Brian D. Montgomery has been tapped to return as assistant secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and commissioner of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).
President Donald Trump announced the nomination this week. If confirmed for the post, Montgomery, 61, would be returning to a post he held from 2005 to mid-2009 during the George W. Bush administration. He also served as acting HUD secretary in January 2009.
The Texas native is currently vice chairman of The Collingwood Group, a Washington, D.C.–based advisory firm focused on business consulting, risk management, and compliance within the financial services industry.
The FHA commissioner role is one of several key HUD positions that have yet to be filled by the Trump administration. Montgomery had been rumored to be in line for the post for months.
Montgomery’s experience responding to Hurricane Katrina will be a valuable and timely asset to HUD, said Chris Estes, president and CEO of the National Housing Conference, in a written statement.
“In this time of crisis, HUD needs senior staff in place to direct housing assistance as communities recover from the recent storms in Florida and the Gulf Coast,” Estes said. “It is critically important that the Senate confirm Pamela Patenaude as deputy secretary of HUD and Brian Montgomery as FHA commissioner and assistant secretary in a timely manner to ensure these recovery efforts run smoothly.”
Montgomery assisted in HUD’s recovery and rebuilding efforts along the Gulf Coast and New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina and chaired HUD headquarters’ Hurricane Recovery and Response Center, according to the White House.
Patenaude was nominated by Trump in April but has yet to be confirmed. Industry groups have been calling on the Senate leadership to schedule a vote and approve her as deputy secretary.
David Stevens, president and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association, also applauded the nomination.
“I hope the Senate will move quickly to confirm Brian, and we look forward to working with him, (HUD) secretary (Ben) Carson, and others in the administration to ensure a strong, robust FHA program that can serve its mission of providing affordable housing opportunities, both rental and owned, for all Americans, especially those with low and moderate incomes and first-time homebuyers,” said Stevens, a former FHA commissioner.
Earlier in his career, Montgomery served as communications director for the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs between 1996 and 1999.
