Joseph A. Smith has been appointed for a 3.5-year term to act as the Monitor for the National Mortgage Settlement. Mr. Smith served as North Carolina Commissioner of Banks beginning in 2002 and resigned from that position in February 2012. As Commissioner, he oversaw the licensing and regulation of banks and thrifts. He also helped implement the North Carolina Mortgage Lending Act, North Carolina Secure and Fair Mortgage Licensing Act and State Home Foreclosure Prevention Project. While Commissioner, Smith also served from 2009 to 2010 as chairman of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors. He was an organizer and member of the Board of Managers of State Regulatory Registry, LLC, an organization dedicated to creating a nationwide mortgage licensing system. His Office of Mortgage Settlement Oversight will oversee the Settlement to ensure compliance by the Banks
