The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Rebecca J. Olsen has been named deputy director in the agency’s Office of Municipal Securities, having served as chief counsel since April 2014.  Ms. Olsen replaces Jessica Kane who was announced as director of the office today.

In her new position, Ms. Olsen will continue to play a leading role in overseeing all aspects of the Office of Municipal Securities. 

“Rebecca’s extensive experience in municipal securities will be invaluable as she takes on this new leadership role,” said SEC Chair Mary Jo White.  “We will continue to rely on her very sound judgment and expertise in this important area.”

“I am honored to take on this new leadership position,” said Ms. Olsen.  “It is a privilege to work with the talented professionals in the office and advance the Commission’s important investor protection efforts in our municipal securities market.”

Under the Dodd-Frank Act, the SEC established a standalone Office of Municipal Securities to administer SEC rules on practices of broker-dealers, municipal advisors, investors, and issuers in the municipal securities area and to coordinate with the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) on rulemaking and enforcement actions.  The Office of Municipal Securities advises the Commission and other SEC offices on policy matters, enforcement, and other issues affecting the municipal securities market and oversees MSRB rulemaking and the SEC’s municipal advisor registration program.

As chief counsel, Ms. Olsen was responsible for reviewing MSRB rulemaking and analysis of disclosure policy issues.  She also served as the office’s liaison to the Division of Enforcement’s Municipal Securities and Public Pensions Unit.

Ms. Olsen joined the Office of Municipal Securities in 2013.  Previously, she spent more than 10 years at Ballard Spahr LLP, where she practiced in the municipal securities area.

Ms. Olsen received her B.A. degree, magna cum laude, from Boston College, her J.D. degree from Georgetown University, and her LLM degree in International Business Law, summa cum laude, from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.