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Press Release

FDIC Announces Chief of Staff, COO, and General Counsel Appointments

For Release

WASHINGTON – The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Board of Directors has approved the selection of three new corporate officers: Kymberly Copa as Deputy to the Acting Chairman and Chief of Staff; Daniel Bendler as Deputy to the Acting Chairman and Chief Operating Officer; and Harrel Pettway to the position of General Counsel.

“Kym Copa, Dan Bendler, and Harrel Pettway bring deep knowledge and experience to their new roles.  Senior leadership, myself included, have come to rely on their trusted and expert advice over the years.  I look forward to continuing to work with them as they help implement our priorities in 2022,” said Acting Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg.

Ms. Copa has served as the Acting Deputy to the FDIC Director since March 2019, providing analysis and advice on matters pending before the FDIC Board of Directors.  Prior to that, she served as Senior Special Counsel (Legislative Counsel and Regulatory Law Expert) in the FDIC’s Legal Division.  From August 2011 until August 2018, Ms. Copa served as the Deputy to the Chairman.  In that capacity, she collaborated with senior management throughout the FDIC to identify, review, and finalize matters for consideration by the Board of Directors.  Ms. Copa also was the Chairman’s representative on the Audit Committee, Supervision Appeals Review Committee, Case Review Committee, and Assessment Appeals Committee.  Prior to becoming Deputy to the Chairman in 2011, she served as Senior Counsel for the Assessments and Legislation Section of the Legal Division.  Ms. Copa has been with the FDIC for 31 years.

Ms. Copa received her Juris Doctor and a Bachelor of Arts in French from the College of William and Mary.

Mr. Bendler will retain his role as the Director of the Division of Administration (DOA), which provides all administrative services, including human resources management, contracting, leasing, facilities management, and security services supporting the physical and administrative infrastructure of the FDIC.  In 2019, he was named the Special Advisor to the Deputy to the Chairman and Chief Operating Officer.  Mr. Bendler was also Assistant Director of the Management Services Branch in DOA.  He has overseen the agency’s response to the pandemic, as well as other corporate-wide initiatives.  Mr. Bendler has been with FDIC for 31 years.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business and Accounting from the University of Baltimore and a Master of Science in Finance from Johns Hopkins University.

Mr. Pettway was named Senior Deputy General Counsel in the FDIC’s Legal Division in May 2019; prior to that, he served as Deputy General Counsel.  He joined the FDIC in July 2015 as an Assistant General Counsel for Labor, Employment, and Administration, and was promoted to Deputy General Counsel for Corporate Operations in 2016, where he was responsible for advising the FDIC Chairman and Board members on corporate authorities, labor and employment law, contracts and procurement, the Freedom of Information Act, privacy, information security, ethics, dispute resolution, and litigation.

Prior to joining the FDIC, Mr. Pettway was Deputy General Counsel at the Defense Logistics Agency in Fort Belvoir, VA. He was also Chief Legal Officer at the Defense Technical Information Center, Fort Belvoir, VA.

Mr. Pettway received a Juris Doctor from George Mason University School of Law; a Post-Graduate certificate from Harvard University; a Master of Business Administration from Troy University; a Master of Science in Joint Strategic Leadership from The Air War College; and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Economics from the State University of New York.  He also is a graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the University of Pennsylvania.

PR-17-2022

Last Updated: February 9, 2022