For immediate Release
Rock Hill, South Carolina, February 12, 2024 – The Zone Authority of the Catawba Digital Economic Zone (CDEZ) has appointed Banking Commissioners and a Banking Director to charter and regulate banks under the CDEZ’s legal framework. The Nation’s regulations through the Catawba Digital Economic Zone allow financial services companies and banks to receive charters and operate under the laws of the Catawba Indian Nation, and the regulations of the Zone Authority, including its Banking and Financial Services Regulation, approved in April 2023.
To that end, the Zone Authority has made the following appointments:
- Banking Director: Philip Viles, Former Director of the BIA’s Guaranteed Loan Program, Former Chief Justice of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, former director of two banks and two financial services companies in Oklahoma..
- Banking Commissioner: Gerald Glickman, 10 years in fraud and identity risk management, led fraud strategy at Capital One, built infrastructure at ID.me, now oversees risk programs for top US crypto exchanges and gaming, ensuring regulatory compliance.
- Banking Commissioner: Katherine Sikora Nelson: Experienced financial legal professional with key roles at BNY Mellon and Intesa Sanpaolo North America, specializing in compliance and AML. Actively involved in industry initiatives and supporting women leaders.
- Banking Commissioner: Scott Charles is a Catawba citizen, who has owned and operated various businesses. This led him to the investment sector where he found a passion for digital assets. He has extensive experience in the health sector.
- Banking Commissioner: Brian Houillion, former Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet. Experience with Financial Institutions and insurance.
The Commissioners have been appointed due to their caliber with direct experience in federal and state financial services regulation, AML/KYC, and banking law.
The Catawba Banking Commission is a subdivision of the Zone Authority, the CDEZ’s regulatory body. The Commission is responsible for reviewing bank charter applications, governing chartered bank activities, and promulgating rules and procedures in compliance with the Banking Regulation.
The goal of the Banking Commission is to implement and execute on the CDEZ’s Banking Regulation, which seeks to foster a “best-of-all-worlds” regulatory framework that will provide the Nation with: 1) a comprehensive legal framework for the regulation of traditional and emerging digital financial activities; 2) legal terms that are already recognized and accepted by the federal government for access to the U.S. and global financial systems; and 3) provisions that enhance the Nation’s sovereignty and create competitive advantages for the Nation’s economic development.
To achieve these objectives, the foundation of the Regulation synthesizes terms from existing financial codes of three states: South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wyoming. These state codes were selected as a starting point for CDEZ financial regulations based on their commitment to regulating innovative financial activity to protect consumers and encourage responsible innovation. .
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ABOUT THE CATAWBA DIGITAL ECONOMIC ZONE
The Catawba Digital Economic Zone (CDEZ) is the first jurisdiction created for Fintech and Digital Asset growth in the United States. Located in the Catawba Reservation in the Carolinas, the Zone has world-class laws optimized for digital service industries, finance, and blockchain. CDEZ is in the territory and under the jurisdiction of the Catawba Indian Nation of South and North Carolina.
Media Contact:
Sam Trimnal
Chairman
Zone Authority