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Biden Nominates Two for Top HUD Roles

It’s been a busy week for the Biden Administration as it turned its focus to the housing industry, appointing and nominating new leadership to the agencies governing the industry.

After the appointment of Sandra L. Thompson, a veteran housing and banking regulator, as Acting Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), President Joe Biden announced nomination of Julia Gordon for Assistant Secretary for Housing, Federal Housing Commissioner, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); and Dave Uejio for Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, HUD to further stabilize oversight of the nation’s housing market.

Gordon currently serves as President of the National Community Stabilization Trust (NCST), a non-profit organization that supports neighborhood revitalization and affordable homeownership through facilitating the rehabilitation of residential properties in underserved markets. In addition to managing NCST’s programmatic work, Gordon specializes in federal policy related to homeownership, community development, and the nation’s housing finance system.

“Julia Gordon is the right person at the right time to lead the Federal Housing Administration,” said National Housing Conference (NHC) President and CEO David M. Dworkin. “She is respected across the broad spectrum of stakeholders in the public, private and nonprivate sectors of housing and housing finance. Throughout her remarkable career, she has demonstrated the utmost commitment to housing and homeownership in America.”

Previously, Gordon has served as the Senior Director of Housing and Consumer Finance at the Center for American Progress, Manager of the Single-Family Policy Team at the FHFA, and Senior Policy Counsel at the Center for Responsible Lending. She also has worked in the civil legal aid sector and as a litigation associate and pro bono coordinator at the law firm of WilmerHale. Gordon received her bachelor’s degree in government from Harvard College, and her J.D. from Harvard Law School.

"MBA applauds the nomination of Julia Gordon to lead the Federal Housing Administration,” said Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) President and CEO Bob Broeksmit, CMB. "We look forward to continuing to work with her, Secretary Marcia Fudge, and others at HUD and in the administration to ensure a strong FHA program that provides affordable housing opportunities, both rental and owned, for all Americans, while also protecting taxpayers. We also look forward to working with the agency to finish the much-needed work to improve efficiency, instill certainty and bring more lenders back to the FHA program."

National Association of Realtors (NAR) President Charlie Oppler added: "Julia's outstanding career in the industry has prepared her to handle the complex range of issues facing America's housing market today. She has also shown a deep commitment to removing the barriers to homeownership for communities of colors and to addressing the racial homeownership gaps that persist in this country. NAR looks forward to working with her on these and other issues in the years ahead, particularly as we continue our fight for policies to increase the supply of safe, affordable housing in America."

Uejio, current Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), oversees a $600 million budget and a 1,600-member workforce dedicated to protecting consumers from unfair, deceptive, and abusive practices, in the financial marketplace, through the enforcement of federal consumer financial law. Currently, the CFPB supervises more than 150 depository institutions with assets totaling more than $10 billion.

Prior to becoming Acting Director, Uejio served the CFPB as Acting Chief of Staff, as Lead for Talent Acquisition, and, most recently, as the Bureau’s Chief Strategy Officer. As Chief Strategy Officer, Uejio led the development of an integrative approach to strategic planning, policy prioritization, enterprise risk management, organizational performance, and program evaluation.

In addition, to his experience at the CFPB, Director Uejio has served in human resources capacities at the National Institutes of Health, the Office of Personnel Management, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Uejio began his career in government service in 2006, when he joined the NIH as a Presidential Management Fellow.

Uejio co-chairs the Federal Innovation Council, a federal government interagency body to drive public sector innovation. He also co-founded an event to connect, develop, and inspire emerging public service leaders, the Next Generation of Government Summit. He received a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

About Author: Eric C. Peck

Eric C. Peck has 20-plus years’ experience covering the mortgage industry, he most recently served as Editor-in-Chief for The Mortgage Press and National Mortgage Professional Magazine. Peck graduated from the New York Institute of Technology where he received his B.A. in Communication Arts/Media. After graduating, he began his professional career with Videography Magazine before landing in the mortgage space. Peck has edited three published books and has served as Copy Editor for Entrepreneur.com.
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