Office of Thrift Supervision
West
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The OTS West Region is marked by diversity — the diversity of its people, especially along the Pacific Coast, and the diversity of its geography marked by its ocean coastline and rugged mountain ranges. It is also marked by the diversity of OTS-regulated thrift institutions, which range from small savings associations to the largest lending institutions in the country that are at the forefront of innovation in nationwide home mortgage lending. The OTS West Region supervises institutions that hold about half of all thrift assets nationwide, including the top federally regulated thrifts in asset size. The region expends significant resources to supervise these and other large thrift institutions. Yet the region is also responsible for small thrifts, as well as other institutions of varying sizes across the American West and as far away as Alaska, Hawaii and Guam. The complexity of the large institutions that have pioneered new kinds of mortgages demands a regional examination staff with deep expertise in innovative products and the ability to keep pace with rapid change. Examiners apply this specialized knowledge to their work with smaller thrifts and growing regional institutions. Regional officials also apply this expertise to help the agency’s policy-makers craft industry guidance and address emerging challenges of national significance. As with examination teams across the agency, the regional workforce has strong bonds forged over the years during the industry’s difficult times and boom times. Many of those seasoned examiners are expected to become eligible for retirement in the coming decade. Although only some of the people eligible to retire are expected to take advantage of the opportunity, the OTS is laying the groundwork for its future workforce. The diversity of the existing and new employees in the OTS West Region reflects the diversity of the communities that the region serves, with sizable Hispanic, African American and Asian components. In its examination strategy, the region focuses on establishing and maintaining relationships with its regulated institutions — built through routine communications and contacts — so that when OTS examiners uncover problems, a solid foundation exists for working cooperatively toward solutions. In the West Region, the constant themes are innovation, diversity and positive, constructive relationships with the thrift institutions we supervise and with our other constituents. |
Regional Bulletins |
