Q&A with SEC Native American Book Club Chair Tim Levenberg

In honor of Native American Heritage Month, the SEC is spotlighting Tim Levenberg, a member of the agency’s American Indian Heritage Committee (AIHC) and chairman and founder of the SEC’s Native American Book Club. In this Q&A, we’ll learn more about Tim’s background, his path to the SEC, and his role in starting two SEC book clubs.

Q: Can you share a bit about your background?

A: E pluribus unum. Out of many, one. At the SEC, we come from many different nations, races, and belief systems. But our commitment to public service unites us. 

I am here today due to the tenacious persistence of my young parents who kept trying to have children despite my mother having suffered multiple miscarriages. When I was born at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C., I was the first to survive.

My father was born to two first-generation Jewish immigrants. He was the first in his family to graduate from college. Then he became the first to graduate from law school and serve as a law clerk to a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

My mother’s ancestry exemplifies E pluribus unum. She instilled pride in my sister and me in our shared American Indian heritage. When I was a child, she opened our home to American Indians from different tribes, including a tribal leader whose powerful presence and wisdom made a strong impression. We remained friends until his death many years later. He shared valuable insights with me when I was a teenager, and his private talks have stayed with me to this day. I am grateful to have known him and learned from him.

Following graduation from Indiana University with a Bachelor of Arts in history and a second B.A. in Spanish, I earned a Juris Doctor at the University of Michigan Law School and joined a Delaware law firm where I focused on corporate matters under Delaware law, including legality opinions.

Q: What initially drew you to the SEC, and what has kept you here?

A: Private practice was interesting, but the chance to perform public service and return to my hometown of Washington, D.C., was intriguing. I was surprised by how much responsibility young staff attorneys received. We were entrusted with complex matters and the staff’s comment letter process helped us “learn by doing.”

Shortly after joining the SEC, I joined the Division of Corporation Finance’s softball team. A few years later, I became coach/manager. Our high-water mark was a third-place finish in a 64-team tournament held at Andrews Air Force Base.

Opportunities to grow professionally at the SEC are abundant, including job-related training, conferences, and seminars. Several years ago, I took five courses through SEC University in connection with studies at Georgetown University Law Center, enabling me to earn an SEC Certificate in Securities and Financial Regulation.

My years at the SEC have been filled with challenging tasks and the opportunity to work with extremely gifted and committed civil servants. My co-workers have included mining and petroleum engineers, accountants, financial analysts, and attorneys as well as talented administrative support personnel.

Q: When did you start the two book clubs?

A: In 2017, we launched the Native American Heritage Book Club under the umbrella of the AIHC. It became the second book club at the SEC.

Then I proposed the formation of the SEC Jewish American Heritage Book Club (JAHBC) dedicated to furthering the education of the SEC workforce on matters relating to Jewish American heritage. In April 2018, the JAHBC kicked off with a Holocaust remembrance day event in Washington, D.C.

We have now held six annual Holocaust remembrance day events at the SEC through the efforts of countless colleagues. Keynote speakers have included a Holocaust survivor, an author/expert on the U.S. government reaction to the Holocaust, a preeminent Nazi hunter with the Department of Justice, and a college professor with decades of experience teaching about anti-Semitism and related themes.

It is remarkable to have landed in a workplace with so many opportunities for personal and professional growth. My time here has been very rewarding. When all is said and done, if you enjoy your work and the time you share with your co-workers, you are truly blessed.

Q: What impact have diversity, equity, and inclusion had on your life and your career?

A: Since early childhood, I witnessed my parents’ interactions with others from many different backgrounds and learned to treat everyone with respect. I was taught that we all are brothers and sisters created in the image of God. I believe that each of us is a unique individual, special in the eyes of the Almighty.

Sharing the road with others from a wide variety of backgrounds has helped make my life’s journey worthwhile. Helping diverse people work together toward common goals and making friendships along the way have brought me untold joy and satisfaction over the years. For example, when I attended law school at Michigan, several tables in the cafeteria were self-segregating. But my regularly sitting at each table was never questioned even though I clearly was not part of that group.

Reaching colleagues in a social way with an educational component is something I appreciate about the two book clubs I helped organize. We learn about other cultures while simultaneously growing closer as a work family. When we see that we are more the same than different, each of us can better understand and respect differences. I believe that we should be valuing one another based on the content of our character and not based on other characteristics beyond our control.

Q: What hobbies or interests do you enjoy outside of work?

A: Spending time with my family brings me lots of joy. I also enjoy watching sports. Lastly, I cannot say enough good things about “rescue dogs.” After work, I keep my young, mixed-breed dog “Mika” entertained and well-exercised to help control her mischievous nature.

Q: As an avid reader and active member of two SEC book clubs, can you share some of your all-time favorite books?

A: A few related to the two book clubs include, “The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee – Native America from 1890 to the Present,” by David Treuer; “Night,” by Elie Wiesel; “My Brother’s Keeper,” by Rod Gragg; and “Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy,” by Eric Metaxas.

In addition, I like history, nonfiction, and scholarly works related to the Bible. If I could bring only one book to a desert island, it would be Tehillim (The Psalms), my favorite book of the Bible.