Office of Thrift Supervision

OTS ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF BERNIE MASON AS SENIOR ADVISOR TO THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) announced today the appointment of W. Bernard Mason to the position of Senior Advisor to the Deputy Director. In this newly created position, Mr. Mason will directly assist Deputy Director Scott Polakoff in addressing numerous operational risk and business-process challenges confronting OTS, including staffing issues, OTS Regional operations and organizational programs, and agency outreach efforts.

Mason served as the FDIC Liaison and Board Member Deputy to the OTS Director for 15 years prior to being named OTS Associate Director last year by OTS Director John Reich. Prior to joining the OTS Washington staff, Mason served as the OTS Southeast Regional Deputy Director and he previously oversaw the supervision and application functions of the Atlanta office of OTS’s predecessor, the Federal Home Loan Bank Board.

“Bernie brings a wealth of senior regulatory and management experience to this new position. His knowledge and interpersonal skills will prove invaluable in facilitating OTS’s achievement of the goals set forth in our formal Vision Statement,” said Deputy Director Polakoff.

Mason is scheduled to assume his new position on July 5, 2006.

The Office of Thrift Supervision, an office of the Department of the Treasury, regulates and supervises the nation's thrift industry. OTS's mission is to ensure the safety and soundness of, and compliance with consumer protection laws by, thrift institutions, and to support their role as home mortgage lenders and providers of other community credit and financial services. OTS also oversees the activities and operations of thrift holding companies that own or control thrift institutions. Copies of OTS news releases and other documents are available at the OTS web page at www.ots.treas.gov.

Created: Friday, 6/30/2006