FHFA Appoints New Chief of Staff

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has announced the appointment of Janell Byrd-Chichester as the organization's new chief of staff.

Byrd-Chichester's tenure with FHFA began on October 6. Just prior to joining FHFA, she was a partner for Washington, D.C.-based law firm Mehri & Skalet for four years. Among her many years of experience in law include serving as co-managing attorney for the Cochran Firm in Washington, D.C., from 2002 to 2009, working for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund as well as the North Carolina Central University School of Law, and clerking for the Honorable Cecil F. Poole of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

“Janell brings a broad array of talent, experience, and knowledge to the FHFA leadership team and I am pleased to have her aboard,” FHFA Director Mel Watt said.  “We look forward to working with her to support the Agency’s goals of ensuring safety, soundness, and liquidity in the nation’s housing finance markets.”

Byrd-Chichester received a juris doctor from the University of California, Berkeley, where she was a member of the California Law Review. She received her bachelor's degree from American University in Washington, D.C.