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CFPB Announces New Members of the Consumer Advisory Board, Community Bank Advisory Council, and Credit Union Advisory Council

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced the appointment of new consumer finance experts from outside the federal government to the Consumer Advisory Board, Community Bank Advisory Council, and Credit Union Advisory Council. All three bodies provide advice to CFPB leadership on a broad range of consumer financial issues and emerging market trends.

“These advisory bodies play a crucial role in ensuring that the Bureau is addressing the wide variety of perspectives in the consumer financial marketplace,” said CFPB Director Cordray. “The new additions we are announcing today bring a range of expertise and experience that will help inform our work going forward.”

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act charges the CFPB with establishing a Consumer Advisory Board to advise and consult with the Bureau’s Director on a variety of consumer financial issues. At the behest of the Director, the Bureau also created advisory councils to advise and consult with the Bureau on consumer financial issues related to community banks and credit unions. In January 2015, the CFPB issued a Federal Register Notice outlining the responsibilities of the advisory board and councils, as well as the duties of its members, and solicited applications for appointment.

The newly appointed board and council members include experts in consumer protection, financial services, community development, fair lending, civil rights, and consumer financial products or services, as well as representatives of community banks and credit unions. Board and Council membership reflects the expertise across the range of issues under the Bureau’s jurisdiction as well as the racial, ethnic, and geographic diversity of U.S. consumers. New members to the Consumer Advisory Board will serve three-year terms and new members to the Community Bank and Credit Union Advisory Councils will serve two-year terms.

Consumer Advisory Board Members:

  • Seema M. Agnani, Director of Policy and Civic Engagement, National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development, Washington, D.C.
  • Sylvia A. Alvarez, Executive Director, Housing & Education Alliance, Tampa, Fla.
  • Tim Chen, Chief Executive Officer, NerdWallet, San Francisco, Calif.
  • Kathleen C. Engel, Research Professor, Suffolk University Law School, Boston, Mass.
  • Judith L. Fox, Clinical Professor of Law, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Ind.
  • Neil F. Hall, Executive Vice President, PNC Financial Services Group, Pittsburgh, Pa.
  • Dr. Raul A. Hinojosa-Ojeda, Associate Professor, University of California Los Angeles Division of Social Sciences, Los Angeles, Calif.
  • Brian D. Hughes, Senior Vice President of Card Marketing, Discover Financial Services, Deerfield, Ill.
  • Christopher G. Kukla, Senior Vice President, Center for Responsible Lending, Durham, N.C.
  • Max R. Levchin, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Affirm, San Francisco, Calif.
  • Phaedra B. Robinson, Executive Director, Coalition for a Prosperous Mississippi, Richland, Miss.
  • Joshua Zinner, Co-Director, New Economy Project, New York, N.Y.

Community Bank Advisory Council Members:

  • Jonathan T. Allen, Chief Compliance Officer, Bank of American Fork, American Fork, Utah
  • Kathleen J. Cook, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Village Bank, Saint Libory, Ill.
  • Julia R. DeBery, Senior Vice President, Internal Audit and Risk Management, Bath Savings Institution, Bath, Maine
  • Jack E. Hopkins , President and Chief Executive Officer, CorTrust Bank, Sioux Falls, S.D.
  • Ricardo ‘Ricky’ D. Leal, Community Lender and Senior Vice President, First Community Bank, N.A., Harlingen, Texas
  • Cara L. Quick, Vice President of Compliance, First Hope Bank, N.A., Hope, N.J.
  • Thomas E. Spitz, Chief Executive Officer, Settlers Bank, Windsor, Wis.
  • Yee Phong (Alan) Thian, President and Chief Executive Officer, Royal Business Bank, Arcadia, Calif.
  • Samuel Vallandingham, President and Chief Executive Officer, First State Bank, Barboursville, W.Va.

Credit Union Advisory Council Members:

  • Gail L. DeBoer , President and Chief Executive Officer, SAC Federal Credit Union, Papillion, Neb.
  • Robert C. Donley, Executive Vice President, Members Credit Union, Winston-Salem, N.C.
  • Gregory W. Higgins , Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Wings Financial Credit Union, Saint Paul, Minn.
  • Maria A. LaVelle, Chief Executive Officer, Westmoreland Community Federal Credit Union, Greensburg, Pa.
  • Carrie L. O’Connor, Senior Vice President, Lending and Operations, Community America Credit Union, Shawnee Mission, Kan.
  • Thomas J. O’Shea, President and Chief Executive Officer, Aspire Federal Credit Union, Clark, N.J.
  • Katey Proefke – Assistant Vice President of Compliance, Chevron Federal Credit Union, Oakland, Calif.
  • James E. Spradlin, President and Chief Executive Officer, Park Community Credit Union, Louisville, Ky.

More information on the Bureau’s advisory groups can be found here: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/advisory-groups/


The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a 21st century agency that implements and enforces Federal consumer financial law and ensures that markets for consumer financial products are fair, transparent, and competitive. For more information, visit www.consumerfinance.gov.