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Patenaude Has Nomination Hearing, Rumors of Otting’s Nomination Confirmed

Senate BHPamela Patenaude, current President of the J. Ronald Terwilliger Foundation for Housing America’s Families, appeared before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs for her nomination hearing Monday. Originally, Patenaude was being considered for the position of HUD Secretary, later given to Ben Carson. As Deputy Secretary of HUD, Patenaude will be charged with the Department’s mission to promote safe and affordable housing across the nation while managing HUD’s day-to-day operations.

According to the J. Ronald Terwilliger Foundation for America’s Families leadership page, Patenaude served as assistant deputy secretary for field policy and management at HUD. As its assistant secretary for the community, planning, and development, she administered more than $8 billion in housing and community development funds and managed $17 billion in disaster recovery funds for the Gulf Coast rebuilding efforts.

“As Assistant Deputy Secretary for Field Policy and Management, I helped restructure HUD’s critical field operations and developed a comprehensive training curriculum on HUD programs and policies for Regional and Field Office Directors,” Patenaude said in her hearing on the nomination. “I also played an instrumental role in the development of HUD’s five-year Strategic Plan. More importantly, I worked hand in hand with the dedicated men and women of HUD who are closest to the people the department serves.”

Patenaude believes that her career in housing at the local, state and federal levels of government has broadened her views of America’s housing policies as well as helped her understand the factors that contribute to the success and failures of well-intended programs.

“As Matthew Desmond articulated in his Pulitzer Prize winning book Evicted, “we have failed to fully appreciate how deeply housing is implicated in the creation of poverty,”’ Patenaude said. “Dr. Desmond believes that, “powerful solutions are within our collective reach.” I agree with Dr. Desmond and believe that as a nation, we must recognize that housing is not just a commodity but a foundation for economic mobility and personal growth.”

U.S. Senator Mile Crapo, Chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs delivered the remarks at the full committee hearing on the nomination.

“I look forward to working with Ms. Patenaude, if confirmed again, on opportunities to improve the efficiency of HUD programs, reduce regulatory burdens on local housing authorities, leverage more private capital, empower local decision-making, encourage self-sufficiency and address comprehensive housing finance reform,” Crapo said.

Less than 24 hours earlier, President Trump confirmed the rumors of his intention to nominate Joseph Otting, formerly President and CEO of OneWest Bank N.A, as the Comptroller of the Currency at the Department of the Treasury.

“Mr. Otting previously served as President and CEO of OneWest Bank N.A and Vice Chairman of U.S. Bancorp,” a White House Press Office document announced on behalf of President Trump. “Mr. Otting holds a B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa and is a graduate of the School of Credit and Financial Management at Dartmouth College.”

If confirmed, Otting would replace Thomas Curry, whose term expires next month.

About Author: Brianna Gilpin

Brianna Gilpin, Online Editor for MReport and DS News, is a graduate of Texas A&M University where she received her B.A. in Telecommunication Media Studies. Gilpin previously worked at Hearst Media, one of the nation's leading diversified media and information services companies. To contact Gilpin, email [email protected].
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