OCC Announces Several New Executives

WASHINGTON—The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today announced several executive assignments supporting its core mission of bank supervision.

Karen Boehler will become the Deputy Comptroller of the Western District upon the retirement of Kay Kowitt. In this role, she will oversee a team of nearly 300 people supervising a portfolio of 176 institutions located in 19 states with assets totaling $156 billion. She will report to Acting Senior Deputy Comptroller for Midsize and Community Bank Supervision Sydney Menefee. Ms. Boehler currently serves as an Associate Deputy Comptroller for the Western District and previously served as the Western District Risk and Operations Officer. She has served the OCC in a variety of bank supervision and leadership roles throughout her 36-year OCC career. Ms. Boehler earned her National Bank Examiner commission in 1989 and the Federal Thrift Regulator certification in 2013. She graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder.

Joel Denkert will become Deputy Comptroller for Midsize Bank Supervision. In this role, he will lead the supervision of a portfolio of banks with assets ranging from $10 billion to $100 billion in assets. Mr. Denkert will also report to the Acting Senior Deputy Comptroller for Midsize and Community Bank Supervision. He currently serves as the Large Bank Supervision Examiner-in-Charge of BMO Harris Bank, N.A., in Chicago. He joined the OCC in 1990 and has 30 years of bank supervision experience across institutions of various size and complexity. Mr. Denkert earned his National Bank Examiner commission in 1994 and the Federal Thrift Regulator certification in 2013. He graduated from the University of Nebraska. He fills the vacancy left by William Haas who has taken another role in the agency.

Enice Thomas will become the Deputy Comptroller for Credit Risk Policy. In this role, he will serve as a principal advisor on credit risks facing the banking system and will oversee the agency’s Commercial and Retail Credit Policy units, reporting to Senior Deputy Comptroller for Bank Supervision Policy Grovetta Gardineer. Mr. Thomas has been acting in this role since August 2020 and previously served as Senior Advisor to the Senior Deputy Comptroller for Midsize and Community Bank Supervision. He graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and earned his National Bank Examiner commission in 2005 and his Federal Thrift Regulator designation in 2013. He fills a vacancy created by the retirement of Richard Taft.

These individuals will transition into their new roles by the end of the year.