Ernesto Lanza is new acting director of SEC’s Office of Municipal Securities

The Securities and Exchange Commission has named Ernesto A. Lanza as the new acting director for the Office of Municipal Securities.

The announcement of the appointment came after Rebecca Olsen’s move from director to deputy chief became public following the retirement of longtime regulator and former deputy chief Mark Zehner.

“I look forward to working closely with Ernie on oversight of municipal securities,” SEC Chair Gary Gensler said. “This critical $4 trillion market finances local governments and the essential infrastructure of our communities, such as roads, hospitals and schools,” he added. “I thank Rebecca for her leadership of OMS since 2018 and congratulate Mark on his retirement from the SEC.”

Lanza has engaged in a number of public finance roles throughout his career, serving as senior counsel to the Office of Municipal Securities since 2019, senior counsel, banking and financial services and co-lead of the investment management practice at Clark Hill from 2016 to 2019, a shareholder in the public finance/financial regulatory and compliance department at Greenberg Traurig from 2014 to 2016.

He also served as the deputy executive director and chief legal officer for the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board from 1997 to 2014 as well as a public finance attorney from 1988 to 1997.

“We’re glad to see Ernie taking the helm at the office of municipal securities,” said Emily Brock, director of the federal liaison center at the Government Finance Officer’s Association. “It’s good to see someone with years of muni market experience in place. We look forward to working with him.”

Lanza holds a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University.