Ms. Kea is the Chief Operating Officer and Deputy to the Chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.  A native Texan, she earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Texas Law School in 1982 and her Bachelor of Arts Degree with honors in 1979.  She also holds certificates from the program of Instruction for Lawyers at Harvard Law School and the Program for Senior Leaders in Government at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Ms. Kea began her legal career in Washington, DC, serving first at the US Department of Labor’s legal division and then joining the Legal Division at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) during the banking and savings and loan crises in the 1980’s.  She held several senior positions in the Legal Division, including Deputy General Counsel. Ms. Kea expanded her role beyond the Legal Division when she was appointed by the FDIC’s Board of Directors to serve as the Ombudsman.  As the Ombudsman, she filled a critical role, serving as the liaison with bankers, industry representatives, community groups, and the public. Her achievements include selection as Chairman of the Coalition of Federal Ombudsmen and receipt of the prestigious Vice President’s Hammer Award for management excellence in government.

Ms. Kea has received numerous awards for her leadership and successful record for providing a wide range of corporate, advisory and operational oversight, including a 2012 nomination for the prestigious Service to America Medal of Honor.  Ms. Kea has also served on a White House Advisory Group for Reform of Senior Executives in public service.