Washington DC-Baltimore Area
Dedicated US Department of Treasury career civil servant committed to helping more people and communities attain and maintain financial opportunity. I understand the power of innovation, the value of working across sectors, and the need for complex strategies to address complex challenges. In my work, I have led grantmaking programs, capacity building pilots, conducted and supported groundbreaking research, authored well-used publications, and engaged stakeholders across the U.S. in community development finance, household finance, and financial education and inclusion. I currently serve as a subject matter expert helping banks in their community development investments, lending, and responsive financial services. The content of this message is mine personally and does not reflect the position of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, or the U.S. government.
I support the OCC's mission to ensure a vibrant banking system by helping banks provide safe and sound community development financing and innovative and responsive financial services. I provide analysis and research and develop publications and internal and external remarks on topics including financial education, access/inclusion, digital financial products and services, and consumer credit. I engage with industry stakeholders through Project REACh and through other interagency and external partnerships, and speak on webinars, in conferences, and other forums on topics including financial education and digital financial services. These include: American Savings Education Council, Credit Builders Alliance, Department of Defense Office of Financial Readiness, and National Interagency Community Reinvestment Conference. I manage high-priority complex projects recognized as highly effective, including the Financial Health Vital Signs initiative. I conducted research, analyzed data, assessed new developments, and gathered insights from experts in and outside of the agency, organized stakeholder events and a public session. I authored the report Community Development Insights: How Banks Can Measure and Support Customer Financial Health Outcomes. I support the OCC's participation in the Financial Literacy and Education Commission and revitalized the OCC's employee volunteerism in financial education, now in its fourth year, with nearly 80 participants.
• Led policy team to advise Treasury officials on legislative, regulatory and policy actions regarding consumer protection, consumer credit, debt collection, payments, savings, and related issues. • Contributed to development of agency's 2022-2026 Strategic Plan. • Developed stakeholder outreach and research for new $500 million business technical assistance component of the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), and design program guidelines to serve very small and minority-owned businesses.
•Led the Department of the Treasury's policy, program and research development on household financial security (including financial education, short- and long-term savings, financial inclusion and consumer credit), community reinvestment and related topics. •Coordinated activities across the Federal government through the leadership of the Financial Literacy and Education Commission. Comprising more than 20 federal agencies, including holding public meetings and reporting to Congress. Coordinated production of National Strategy for Financial Literacy 2020. •Developed Federal Financial Literacy Reform: Coordinating and Improving Financial Literacy Efforts. •Led production of Congressionally-mandated Best Practices for Financial Literacy and Education at Institutions of Higher Education. •Coordinated interagency Guidance to Encourage Financial Institutions’ Youth Savings Programs and Address Related Frequently Asked Questions and related documents. •Served as the primary coordinator and Designated Federal Official for President's Advisory Councils on Financial Capability. •Organized high level convenings of diverse experts to inform policy, practice and private-sector products.
Led Treasury's policy, programs, and research on financial inclusion in the U.S., working with national and local partners in the financial sector, community organizations, and local, state and federal governments. • Developed and managed the Community Financial Access Pilot in diverse rural and urban communities across the country. • Developed and oversaw ground-breaking Assessing Financial Capability Outcomes research on financial access and counseling for low-wage workers and access to bank and credit union accounts and financial education for elementary school students. • Developed and oversaw research on tax refund anticipation loans and small-dollar credit. • Served as the Director of the Community Adjustment and Investment Program, providing oversight and guidance to the North American Development Bank in its program to create and preserve jobs in high-unemployment, NAFTA-affected communities, especially US-Mexico border communities. Coordinated with other federal, state and local agencies in promoting economic development in these areas.