Episode 80: AI Innovations and Anti-racism in Regulation: Conference Plenaries Preview

Unlicensed practice poses significant risks to consumers and presents regulators with the challenge of identifying activity that often occurs outside the regulated system. This conversation with Wendy Moir, CEO of Ontario's Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA), explores how regulators can use complaints, data, partnerships, and risk-based approaches to identify and respond to unlicensed activity, while also recognizing the important role of consumer education in preventing harm. The discussion highlights how enforcement and education can work together: enforcement can identify emerging issues and inform public education, while increased consumer awareness can generate valuable intelligence and help identify problems earlier. The conversation also considers the challenges of measuring deterrence, adapting to changing digital information environments, and making license verification easy for the public. Ultimately, the episode offers practical lessons for regulators seeking to strengthen consumer protection by connecting enforcement, education, and proactive oversight. Transcript

Technology modernization is about more than replacing outdated systems. It requires agencies to examine long-standing processes, engage the people who use those processes every day, and focus on how technology can improve both the employee and customer experience. In this episode, Line Dempsey speaks with Liz Searock of the Oklahoma Department of Labor and Connie Pearson of Tyler Technologies about Oklahoma's journey from disconnected databases, spreadsheets, paper files, and manual workarounds toward a more modern licensing operation. They discuss the challenges of legacy systems, the importance of employee buy-in and vendor partnership, and why successful modernization means rethinking existing processes rather than simply recreating them in a new system. Transcript

This episode previews two keynote presentations at the 2026 CLEAR Annual Educational Conference. Host Line Dempsey first speaks with keynote speaker Jay Chaudhary about his concept of "regulatory abundance"—the idea that effective regulation requires continually balancing public protection with access, innovation, affordability, and opportunity. Drawing on his experience in legal aid and behavioral health leadership, Chaudhary discusses the importance of recognizing the trade-offs inherent in every regulatory decision, considering both visible and invisible harms, and designing regulatory systems that are practical while maintaining meaningful safeguards. The episode then features plenary speaker Jillian Morenz, who explores how leaders can navigate high-stakes conversations more effectively. She explains why people often default to silence or confrontation under pressure, shares common communication pitfalls, and emphasizes the role of psychological safety and practical communication skills in building stronger teams and higher-performing organizations. Together, the conversations offer listeners a preview of two conference sessions focused on rethinking regulation and strengthening leadership through better communication. Transcript

The UK's Professional Standards Authority (PSA) has introduced a new single set of standards that will be used to assess both professional regulators and accredited registers, replacing separate frameworks with a unified set of expectations. In this episode, host Line Dempsey speaks with Graham Mockler, Director of Regulation and Accreditation at the PSA, about the rationale behind this significant change and what it means for the future of regulatory oversight. They discuss the shift toward outcomes-focused regulation; the growing emphasis on governance, risk management, and organizational culture; and the importance of greater consistency across regulatory systems for strengthening public protection and public confidence. The conversation also explores the practical challenges of implementation, the role of collaboration in addressing regulatory gaps, and the measures that will determine whether the new framework achieves its intended impact. Transcript

In this episode of Regulation Matters: a CLEAR conversation, host Line Dempsey speaks with Tamara Richter and Carin Plischke about what major regulatory reform looks like in practice. Drawing from their organizations’ experiences with legislative change, multi-profession regulation, governance restructuring, and large-scale organizational transformation, they discuss the realities of implementing change amid political pressure and uncertainty. The conversation explores change fatigue, communication strategies, public trust, evolving governance models, and the challenges of integrating new professions and organizational cultures. They also share candid reflections on lessons learned, what they would do differently, and practical advice for regulators preparing for significant change of their own. Transcript