James A. Guest

James Alfred "Jim" Guest (born December 25, 1940) is an American lawyer, consumer advocate and former politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 33rd Secretary of State of Vermont from 1977 to 1981. From 2001 to 2014, Guest was the president and chief executive officer of Consumer Reports, a position he was appointed to after serving as Chairman of the Board of the Consumers Union from 1976 to 1994, with 21 of those 22 years as chair.

Guest unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate in 1982 and the U.S. House of Representatives in 1988.

Early life and education James Alfred Guest was born on December 25, 1940, in Montclair, New Jersey. Guest came in third place with 25% of the vote, behind winner Poirier and runner-up Welch.

From 2001 to 2014, Guest was the president and chief executive officer of Consumer Reports, a position he was appointed to after serving as Chairman of the Board of the Consumers Union from 1976 to 1994, with 21 of those 22 years as chair. NPR described Guest as a "quietly influential figure" who was mostly unknown to Americans but exercised influence through the widely read Consumer Reports magazine and website.

Guest noted that the Consumers Union had favored health care reform since 1939, "taking the position that everybody in the country ought to have insurance coverage."

Guest has led several advocacy and other groups, including Handgun Control Inc., the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence, and Planned Parenthood of Maryland. He is also the founding executive director of the American Pain Foundation.

Personal life Guest is married to Priscilla Frances Beach; they have two children.