Hester Peirce, a senior commissioner at the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), has announced her departure from the agency to join Regent University School of Law as an associate professor. Her last day at the SEC is expected to be June 2025, but she will officially remain in the position until approximately 18 months after that date, pending replacement.
Pierce's seat may not be filled immediately, leaving only two Republican commissioners at the SEC: Mark Uyeda and Chair Paul Atkins. The agency has undergone significant changes since President Trump took office in January 2025, with a shift towards less stringent crypto regulation and enforcement.
The departure of Peirce and Caroline Crenshaw, who left her seat in January 2023, will leave the SEC with only two out of five commissioners. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is also facing a raft of vacancies, with Chair Michael Selig remaining as the sole commissioner.