Biden to Nominate 2 for SEC Commissioner Posts

President Biden announced two nominees to fill spots recently vacated by SEC Commissioners Allison Herren Lee and Elad Roisman. The Democratic nominee is Jaime Lizárraga, who currently serves as Senior Advisor to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, where he oversees issues relating to financial markets, housing, international financial institutions, immigration, and small business policy. He also serves as the Speaker’s liaison to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. According to the White House release, Lizárraga has advised Congressional leaders and heads of executive agencies on policy and legislative strategy over his 31-year public service career. Lizárraga graduated from the University of California, San Diego with high honors, and earned a master’s degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas. The Republican nominee Mark T. Uyeda is a career attorney with the SEC and is currently on detail from the SEC to the Senate Banking Committee, where he serves as a Securities Counsel on the Committee’s Minority Staff. He has over 25 years of experience in corporate and securities law, including 18 years of public service working in federal and state government. Uyeda joined the SEC in 2006 and has worked in various capacities, including as Senior Advisor to Chairman Jay Clayton and Acting Chairman Michael S. Piwowar, and as Counsel to Commissioner Paul S. Atkins. He has also served as Assistant Director and Senior Special Counsel in the SEC’s Division of Investment Management. Before entering public service, Uyeda was an attorney in private practice. He is a past President of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of the Greater Washington, D.C. Area. Uyeda received his law degree with honors from Duke University and his undergraduate degree in business administration from Georgetown University. The Senate Banking Committee is likely to take up consideration of both nominees after the two-week April recess, with full Senate consideration not likely until late May or June at the earliest.