Biden nominates two for best HUD roles

It has been a busy week for the Biden administration as it focused on the housing industry, appointing and appointing new leaders for agencies governing the industry.

Following the appointment of Sandra L. Thompson, a housing and banking regulatory veteran, as Acting Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), President Joe Biden announced the appointment of Julia Gordon to the Assistant Secretary of Housing, Federal Housing Commissioner, US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); and Dave Uejio for Deputy Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunities, HUD to further stabilize oversight of the country’s housing market.

Gordon is currently Chairman of the National Community Stabilization Trust (NCST), a non-profit organization that supports neighborhood revitalization and affordable homeownership by 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 national housing finance system.

“Julia Gordon is the right person at the right time to lead the Federal Housing Administration,” said David M. Dworkin, president and CEO of the National Housing Conference (NHC). “It is respected by the wide range of stakeholders in the public, private and non-private housing and housing finance sectors. Throughout her remarkable career, she has demonstrated the greatest commitment to housing and homeownership in America.

Previously, Gordon was Senior Director of Housing and Consumer Finance at the Center for American Progress, Director of the Unique Family Policy Team at FHFA, and Senior Policy Advisor at the Center for Responsible Lending. She has also worked in the civil legal aid industry and as a litigation partner and pro bono coordinator at the law firm WilmerHale. Gordon received his Bachelor of Public Administration from Harvard College and his Doctor of Laws from Harvard Law School.

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

Uejio, current Interim Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), oversees a budget of $ 600 million and a staff of 1,600 dedicated to protecting consumers from unfair, deceptive and abusive practices in the financial market, through federal financial law enforcement. Currently, the CFPB oversees more than 150 deposit-taking institutions with assets totaling over $ 10 billion.

Prior to becoming Interim Director, Uejio served CFPB as Interim Chief of Staff, Head of Talent Acquisition and most recently as Director of Office Strategy. 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 CFPB, Director Uejio has held human resources positions at the National Institutes of Health, the Office of Personnel Management and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Uejio began his career in the public service in 2006, when he joined the NIH as Presidential Management Fellow.

Uejio co-chairs the Federal Innovation Council, an interagency body of the federal government responsible for stimulating innovation in the public sector. He also co-founded an event to connect, develop and inspire emerging leaders in the public service, 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 at Santa Barbara.