Biographies of Washington State Department of Financial Institutions division directors and executives.
Charles E. Clark, Agency Director
Charles E. Clark: Charlie Clark was appointed Director of the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) on April 1, 2019. He first joined DFI in 2012 and served in the roles of Division of Consumer Services Enforcement Program Manager and Division Director before serving as agency Deputy Director beginning in November 2016. Prior to joining the DFI, Charlie represented the DFI as its lead litigation counsel as an Assistant Attorney General from 2005 through 2011. Prior to joining the Attorney General’s Office, he worked as an attorney in private practice.
Charlie sat on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators from 2014 to 2023, serving as its President from 2018 to 2020. He also currently sits on the Board of Directors and serves as Chair Elect of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors, having previously served as Secretary, Treasurer, and Vice-Chair. He received his undergraduate degree in Accounting and an M.B.A. from California State University, Sacramento. He received a J.D. degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.
Catherine Mele-Hetter, Deputy Director
Catherine Mele-Hetter is the Deputy Director of DFI. She has a BS in Finance and and a BA in Spanish from the California State University system. She attended Iberoamerican University in Mexico City while she was an undergrad at the California State University. In 1992 she graduated from Seattle University Law School (then University of Puget Sound) cum laude. She worked at Senate Committee Services as nonpartisan Counsel to the Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee for about 11 years. She was also a Senate intern while in law school from 1991 to 1992. In 2002 she came to DFI as the Policy Director.
During her time as Policy Director Catherine worked on over 40 pieces of legislation for DFI. She held this position until 2018 when she went to work for the State Treasurer. In 2019 she came back to DFI to become the Deputy Director.
Ali Higgs, Acting Director of Consumer Services
Ali Higgs is the Acting Director of Consumer Services, and formally served as the Director of Regulatory and Legal Affairs for DFI from 2021 to 2023. Ali has extensive experience working in financial regulation and the financial services industry. Ali began her career at DFI in 2002 as a bank regulator and has worked for DFI in several capacities over her 20+ year tenure. She is also a lawyer, former compliance consultant, and adjunct professor.
Ali received both her B.A. in Business Administration and JD from Seattle University. She is a member of the Washington State Bar Association.
Roberta Hollinshead, Director of Banks
Roberta S. Hollinshead was appointed as Director of Banks for Washington DFI on December 1, 2016. As Director, she is responsible for chartering and supervising the activities of all Washington state-chartered commercial banks and trust companies. Roberta works closely with stakeholders to promote sound economic development in the banking industry supporting a prosperous economy in Washington.
Roberta’s tenure with DFI began in July of 2001 as a financial examiner. Roberta worked her way up the ranks and prior to becoming the Director she served as the Chief of Examinations for the Division of Banks.
Roberta holds a Bachelors of Arts in Business Administration, with a Finance concentration, from the University of Washington. In addition, Roberta has a Master’s in Business Administration from Seattle University and a degree from the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado.
Amy B. Hunter, Director of Credit Unions
Amy B. Hunter was appointed as Director of Credit Unions on November 1, 2018. The Division supervises state chartered credit unions. Amy is also a member of the Financial Education Public-Private Partnership (FEPPP), which brings together individuals from both the public and private sector in an effort to provide quality financial education for students in the public school system.
Amy has been a regulator for over 20 years. Prior to DFI, she was the Deputy Director for the Washington State Gambling Commission, a regulatory, licensing and law enforcement agency. Amy began her career at the Gambling Commission as a staff attorney and then promoted to Administrator, where she led the agency’s legal department, rulemaking, communications, and media work. In addition, she worked on legislative issues for 17 sessions.
Amy has a B.S. in Sociology/Criminal Justice from Kansas State University. She earned her J.D. from the Seattle University School of Law, where she graduated cum laude.
William M. Beatty, Director of Securities
William M. Beatty was appointed Securities Administrator of the Washington Securities Division in July, 2010. Bill’s career at the Division began in 1986 and he has served stints as a staff attorney, general counsel, and program manager.
He has served on various North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) project groups, task forces, and committees since 1990. He is currently NASAA’s President.
He received a BA from the University of Puget Sound and a JD from Seattle University School of Law.
Erin López Nielsen, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director
Erin López Nielsen is the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Director for the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI). This role was established in the fall of 2021 to create meaningful change for justice and equity in how Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) and other underserved communities are included in the financial systems we regulate.
Erin brings more than 20 years of experience in the field of DEI. She started her career in community lending and education. She later ran a statewide program where she had the opportunity to work in all regions of our state. Most recently she led supplier diversity programs at the state, which included working across multiple agencies, co-creating statewide policies, and establishing an advisory group to include a DEI lens in how work happens.
Erin holds a Bachelors of Arts in Business Administration, with an Accounting concentration and a minor in Dance, from the University of Washington.