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FHFA Announces Three Staffing Updates

Effective November 1, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) [1] has announced the appointment of three people to permanent executive positions within the agency. 

Firstly, Acting COO Katrina Jones [2] was named the permanent COO of the agency. 

Jones, who has been the acting COO since August, brings 35 years of federal experience to the table and has been with the FHFA since 2008 serving as a Contract Officer and Associate Director for Agency Operations. 

“Katrina has ably demonstrated the leadership and business acumen to successfully oversee the Agency’s support operations,” commented FHFA Acting Director Sandra L. Thompson [3]. 

According to the press release, Jones has years of experience managing the FHFA’s operations in various positions including building operations, physical and personnel security programs, emergency and disaster readiness, space utilization management, mail operations, logistics, contract management, and conference planning. 

Next, Charles Yi [4] has been hired by the FHFA its Senior Advisor for Legal Affairs and Policy. In addition to providing counsel to the Acting Director, he will provide “expertise, guidance, and coordination in recommending actions to ensure the agency’s goals and obligations are met.” 

“Charles is an accomplished and knowledgeable legal professional, and I look forward to working with him to advance FHFA’s important mission,” said Thompson. “His expertise with legal issues related to finance and housing will support the Agency’s capacity to ensure the Agency’s regulated entities serve as the backbone of a fair, equitable, and sustainable housing finance system.” 

With nearly 20 years of legal experience in the public and private sectors, Yi most recently worked at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP [5] as a Partner and served as General Counsel at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation [6] from 2015-2019.  A former officer in the U.S. Army, he has “provided counsel to lawmakers on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs [7] and the House Committee on Financial Services [8], most notably for the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the Housing and Economic Recovery Act.”  

Yi was also Deputy Assistant Secretary for Banking and Finance at the U.S. Treasury Department [9] where he assisted in the implementation of provisions under the Dodd-Frank Act. 

Finally, Daniel E. Coates, Ph.D [10] has been named Deputy Director for the Division of Research and Statistics. 

After earning his Ph.D in economics, Coates worked as an Economist at the U.S. General Accounting Office [11] and the Federal Housing Finance Board before being named Senior Associate Director at FHFA, where he led a team of economists and financial analysts. According to the press release, his team was responsible for targeted credit and market risk examinations to support FHFA’s examinations of the Federal Home Loan Banks. 

Coates is also the Chairman of the FHFA Reference Rate Transition Steering Committee and is the FHFA representative to the Alternative Reference Rates Committee for the Federal Reserve Board and the New York Federal Reserve [12]. 

“Lynn was instrumental in standing up DRS, and I value her contributions to expanding the Agency’s research and analytic capacity,” Thompson concluded. “I look forward to Dan’s continued leadership of the division as it produces high quality data and research in support of FHFA’s objectives. Charles, Dan, and Katrina will bring experience and commitment to their work supporting FHFA’s mission.”