The Securities and Exchange Commission has announced the appointments of three senior officials to its Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) to help continue its increased focus on individual investors. OIEA serves the Commission as the "investors' office" and provides educational resources to help individual investors make informed financial decisions.

Mary Head, who recently served as Acting Director of OIEA, has been named deputy director of the office. Kathleen Floyd has been appointed deputy director of Investor Education, and Richard Ferlauto will become deputy director of Policy.

"We are working to further expand OIEA's ability to understand investors' concerns, provide effective educational programs, and advocate for investors' interests," stated Lori Schock, who has served as director of OIEA since October. "Investors need our assistance now more than ever, and I am confident that our new team has the experience and the drive to make a difference."

Head has worked at the SEC since 2000, most recently as assistant director for policy in OIEA. She began her legal career in the Office of General Counsel at the National Association of Securities Dealers (now FINRA). She practiced securities law with Kelley Drye & Warren and later with Dechert prior to joining the SEC staff.

Floyd comes to the SEC from the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association Foundation, where she was the executive director of the Stock Market Game. She previously served as director of Baltimore Academies for Baltimore City Public Schools.

Ferlauto joins the SEC from the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, where he has been director of corporate governance and Public Pension Programs since 2002. Previously, he was managing director, Proxy Voter Services for Institutional Shareholder Services and director of policy for the Center for Policy Alternatives. Currently, Ferlauto is a member of the PCAOB Investor Advisory Committee and The Conference Board Taskforce on Executive Compensation.