Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Announces New Advisory Committee Members

Through a press release issued on September 22, 2021, CFPB Acting Director Dave Uejio announced the appointment of new members to the Consumer Advisory Board (CAB), Community Bank Advisory Council (CBAC), Credit Union Advisory Council (CUAC), and Academic Research Council (ARC). These committee members will advise Bureau leadership on a broad range of consumer financial issues and emerging market trends.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act charges the CFPB with establishing a CAB to advise and consult with the Bureau’s Director on a variety of consumer financial issues. The Bureau also created three councils: the CBAC, CUAC, and ARC. The CBAC and CUAC advise and consult with the Bureau on consumer financial issues related to community banks and credit unions. The ARC advises the Bureau on its strategic research planning process and research agenda and provides feedback on research methodologies, data collection strategies, and methods of analysis, including methodologies and strategies for quantifying the costs and benefits of regulatory actions.

The committee members include experts in consumer protection, financial services, consumer lending, economic justice, and consumer financial products and services, as well as representatives of community banks and credit unions. Advisory committee membership reflects the expertise across the range of issues under the Bureau’s jurisdiction. Committee members serve two-year terms.

The following members will serve on each of their respective committees:

Consumer Advisory Board (CAB)

• Leigh Phillips (Chair), President and CEO, SaverLife (San Francisco, CA)

• Joaquin Altoro, Chief Executive Officer, Wisconsin Housing & Economic Development Authority (Madison, WI)

• Lorray Brown, Attorney/Consumer Law Attorney/Co-Director, Michigan Poverty Law Program (Ypsilanti, MI)

• Louis Caditz-Peck, Director, Public Policy, LendingClub (San Francisco, CA)

• Stephanie Carroll, Directing Attorney, Consumer Rights & Economic Justice, Public Counsel (Los Angeles, CA)

• David Ehrich, Executive Director, AIR - Alliance for Innovative Regulation (Washington, DC)

• Laurie Goodman, Director, Housing Finance Policy Center, Urban Institute (Washington, DC)

• Margaret Libby, Founder and CEO, MyPath (San Francisco, CA)

• Andres Navarrete, Executive Vice President, External Affairs, Capital One (McLean, VA)

• Beverly Ruggia, Financial Justice Program Director, New Jersey Citizen Action (Newark, NJ)

• Faith Schwartz, President, Housing Finance Strategies, LLC (Austin, TX)

• Ky Tran-Trong, Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Visa (Washington, DC)

• Pete Upton, Executive Director, Native360 Loan Fund, Inc. (Grand Island, NE)

• Mae Watson Grote, Founder and CEO, Change Machine (Brooklyn, NY)

Community Bank Advisory Council (CBAC)

• John Buhrmaster (Chair), President and CEO, First National Bank of Scotia (Scotia, NY)

• Barry Anderson, President - Chief Operations Officer, F&M Bank (Edmond, OK)

• Mary Buche, Senior Vice President/Consumer Lending Relationship Manager, Bank of Labor (Olathe, KS)

• Ronette Hauser-Jones, Mortgage Division President, Great Plains Bank (Oklahoma City, OK)

• Todd McDonald, Senior Vice President/Board Director, Liberty Bank & Trust Company (New Orleans, LA)

• Rebecca Melton, Senior Vice President/Chief Credit Officer, The National Bank of Blacksburg (Blacksburg, VA)

• Kristina Schaefer, General Counsel & Chief Risk Officer, Fishback Financial Corporation/First Bank & Trust (Brookings, SD)

• Michael Tucker, Chief Executive Officer, Greenfield Cooperative Bank (Greenfield, MA)

Credit Union Advisory Council (CUAC)

• Jose Iregui (Chair), Vice-President of Consumer Lending, Langley Federal Credit Union (Newport News, VA)

• Michael Daugherty, President, Community Plus Federal Credit Union (Rantoul, IL)

• Monica Davis, Senior Vice President Risk Management, Union Square Credit Union (Wichita Falls, TX)

• Michelle Dwyer, President/CEO, Franklin First Federal Credit Union (Greenfield, MA)

• Jeff Ivey, President/CEO, River City Federal Credit Union (San Antonio, TX)

• Jeremiah Kossen, President/CEO, Town and Country Credit Union (Minot, SD)

• Michael Levy, General Counsel, Travis Credit Union (Vacaville, CA)

• Deborah Wreden, EVP, Product & Delivery Strategy, Virginia Credit Union (Richmond, VA)        

Academic Research Council (ARC)

• Vicki Bogan (Chair), Associate Professor, Cornell University (Ithaca, NY)

• Mathieu Despard, Associate Professor, University of North Carolina at Greensboro (Greensboro, NC)

• Eric Johnson, Norman Eig Professor of Business, Columbia University (New York, NY)

• Michael Staten, Professor and Associate Dean, University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ)

• Anthony Yezer, Professor of Economics, George Washington University (Washington, DC)

insideARM perspective:

When Reg F goes into effect on November 30, 2021, it will undoubtedly affect consumers and the debt collection industry. While consumer advocates and lenders are well represented on the CAB, it is a bit disappointing that even with such a monumental regulation about to go into effect, the ARM industry is not represented.  Of course, it is possible that these boards will be focusing on other issues, but it is hard to imagine that Reg F won't be part of the conversation.