While many GW seniors might hope to land an entry-level job in the Obama Administration after they graduate, one alumna already has her position sewn up, pending senate approval, of course. Mary Schapiro, a 1977 graduate of the Law School was nominated by President-elect Obama Thursday to chair the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Described by the Washington Post as a “veteran regulator,” Schapiro most recently served as the CEO of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, a self-regulatory organization that oversees the securities industry. During the Clinton Administration, she was the chairwoman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
At the SEC, Schapiro will lead an agency that has been widely criticized for its handling of the recent financial crisis. The agency admitted last week that it had failed to properly investigate the business dealings of Bernard Madoff, a financier accused of defrauding investors of $50 billion.