Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation

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).