Meredith Fuchs Named Acting Deputy Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
On July 22, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a press release announcing the appointment of Meredith Fuchs as Acting Deputy Director when Deputy Director Steve Antonakes will leave the agency at the end of July.
Meredith Fuchs Named Acting Deputy Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today announced that Meredith Fuchs will serve as Acting Deputy Director when Deputy Director Steve Antonakes departs the agency at the end of July. Antonakes currently serves as both Deputy Director for the Bureau and Associate Director for the Division of Supervision, Enforcement, and Fair Lending. Earlier this month Fuchs announced her intention to step down as General Counsel, but she will continue to serve as General Counsel and Acting Deputy Director until a permanent replacement is selected for each position. David Bleicken, Deputy Associate Director for Supervision, Enforcement, and Fair Lending, will serve as Acting Associate Director for that division while a search for a replacement is conducted.
“Steve has been an enormous asset to the Bureau, and a great friend and colleague to me since the early days of the agency,” said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. “His contributions to this agency have been extensive in his dual roles as Deputy Director and Associate Director of Supervision, Enforcement, and Fair Lending and he will be sorely missed. Meredith’s experience and vision have helped build the Bureau since before we opened our doors, and I could not be more pleased that she has agreed to take on the role of Acting Deputy Director. I am deeply grateful to Steve and Meredith for their contributions to the CFPB and the American public we serve.”
Steve Antonakes
Steve Antonakes’ background includes more than two decades as a financial services regulator. He first joined the CFPB in November 2010 as the Assistant Director of Large Bank Supervision and was named the Associate Director for Supervision, Enforcement, and Fair Lending in June 2012. Antonakes began his professional career as an entry level bank examiner with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Banks in 1990. He served in numerous managerial capacities before being appointed by successive Governors to serve as the Commissioner of Banks from December 2003 until November 2010, becoming only the second career bank examiner to ever serve in that capacity. In addition, he served as the first state voting member of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), as the Vice Chairman of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS), and as a founding member of the governing board of the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System (NMLS). Antonakes also received NeighborWorks America’s Government Service Award for his work in combatting foreclosures in March 2007. Antonakes received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Penn State University, a Masters of Business Administration from Salem State University, and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Law and Public Policy from Northeastern University.
Meredith Fuchs
Meredith Fuchs, who will now serve as Acting Deputy Director, is currently the General Counsel of the CFPB. She joined the Bureau in 2011 as Principal Deputy General Counsel before serving as Chief of Staff to CFPB Director Richard Cordray. Prior to joining the CFPB, she served as Chief Investigative Counsel of the United States House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce. Previously, Ms. Fuchs held positions as Vice President and General Counsel of the National Security Archive at George Washington University, a litigation partner in private practice, the Supreme Court Assistance Project Fellow at the Public Citizen Litigation Group, and an officer on the D.C. Bar Board of Governors. She is the recipient of the American Library Association’s James Madison Award. Ms. Fuchs served as a law clerk for Judge Patricia M. Wald on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals and Judge Paul L. Friedman on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. She is a graduate of the New York University School of Law and the London School of Economics and Political Science.
David Bleicken
David Bleicken, who will now serve as Acting Associate Director for the Division of Supervision, Enforcement and Fair Lending, is currently the Deputy Associate Director for that division. He joined the Consumer Bureau in June 2011 as counsel to Steve Antonakes in his capacity as Assistant Director for Large Bank Supervision. Prior to that, Mr. Bleicken was the Deputy Secretary of Banking for Non-Depository Institutions and Consumer Services at what is now known as the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities. He is a graduate of the Beasley School of Law at Temple University and Carleton College.
Please click here to view the press release online.
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