LDF is delighted that President Obama has nominated Sharon Y. Bowen to be the next Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). This appointment is a welcome addition to the President’s recent appointment of women and African Americans to key positions in the financial regulatory regime. If confirmed, Ms. Bowen will be the first African-American woman to head the Commission. We applaud the commitment of the President to appointing highly qualified women and people of color to positions throughout the federal government. The CFTC’s mission is to protect market users and the public from fraud, manipulation, abusive practices and systemic risk related to derivatives that are subject to the Commodity Exchange Act, and to foster open, competitive, and financially sound markets. As a partner at the law firm of Latham and Watkins LLP, and current Member and Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, Ms. Bowen is an eminently qualified candidate.
