STAFF BIOS

Eric J. Ellman is an experienced and skilled government affairs professional and association executive with a demonstrated track record of navigating the political headwinds for the consumer data industry.

Eric J. Ellman has been the President of the National Consumer Reporting Association (NCRA) since February 2025. Before that, Eric spent nearly 27 years at the Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA). As the Senior Vice President for Public Policy and Legal Affairs, he led global government affairs and headed the legal department. He also served two tours of duty as CDIA’s President and CEO.

Eric’s work for CDIA was highlighted on the front page of the USA Today Money section in June 2007. In that article, he was called a “warrior” who is “always well-prepared for battle”. Eric was also a featured guest on several podcasts and has spoken at conferences on almost every continent. Eric has testified over 100 times before state legislative committees and appeared in many national and local media stories, including the New York Times and Politico.

Eric, a native New Yorker, has been involved in government, public service, and politics for most of his life. In 1989, he became the youngest elected official in Maryland when he was elected to the Friendship Heights Village Council, and he went on to serve four terms on that council. Eric made an unsuccessful run for the Maryland state legislature in 1994.

Eric is a member of the Board of the Hebrew Free Loan Association of Greater Washington, a nonprofit providing financial assistance to people in need, and sits on the Patient and Family Advisory Committee at Suburban Hospital/Hopkins Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland. Eric served on the Board of Directors of Congregation B’nai Tzedek in Potomac, Maryland, and was the Vice Chair of the Board of Credit Builders Alliance, an organization dedicated to financial empowerment. From 2006 to 2011, Eric served on the Board of Directors of Wonders Child Care, one of the largest non-profit childcare organizations in the DC metro area.

Eric has a B.S. from American University in Washington, D.C. and a law degree from the University of Baltimore.  Eric is a member of the bars of Maryland and Pennsylvania, and he is CIPP/US certified by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).

Eric is an avid hiker and cyclist. He is most at home and at peace on a trail in the mountains.