Denver Regional Director Kurt L. Gottschall to Leave SEC

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Kurt L. Gottschall, the Director of the Denver Regional Office since 2018, is leaving the agency after more than 22 years of service. Jason J. Burt and Thomas M. Piccone will become the office’s Co-Acting Regional Directors when Mr. Gottschall departs in early July.

“Under Kurt’s leadership, the Denver Regional Office has protected the public through significant enforcement matters, investigations, and examinations across an eight-state region,” said SEC Chair Gary Gensler. “I thank him for his 22 years of service and wish him the best in his next chapter. I’d also like to thank Jason and Thomas for stepping in as Co-Acting Regional Directors. Under their seasoned experience, the Denver office will continue to excel.”

“For more than two decades, Kurt has been an integral part of the Division,” said Gurbir S. Grewal, Director of the Division of Enforcement. “During Kurt’s tenure as Director of the Denver office, he oversaw great victories on behalf of investors, and the Division is stronger because of his leadership.”

“Kurt has been an incredible leader of the Denver Regional Office,” said Richard R. Best, Director of the Division of Examinations. “His thoughtful and strategic approach to examination priorities, particularly those directly impacting working families, has significantly advanced Exams’ mission and protected investors. “

“It has been an incredible honor and privilege to serve as the Director of the Denver office,” said Mr. Gottschall. “I have seen first-hand the remarkable talent, dedication to public service, and camaraderie of the staff in our office and across the agency who have worked tirelessly, even in the face of countless challenges, to advance the SEC’s mission.”

As Regional Director, Mr. Gottschall oversaw all examinations, investigations, and enforcement litigation across the Denver Regional Office’s eight-state region. Earlier in his SEC tenure, he served in the Asset Management Unit as an Assistant Director and then Associate Regional Director for Enforcement in the Denver office. He joined the SEC as an enforcement staff attorney in Denver in 2000.

Jason J. Burt currently serves as the Associate Regional Director of Enforcement in the Denver Office. He also has served as an attorney in the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations' Broker-Dealer group and in the Division of Enforcement as a staff attorney and Assistant Director in the Market Abuse Unit and Asset Management Unit. Mr. Burt earned his bachelor's degree from James Madison University, and his law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law.

Thomas M. Piccone currently serves as the Associate Regional Director of Examinations in the Denver Office. He began his career with the SEC as an enforcement attorney and later was branch chief, trial counsel, and special counsel before transitioning to the examination program. Mr. Piccone received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder and his law degree from the University of Colorado Law School.