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MortgagePoint » Your Trusted Source for Mortgage Banking and Servicing News 10 August 2025 M O V E R S & S H A K E R S Movers & Shakers Government FORMER FHFA DIRECTOR NAMED CHIEF U.S. STATISTICIAN Dr. Mark Calabria, former Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), has been appointed Chief Statistician by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought. Dr. Calabria takes over for Chief Stat- istician Karin Orvis in OMB's Statistical and Science Policy Branch. In the role of Chief Statistician, Dr. Calabria will maintain the integrity of federal statistics and data availability during leadership transitions and organizational changes. The Chief Statistician is also tasked with coordinating with 16 recognized statistical agencies on implementing the respon- sibilities described in the OMB's recent Public Trust Rule, while also ensuring they have the autonomy and resources needed to maintain public trust. The OMB's Trust Rule aims to pro- mote trust in federally disbursed statistics, and the recognized statistical agencies and units that produce them, by codifying and clarifying the fundamental respon- sibilities of statistical agencies across the Federal government: To produce and issue relevant and timely statistical infor- mation; to conduct credible and accurate statistical activities; to carry out objective statistical activities; and to protect the trust of respondents and information pro- viders by ensuring the confidentiality and exclusive statistical use of their responses Dr. Calabria formerly served as FHFA Director where he led the agency's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and laid the groundwork for the removal of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from government conservatorship. As Director, Calabria also revitalized FHFA as a prudential regulator, establishing the agency's new Research, Accounting Policy, and Resolution Divisions. The OMB's Chief Statistician role has become even more critical follow- ing the enactment of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act, signed by President Trump in 2019. This landmark bipartisan legislation—includ- ing Title 3, the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act (CIPSEA)—expanded the responsibilities of Recognized Statistical Agencies and Units (RSAUs) and culminated in OMB's recent Public Trust Rule. Those agencies include the Census Bureau, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and Bureau of Labor Statistics, among others. As stated in the final rule, "Public trust in federal statistics is essential to their value and use in informing decisions across public and private sectors." Prior to leading FHFA in the first Trump administration, Dr. Calabria served at the White House as Chief Econ- omist to the Vice President. In addition, he worked as a senior aide to the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs and served as the Dep- uty Assistant Secretary for Regulatory Affairs in the Office of Housing at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban De- velopment, where he supervised HUD's regulation of the mortgage and real estate market. He was most recently a Senior Advisor to the Cato Institute. In March 2023, Dr. Calabria released his book Shelter From the Storm: How A COVID Mortgage Meltdown Was Averted, published by the Cato Institute, docu- menting the FHFA's handling of the hous- ing market without disruption at little to no cost to the taxpayer, and resisting repeated calls for industry bailouts and subsidies, during the nation's COVID-19 pandemic. HUD BOLSTERS STAFF WITH TWO NEW ADDITIONS U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner has announced two new appointments to the Department's staff, with Joseph J. DeFelice joining as Assistant Deputy Secretary for the Office of Field Policy and Manage- ment and Regional Administrator for the Mid-Atlantic Region (Region III), and Ashlea Quinonez has been named Regional Administrator for the Southwest Region of HUD. DeFelice returns to HUD after serving in President Trump's first administration as the Mid-Atlantic Regional Administra- tor. Between HUD appointments, DeFe- lice served as Senior In-House Counsel at a private commercial developer. This experience strengthened his belief that public-private partnerships are the best strategy to create lasting impact. As HUD's Regional Administrator for the Mid-Atlantic Region, DeFelice will serve Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Additionally, DeFelice will provide national oversight and guidance for field operations across the country to support Secretary Turner in expanding access to affordable housing, promoting community revitalization, and unlock- ing homeownership opportunities for Americans in rural, tribal, and urban communities. "I am deeply honored to be ap- pointed to HUD a second time and serve under the leadership of Secretary Turner," DeFelice said. "This opportu- nity represents not just a continuation of the important work began in 2017, but DEFELICE QUINONEZ