CFPB Announces Leadership Changes

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced late last week leadership changes in a number of its departments.

In a press release, the consumer finance watchdog announced that Andrew Duke will serve as the policy associate director for external affairs. Duke has 27 years of experience in public policy, 20 of which was on Capitol Hill, where he served for three different members of Congress. At the same time, the CFPB announced that Laura Fiene will serve as west regional director. Fiene joined the CFPB at its inception in 2011 and has more than 31 continuous years of experience in regulating financial services companies, including 27 years dedicated to supervising and examining compliance with federal consumer financial laws and regulations.

In addition, Marisol Garibay was named as the acting chief communications officer. Garibay has 14 years of experience in policy communications focused on financial issues, the government watchdog agency announced in the press release. She most recently was senior advisor and acting communications director at the Office of Management and Budget. The CFPB also named Delicia Reynolds Hand as the deputy associate director for external affairs. Hand joined the Bureau in 2012 and has 17 years of experience, having worked in consumer advocacy, community development and on Capitol Hill.

The final appointment is of Lora McCray, who is serving as the director for the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion. McCray was most recently assistant vice president of diversity and inclusion at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

The announcements come as the Democrats take control of the House of Representatives and vow to claw back some of the changes that have come to the CFPB under President Donald Trump. Maxine Waters, the new chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee, has said she will hold Interim Director Mick Mulvaney accountable for his oversight as the head of the CFPB.

“While his time running the Consumer Bureau may be over, the time for accountability for his actions is about to begin,” Waters said at a recent event for the Center For American Progress, before announcing that she further intends to introduce the Consumers First Act to “undo the damage” of Mulvaney’s acts at CFPB.