The Senate confirmed Brian Montgomery as the HUD assistant secretary for housing and commissioner of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) on May 23. The final vote was 72-23. Mr. Montgomery was nominated on September 13, 2017 by President Trump, and was approved by the Senate Banking Committee in January (See Memo, 1/22).
Mr. Montgomery previously served in this role during the George W. Bush administration. Mr. Montgomery played a lead role in HUD’s recovery and rebuilding efforts in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina, chairing HUD’s Hurricane Recovery and Response Center.
During his previous stint as FHA commissioner, the FHA successfully spearheaded legislative efforts to preserve the nation’s affordable rental housing stock by maintaining the long-term physical and financial integrity of properties while reducing rental assistance costs and the cost of FHA insurance claims. He also served as acting HUD secretary in January 2009.
More recently, Mr. Montgomery served as the vice chairman of The Collingwood Group, an advisory firm focused on business consulting, risk management, and compliance in the financial services industry.