The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced a number of new hirings and one promotion yesterday, while a published report revealed that today is the last day at the agency for a key figure.
The CFPB announced the hiring of Susan Bernard as assistant director for regulations in the Research, Markets and Regulation Division, Donna Roy as its chief information officer, Rachelle Vaughan as its chief procurement officer, Thomas Ward as assistant director of enforcement in the Supervision, Enforcement & Fair Lending Division, and David Wernecke as its chief experience officer. As well, a published report said that David Silberman, the CFPB’s director of its Research, Markets and Regulation Division is leaving the agency. As director of that unit, Silberman was considered to be the bureau’s chief rule writer. He has worked at the CFPB since 2011 — before it was officially launched.
Prior to joining the CFPB, Bernard was the director of the Office of Regulations and Policy in the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Roy was executive director of the Information Sharing and Services Office at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Vaughan was director of procurement services for the Corporation for National and Community Service, Ward was a deputy assistant attorney general in the Civil Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, and Wernecke was the section chief in the CFPB’s Consumer Response Product Office. He has worked at the CFPB since 2013.
After word began to circulate last month that Ward was going to be tapped to run the CFPB’s enforcement unit, Rep. Maxine Waters [D-Calif.], the chair of the House Financial Services Committee sent a letter to Kathleen Kraninger, the CFPB’s director, admonishing the potential hire. Ward is replacing Kristen Donoghue, who resigned last May.
“The potential selection of Mr. Ward for Enforcement Director raises serious concerns about whether the Consumer Bureau has adhered to civil service laws and OPM guidance governing the hiring of political appointees into career positions,” the letter reads.
