Ernesto A. Lanza Named Acting Director of SEC Office of Municipal Securities

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Ernesto A. Lanza will serve as Acting Director of the Office of Municipal Securities (OMS). Mr. Lanza, who has served as Senior Counsel to the OMS Director since 2019, replaces Rebecca J. Olsen, who was named Deputy Chief for the Division of Enforcement’s Public Finance Abuse (PFA) Unit. Mark R. Zehner, who held the PFA role since July 2010, is retiring from the agency after 25 years of service.

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

Prior to joining the SEC in 2019, Mr. Lanza was in private practice with a focus on public finance matters related to securities law, disclosure, and market structure issues. He previously served as the Deputy Executive Director of the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB), where he led a number of policy initiatives, including the launch of the EMMA system. Before that, he was the MSRB’s Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel.  Mr. Lanza holds a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and earned his undergraduate degree cum laude from Harvard University.

Ms. Olsen became head of OMS in September 2018 and previously served as the Office’s Deputy Director, Chief Counsel, and attorney fellow. She earned a bachelor's degree from Boston College, a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center and an LL.M in International Business Law from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Mr. Zehner joined the SEC in January 1997. Prior to joining the Enforcement Division, he served as Regional Municipal Securities Counsel in the SEC’s Philadelphia Regional Office and as an Attorney-Fellow in OMS. He received a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a B.A. from Dartmouth College. In 2006, he received the Stanley Sporkin Award, the agency’s highest honor for enforcement staff.