His Consumer Credit Protection Bureau is the state agency that regulates all aspects of mortgage lending and other consumer financial services.

The Maine Merchants Association has presented the annual Government Service Award for many years. Other winners include H. Sawin Millet of Waterford (2008), Janet Mills of Farmington (2007) and Stephanie Anderson and Evert Fowle (2006). The award will be presented on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at the Maine Merchants Association Annual Meeting at Southern Maine Community College in South Portland, ME.

The Maine Merchants Association is a statewide, non-profit trade association representing over 400 businesses in the state, from large chains to small independent retailers. Formed in 1933, the Maine Merchants Association serves as the voice of merchants in Maine and concentrates on preserving the state's strong retail climate. For more information on the Maine Merchants Association, check the web site at www.mainemerchants.org or call the Maine Merchants Association offices at 207-623-1149.