SEC Overhauls Enforcement and Exams Divisions in Reorganization Effort

​The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced a significant restructuring of its enforcement and examinations divisions. The changes, effective April 9th, will see staff in these divisions reporting to newly appointed deputy directors, marking the latest in a series of shifts under Republican leadership at the agency.

Acting SEC Chairman Mark Uyeda detailed the reorganization in the memo, stating that the current structure with a single deputy director for enforcement and numerous direct reports was unsustainable. "The sheer number of reporting senior officers has created management challenges," Uyeda wrote, adding that the existing framework "simply cannot be sustained." He also referenced management weaknesses as a factor in the prior closure of the Salt Lake City office.

Under the new structure, enforcement staff will be organized geographically under deputy directors for the West, Northeast, and Southeast, as well as a deputy director overseeing specialized units. Previously, both enforcement and examination staff reported to a director within one of the agency's ten regional hubs. The memo also indicated that examination staff will now report to new associate directors.

A spokesperson for the SEC confirmed the changes, stating that they "are intended to improve efficiency, management, and oversight of the Divisions."

The reorganization also involves the reassignment of nine current regional directors to new roles. While regional offices will still have directors to manage operations, three former regional directors have been appointed as the new regional deputy directors: Katherine Zoladz (formerly of Los Angeles) will oversee the West, Nekia Jones (Atlanta) will run the Southeast, and Antonia Apps (New York) will supervise the Northeast. Jason Burt (Denver) will lead the specialized units.

These changes come amidst reports of a significant number of staff accepting resignation offers at the SEC.