Quick Links
Right Column
DFI Organization Chart
- Executive Office Organization Chart (Adobe PDF)
Executive Profiles
WILLIAM S. HARAF
Commissioner of Financial Institutions
William S. Haraf was appointed Commissioner of Financial Institutions by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on March 10, 2008. He was sworn in by BTH Agency Secretary Dale E. Bonner on April 8, 2008.
For the prior three years, Haraf was a visiting professor of economics and finance for the Graduate School of Management, University of California, Davis, and he served as an independent consultant with the Promontory Financial Group. While with Promontory, he worked with financial institutions on corporate governance and corporate organizational design, compliance program design and implementation, anti-money laundering programs, senior management reviews, and strategic planning.
Haraf was managing director at Banc of America Securities from 1999 to 2003. From 1994 to 1999, he was senior vice president of strategic policy development and planning for Bank of America. Haraf served as director of policy analysis with Citicorp from 1989 to 1994. From 1985 to 1989, he was the J. Edward Lundy Scholar and director of the financial markets project at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research in Washington D.C.
From 1983 to 1985, Haraf was special assistant to the chairman and senior staff economist to President Ronald Reagan’s Council of Economic Advisors. Haraf was assistant professor of economics at Brown University from 1979 to 1983.
He is a past board member of the Bank Administration Institute and past chair of the institute’s strategic issues and regulatory affairs committees. Haraf has served as a consultant to the World Bank, the U.S. General Accounting Office, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the congressional Office of Technology Assessment.
Haraf received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Washington in Seattle in 1979.
Contact Information:
111 Pine Street, Suite 1100, San Francisco, CA 94111
Tel: (415) 263-8507
Fax: (415) 989-5310
CAROL D. CHESBROUGH
Chief Deputy Commissioner
Carol D. Chesbrough joined DFI in 2000. She was appointed Chief Deputy Commissioner on June 14, 2001. Ms. Chesbrough has over 25 years experience in State of California management, law and policy positions. Trained as an attorney, she has held positions as an appellate court attorney, deputy attorney general, hearing officer and senior counsel. Prior assignments include Director of Marketing Services at the Department of Food & Agriculture. As Marketing Director, she served as Secretary-Treasurer of the North American Marketing Officials Organization. She was recognized with a Gold Superior Accomplishment Award by the Department of Food and Agriculture.
As Chief Deputy Commissioner for DFI, Carol has been an advocate for lifelong learning, strategic planning and leadership development. She is a member of the Board of the Educational Foundation for State Banking Superintendents (national) where she emphasizes succession planning and the development of professional competency. Ms. Chesbrough established partnerships with the Department of Corporations, California State Teachers Retirement System and the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to deliver a Leadership Development Academy, a key element to succession planning. Ms. Chesbrough has been selected to work on statewide initiatives such as testifying before the Little Hoover Commission regarding the state managers and supervisors system and workforce development for the California Performance Review.
Ms. Chesbrough received her law degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. She was on the Pacific Law Review staff and graduated in the top 10% of her class, a member of the Traynor Society, now order of the Coif. Ms. Chesbrough graduated summa cum laude from Humboldt State University, graduating second overall. Her community activities include being a school board member, United Way Chair, and a Girl Scout and 4-H leader.
Contact Information:
1810 13th Street, Sacramento, CA 95811
Tel: (916) 322-5967
Fax: (916) 445-7643
CRAIG A. CARLSON
Senior Deputy Commissioner and Chief Examiner
Craig Carlson was appointed State Chief Examiner by Commissioner Michael A. Kelley on March 15, 2007. He was appointed Senior Deputy Commissioner on July 1, 2004.
Carlson started his career with the department's Los Angeles office as a junior bank examiner in 1974. In 1982 he was promoted to SFIE in the San Diego office and in 1986, he was promoted to Assistant Deputy overseeing the San Diego region. He was appointed Deputy Commissioner of the San Diego/Orange County region in 2001 and Senior Deputy in 2004. In addition to his regulatory duties, he was a faculty member of the California Banking School from 1989 until 1998 and has been an instructor for the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS). In 1991 and 1992 he was Chairman of the CSBS Curricula Committee. Craig is a graduate of the DFI Leadership Academy and led the development of the Financial Institutions Management Information System. He is a Certified Examination Manager and incoming Chair of the CSBS Performance Standards Committee.
As the Senior Deputy he had the lead responsibility for DFI's strategic planning and performance review initiatives tied to bank examination and bank supervision activities. In addition he was instrumental in the department's accreditation with CSBS. I believe that the combination of the two functions will continue to provide a forum for him to pursue department wide performance enhancements in addition to being responsible for directing the activities of the department's bank regulatory program.
He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting from San Diego State University and is a graduate of the National Commercial Lending School in Norman, Oklahoma.
Contact Information:
7575 Metropolitan Drive, Suite 108, San Diego, CA 92108
Tel: (619) 682-7222
Fax: (619) 682-7217
SCOTT D. CAMERON
Deputy Commissioner, Division of Examinations
Northern California Region
Scott D. Cameron was appointed Deputy Commissioner, Division of Examinations, Northern California Region, effective September 1, 2005.
Mr. Cameron joined the California State Banking Department (now the Department of Financial Institutions) in 1984 as a Bank Examiner in the Los Angeles Regional Office and was promoted to the position of Senior Examiner in 1992. He served as a Financial Institutions Supervisor in the Los Angeles Regional Office prior to his assignment as an Assistant Deputy Commissioner in the Sacramento Regional Office in 1999.
Mr. Cameron received his Bachelor of Science degree from California State University Los Angeles in Industrial Technology/Aviation Administration, and is a Certified Examinations Manager.
Contact Information:
1810 13th Street, Sacramento, CA 95811
Tel: (916) 322-5962
Fax: (916) 322-5976
MARILYN S. DAVIS, CPA
Deputy Commissioner of Legislation
Marilyn Davis was appointed Deputy Commissioner of Legislation on March 7, 2008.
Ms. Davis joined the Department of Financial Institutions in 1999 as a Financial Institutions Examiner. She was promoted to Financial Institutions Supervisor in 2006.
Prior to joining the Department, Ms. Davis worked at a local Certified Public Accounting firm for 12 years. She also worked for a Sacramento newspaper and advocated on behalf of a non-profit corporation.
Ms. Davis earned a BS degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting from California State University, Sacramento.
Contact Information:
1810 13th Street, Sacramento, CA 95811
Tel: (916) 322-1571
Fax: (916) 445-7643
JAMES DONG
Chief Administrative Officer
James Dong was appointed Chief Administrative Officer on August 16, 2006. Mr. Dong has over 27 years of California government experience, during which he has gained an extensive background in financial management with multiple agencies, including the Department of Finance, Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Insurance, and most recently, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He also has management experience directing departmental administrative operations, including budget management, accounting services, human resources, information technology services, administrative systems, and business management services.
Mr. Dong earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from California State University, Sacramento.
Contact Information:
1810 13th Street, Sacramento, CA 95811
Tel: (916) 322-5967
Fax: (916) 445-7643
DOUGLAS KIRKPATRICK
Deputy Commissioner, Division of Examinations
San Diego / Orange County Region
Douglas Kirkpatrick was appointed Deputy Commissioner, San Diego/Orange County Region effective April 7, 2007.
Mr. Kirkpatrick started his career with the California Department of Corporations in 1974. In 1987 he was appointed Special Administrator for California’s industrial loan companies and played a key role in their transition to federal deposit insurance. In 1996, Mr. Kirkpatrick was given the additional responsible as Special Administrator for all California state chartered credit unions.
When the Department of Financial Institutions was created in 1997, Mr. Kirkpatrick joined DFI as an Assistant Deputy Commissioner in the Banking Division. He is a graduate of California State University Northridge and a Certified Examinations Manager.
Contact Information:
300 S. Spring Street, Suite 15513, Los Angeles, CA 90013-1204
Tel: (213) 897-2223
Fax: (213) 897-5725
T. BERT MCLANE
Chief Examiner, Credit Union Division
Bert McLane was appointed Chief Examiner of the Division of Credit Unions on May 16, 2008. Mr. McLane brings many years of regulatory experience to his new position. He began his career in 1985 as a thrift and loan examiner in the Los Angeles office of the Department of Corporations. In 1990, he transferred to the Credit Union Division of the Department of Corporations and was promoted as that Department’s only Credit Union Senior Examiner in 1993. In 1997, Mr. McLane moved to the newly created Department of Financial Institutions as a result of the merger of the Credit Union Division into the old State Banking Department. Mr. McLane was promoted as a Credit Union Supervisor in February, 2002, and then as a Credit Union Manager in December 2002, where he has served the Credit Union Division until this most recent appointment.
Mr. McLane is a National Association of State Credit Union Supervisors (“NASCUS”) Certified Supervisor, and is a graduate of the DFI Leadership Challenge Program, which enabled him to lead in the development of the Department’s compliance program for the California Financial Information Privacy Act.
Mr. McLane will continue to work diligently toward meeting the mission and vision of the Department of Financial Institutions, and participating in directing the activities of the Credit Union Division’s regulatory and administrative program.
Contact Information:
300 S. Spring Street, Suite 15513, Los Angeles, CA 90013-1204
Tel: (213) 897-9351
Fax: (213) 620-2189
JOHN T. ROSS
Deputy Commissioner, Division of Examinations
Southern California Region
John Ross was appointed Deputy Commissioner, Division of Examinations, Southern California Region, effective as of July 1, 2004.
Mr. Ross joined the California State Banking Department (now the Department of Financial Institutions) as a Bank Examiner in 1986, was promoted to the position of Senior Examiner in 1991, and was promoted to the position of supervisor in 1992. He served as an Assistant Deputy Commissioner for the Los Angeles examinations program from 1999 until assuming his current position.
Mr. Ross graduated summa cum laude from California State University, Northridge, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics.
Contact Information:
300 S. Spring Street, Suite 15513, Los Angeles, CA 90013-1204
Tel: (213) 897-8952
Fax: (213) 897-5725
KENNETH SAYRE-PETERSON
Acting General Counsel
Kenneth Sayre-Peterson was appointed Acting General Counsel on June 8, 2007. Prior to the appointment, Mr. Sayre-Peterson was the Assistant General Counsel since September 1, 2004.
Mr. Sayre-Peterson has over 23 years of service with the State of California. He has been with the Department of Financial Institutions since 1988, after transferring from the State Board of Equalization where he had worked for four years. Prior to entering state service, Ken's experience was in private practice, specializing in appellate work and lobbying.
Mr. Sayre-Peterson graduated from McGeorge School of Law, with distinction, in 1983. His undergraduate work in history resulted in a Bachelor of Arts degree from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, in 1977.
Contact Information:
1810 13th Street, Sacramento, CA 95811
Tel: (916) 322-1570
Fax: (916) 324-2011
ROBERT VENCHIARUTTI
Deputy Commissioner, Money Transmitters Division
Robert Venchiarutti was appointed Deputy Commissioner, Money Transmitters Division on May 18, 2004. Mr. Venchiarutti has brought new Departmental focus to the importance of the regulation of this growing segment of the financial services industry. Mr. Venchiarutti joined the Department of Financial Institutions in December 2000 as Staff Counsel, where he worked on a variety of legal matters involving bank and non-bank financial institutions such as mergers and acquisitions, new banks, interstate branching, stored value and enforcement actions. Mr. Venchiarutti is currently a Board Director and Secretary of the Money Transmitters Regulators Association, which fosters cooperation among states and federal agencies for the effective and efficient regulation of money transmitters and check sellers.
Prior to joining the Department, Mr. Venchiarutti practiced law for six years for several firms in the Bay Area, including Farella, Braun & Martel, and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. Prior to law school, Mr. Venchiarutti worked as a public high school teacher in New York City.
Mr. Venchiarutti graduated from Georgetown University in
Washington, D.C. with a BA in Economics (with Distinction),
and received his law degree from Hastings College of the Law,
where he was Associate Articles Editor of the Hastings Law
Journal, a member of the Thurston Society and a recipient
of the Milton D. Green Top Ten Citation.
Contact Information:
111 Pine Street, Suite 1100, San Francisco, CA 94111
Tel: (415) 263-8511
Fax: (415) 397-4623
Commissioners of Financial Institutions
1997 - Current
| Name | Date of Taking Office |
| Conrad W. Hewitt | July 1, 1997 |
| Walter J. Mix III | July 9, 1998 |
| Jan Lynn Owen* | January 7, 1999 |
| Donald R. Meyer | April 4, 2000 |
| Howard Gould | March 2, 2004 |
| Brian Yuen* | October 3, 2005 |
| Michael A. Kelley | June 1, 2006 |
| Carol D. Chesbrough* | September 7, 2007 |
| William S. Haraf | April 10, 2008 |
* Acting Commissioner