Aulana L. Peters
Encyclopedia
Aulana L. Peters is a retired partner at the law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, where she was active partner from 1980 to 1984 and from 1988 to 2000.
From 1984 until 1988, she served as a commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC), and as a board member of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
. She was the first African American
ever to serve as a commissioner of the SEC, and only the third woman ever to do so.
According to her resume at Forbes.com, she has served as a member of the International Public Interest Oversight Board since 2005, as a member of the Public Oversight Board of AICPA, a professional association for Certified Public Accountants in the United States, from 2001 to 2002, and sits on the boards of 3M
Company, Deere & Company
, Northrop Grumman Corporation and, formerly, Merrill Lynch & Co..
in 1976, and then earned a Juris Doctor
from the University of Southern California
.
as an associate in 1973. She focused on commercial litigation
, including class action suits and SEC enforcement actions. She became a partner in the firm in 1980, but resigned in 1984 to accept an appointment as the commissioner of the SEC under President Ronald Reagan
. When Reagan's term ended, so did Peters', and she returned to Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in 1988, where she remained until her retirement in 2000.
In 1999 she was elected to Northrop Grumman
's board of directors, a position she still holds. She served as a member of the Public Oversight Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
in 2001 and 2002. She was elected to the Deere & Company
board of directors in 2002, and her current term ends in 2010. She is also a director at 3M
. She was formerly a board member of Merrill Lynch
and the public television station KCET
,. She currently serves on the Accountability Advisory Council of the U.S. Comptroller General, and on the Market Regulatory Advisory Committee of the New York Stock Exchange
. She has also served on Southern California Edison's Nuclear Decommissioning Trust Fund Committee for the past 10 years (two terms), and is currently under consideration for reappointment for another 5 year term.
From 1984 until 1988, she served as a commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission
United States Securities and Exchange Commission
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is a federal agency which holds primary responsibility for enforcing the federal securities laws and regulating the securities industry, the nation's stock and options exchanges, and other electronic securities markets in the United States...
(SEC), and as a board member of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board is a private-sector, non-profit corporation created by the Sarbanes–Oxley Act, a 2002 United States federal law, to oversee the auditors of public companies. Its stated purpose is to 'protect the interests of investors and further the public interest...
. She was the first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
ever to serve as a commissioner of the SEC, and only the third woman ever to do so.
According to her resume at Forbes.com, she has served as a member of the International Public Interest Oversight Board since 2005, as a member of the Public Oversight Board of AICPA, a professional association for Certified Public Accountants in the United States, from 2001 to 2002, and sits on the boards of 3M
3M
3M Company , formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation based in Maplewood, Minnesota, United States....
Company, Deere & Company
Deere & Company
Deere & Company, usually known by its brand name John Deere , is an American corporation based in Moline, Illinois, and the leading manufacturer of agricultural machinery in the world. In 2010, it was listed as 107th in the Fortune 500 ranking...
, Northrop Grumman Corporation and, formerly, Merrill Lynch & Co..
Education
Peters earned degree in philosophy from the College of New Rochelle in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1976, and then earned a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
.
Career
Peters joined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
as an associate in 1973. She focused on commercial litigation
Commercial law
Commercial law is the body of law that governs business and commercial transactions...
, including class action suits and SEC enforcement actions. She became a partner in the firm in 1980, but resigned in 1984 to accept an appointment as the commissioner of the SEC under President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
. When Reagan's term ended, so did Peters', and she returned to Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in 1988, where she remained until her retirement in 2000.
In 1999 she was elected to Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American global aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth-largest defense contractor in the world as of 2010, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over...
's board of directors, a position she still holds. She served as a member of the Public Oversight Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Founded in 1887, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants is the national professional organization of Certified Public Accountants in the United States, with more than 370,000 CPA members in 128 countries in business and industry, public practice, government, education, student...
in 2001 and 2002. She was elected to the Deere & Company
Deere & Company
Deere & Company, usually known by its brand name John Deere , is an American corporation based in Moline, Illinois, and the leading manufacturer of agricultural machinery in the world. In 2010, it was listed as 107th in the Fortune 500 ranking...
board of directors in 2002, and her current term ends in 2010. She is also a director at 3M
3M
3M Company , formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation based in Maplewood, Minnesota, United States....
. She was formerly a board member of Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch is the wealth management division of Bank of America. With over 15,000 financial advisors and $2.2 trillion in client assets it is the world's largest brokerage. Formerly known as Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., prior to 2009 the firm was publicly owned and traded on the New York...
and the public television station KCET
KCET
KCET, channel 28, is an independent, non-commercial public television station licensed to Los Angeles, California, USA. KCET's studio is located on West Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and its transmitter is atop Mount Wilson. Al Jerome is the current CEO and President, serving since 1996.KCET was...
,. She currently serves on the Accountability Advisory Council of the U.S. Comptroller General, and on the Market Regulatory Advisory Committee of the New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
. She has also served on Southern California Edison's Nuclear Decommissioning Trust Fund Committee for the past 10 years (two terms), and is currently under consideration for reappointment for another 5 year term.