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Washington, D.C.—The leader of the union representing more than 2,500 Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) employees today characterized as very positive her initial face-to-face meeting with new agency chair Mary Schapiro, during which they discussed ways in which the agency workforce can contribute to the successful accomplishment of its mission.

“I found the new chair to be personable, forthright, knowledgeable and determined to restore the credibility of the SEC and get employees into the daily conversations of how to turn the agency around and restore its greatness,” said President Colleen M. Kelley of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU). “This was a very good first meeting,” she said of this week’s occasion.

Among the key workforce issues raised by the two leaders was the low morale generated by the lack of real leadership in the agency in recent years. “I told Chairman Schapiro that employees are glad she is here, that they have a lot of good ideas on how to perform the work of the SEC, and that NTEU would like to work with her in a collaborative way to tap into those ideas.”

President Kelley and Chairman Schapiro also discussed the vital need for sufficient resources, authority and staffing at the SEC. “Events that have come to light, including financial scandals, make clear that staffing, funding and leadership are matters that need to be addressed in meaningful ways,” Kelley said.

“NTEU has a long history of fighting for adequate resources and personnel, and I assured the chair that we will continue making every effort to see that SEC employees have the tools they need to perform the job the public expects and needs,” she added.

NTEU is the largest independent federal union, representing 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments.