On July 27, New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced that the governor will nominate Christopher L. Peterson, a former senior official at the CFPB, to serve as director of the state’s Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA). According to the announcement, Peterson previously served as a senior advisor at the CFPB, where he helped establish the agency, worked on its enforcement policy and strategy, and helped develop and strengthen the federal Military Lending Act. The announcement noted that Peterson most recently served as an endowed professor of law at a state university’s law school.

The governor said that, “at a time when the CFPB has abandoned the consumers it should be protecting,” Peterson’s experience would help ensure the state remains active in consumer protection. The announcement described the DCA as being responsible for protecting consumers’ rights, regulating the securities industry, and overseeing dozens of professional boards. Peterson is set to begin serving as acting director of the DCA on August 3, according to the announcement, pending his formal nomination by the governor, which is subject to the advice and consent of the state Senate.