WASHINGTON — Jesse O. Villarreal Jr. began serving as chief of staff to FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair Oct. 24, the agency announced.

"Jesse has served with distinction throughout his career, most recently as senior advisor to the assistant secretary for financial markets at the Department of the Treasury. During my tenure as Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions at Treasury, Jesse served as my Special Assistant," Bair commented. "So I am well aware of his strong leadership skills, sound judgment and extensive government experience, particularly in the financial services field. With these attributes, Jesse will certainly be a valuable asset to me and to our entire management team."

As chief of staff, Villarreal will oversee the day-to-day operations of the chairman's office. Prior to his last post at Treasury, Villarreal served as the director for critical infrastructure protection and compliance policy at Treasury. He also previously served as associate director for the Office of Cabinet Affairs at the Executive Office of the President, where he worked as a liaison between the White House and the Departments of the Treasury and Commerce, the United States Trade Representative, the Small Business Administration, and the Social Security Administration. Villarreal also previously worked for JPMorganChase.