Robert M. Couch
General Counsel

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The United States Senate confirmed Robert M. Couch on June 13, 2007 to serve as General Counsel of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). As General Counsel, Mr. Couch leads a nationwide organization of approximately 400 attorneys and 300 non-attorneys headquartered in Washington, D.C., along with ten regional offices and thirty-seven field offices throughout the country. The General Counsel serves as the chief legal advisor to the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, and other principal staff, providing advice on federal laws, regulations, and policies that affect the programs of HUD. Prior to his confirmation, Mr. Couch served as Acting General Counsel from December 5, 2006, to June 15, 2007. Mr. Couch began his service at HUD as President of the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) after being confirmed by the Senate on June 15, 2006. As Ginnie Mae President, Mr. Couch administered Ginnie Mae's mortgage-backed securities program, valued at over $414 billion, and its $123 billion Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduit program. He also worked to further its mission of making affordable housing a reality for millions of low-and moderate-income households across America by channeling global capital into the nation's housing markets.

Mr. Couch brings a wealth of private sector skills and experience to HUD. Previously, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of New South Federal Savings Bank in Birmingham, the largest thrift in Alabama with $1.8 billion in assets.

He also served as General Counsel and Chief Financial Officer of First Commercial Bancshares, a bank holding company headquartered in Birmingham. An active member of the mortgage banking industry, Mr. Couch has served as a former Chairman and a member of the Board of Directors of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America. For seven years, he served on the Strategic Planning Committee of that organization. He has also served as President of the Mortgage Bankers Association of Alabama.

Mr. Couch has been on the boards of several other civic and professional organizations, including the Real Estate Roundtable and the Thrift Industry Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Board. His other notable positions include Chairman of the Planning Commission of the City of Mountain Brook, Alabama, President of the Washington and Lee University Law Alumni Association, Chairman of the Lakeshore Foundation, Chairman of Lakeshore Hospital, and a member of Fannie Mae's National Advisory Council.

Mr. Couch received his Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting and his Juris Doctor degree from Washington and Lee University. Following law school, Mr. Couch clerked for the Honorable Lewis F. Powell. Jr., Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, and the Honorable John M. Wisdom of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He is a certified public accountant (inactive), a member of the Arkansas Society of Public Accountants, and a Certified Mortgage Banker. He and his wife, Anne, reside in Washington, D.C. They have two daughters, Mary Stuart and Franny.