Linda Lacewell nominated by Gov. Cuomo to head the DFS

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has officially nominated Linda Lacewell, his current chief of staff, to become the next superintendent of the state Department of Financial Services. The formal nomination will now head to the New York Senate, where lawmakers will have to approve the nomination.

Prior to joining Cuomo’s administration, Lacewell worked for over a decade as a federal prosecutor in Brooklyn. According to the New York Law Journal, Lacewell was also the state’s first chief risk officer, where she helped create and implement the state’s first system for ethics, risk and compliance in state agencies and authorities.

She left the position of chief risk officer to become executive director of the Cancer Breakthroughs 2020 Foundation, and stayed at the foundation until becoming Cuomo’s chief of staff.

The formal announcement comes after Maria Vullo, current superintendent of the DFS, announced in December that she would be leaving the agency Feb. 1. Vullo has led the DFS since June 2016, and has overseen a number of major regulatory initiatives at the state level.

The New York Credit Union Association maintained a strong working relationship with Vullo, who was responsive and receptive to credit union feedback.

The Association looks forward to working with Lacewell in the months ahead.