FDIC Chairman Ricki Helfer today announced the selection of
Arleas Upton Kea as the Corporation's Ombudsman.
As head of the FDIC's Office of the Ombudsman, Ms. Kea will
be the liaison between the FDIC and the public on FDIC
responsibilities involving regulation, resolutions of failed
institutions, receiverships and other asset disposition
activities. She will work with bankers, industry
representatives, community groups and other members of the public
to deal with concerns regarding FDIC policies and regulations.
Her office will also respond to individual employee concerns by
referring them to appropriate internal programs and managers for
resolving any problems. Ms. Kea will report to Leslie A.
Woolley, Deputy to the Chairman for Policy.
"Arleas Upton Kea is superbly qualified to serve as the
FDIC's Ombudsman, a position that requires a high degree of
sensitivity and commitment to the concerns of the public and our
employees," said Chairman Helfer. "Her outstanding analytical
and management skills will be of tremendous benefit to the FDIC
in this capacity."
Ms. Kea joined the FDIC in 1985 as an attorney in the Legal
Division's Professional Liability Section. She was subsequently
promoted to counsel in the Criminal Restitution Section, where
she helped organize the unit responsible for pursuing individuals
who contributed to the banking crisis.
In 1991, Ms. Kea became a Senior Counsel in the Professional
Liability Section, where she oversaw a staff of attorneys
responsible for litigating and settling claims involving the
liability of directors, officers and other professionals who
breached their duties to failed financial institutions. She was
named Assistant General Counsel for the Corporate Affairs Section
in 1994, providing legal advice on corporate issues. In
addition to these responsibilities, from June to December of
1995, she served as Acting Deputy General Counsel for the
Corporate Affairs and Administration Branch, overseeing legal
actions on a variety of corporate and administrative matters,
developing policy regarding the use of outside counsel, and
providing budget and administrative support to the Legal
Division.
Ms. Kea received a Juris Doctor degree from the University
of Texas Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors
from the University of Texas. She lives in Silver Spring,
Maryland, with her husband, Howard Kea, and their two children,
Chase and Arlyce Mallory.
Congress created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in
1933 to restore public confidence in the nation's banking system.
The FDIC insures deposits at the nation's 12,000 banks and
savings associations and it promotes the safety and soundness of
these institutions by identifying, monitoring and addressing
risks to which they are exposed.
FDIC press releases and other documents are available on the
Internet via the World Wide Web at www.fdic.gov.
They may also be obtained through the FDIC's Public Information
Center, 801 17th St. NW, Room 100, Washington, DC,
((703) 562-2200).
