Chairman William H. Donaldson last week announced the appointments of Joseph A. Hall to serve as Managing Executive for Policy and Martha B. Peterson to serve as Counselor to the Chairman at the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Joe and Martha each bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to their positions. I look forward to continuing to work with them to further the best interests of America’s investors,” Chairman Donaldson said.

Joe Hall has been named Managing Executive for Policy. In this position Hall will assist the Chairman with the promulgation and enforcement of policies, regulations, rules and procedures governing markets and issuers. He will be Chairman Donaldson’s primary liaison with the other Commissioners’ offices. Hall joined the Commission in 2003 as Senior Policy Fellow in the Office of General Counsel and later served as Counsel to Chairman Donaldson. Prior to joining the Commission, Hall was a partner with Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York. Hall also worked for Reuters America Inc. as corporate counsel and clerked for the Hon. Phyllis A. Kravitch, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Hall received his J.D. from Columbia Law School in New York, where he was an editor of the Law Review, a James Kent Scholar and a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. Hall received his B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa.

Martha Peterson has been named Counselor to the Chairman. In this position Peterson will advise the Chairman on rulemaking and other initiatives before the Commission. Peterson originally joined the Commission in 1987, serving in the Office of General Counsel and as Counsel to Chairman David Ruder. She returned to the Commission in 1998 and most recently served as Counsel to Chairman Donaldson. In the interim period, Peterson was an editor with the National Legal Research Group. She started her professional career as an associate at the law firm of Howrey and Simon in Washington D.C. Peterson received her J.D. from George Washington University in Washington D.C., where she graduated magna cum laude and was elected to the Order of the Coif. She received her B.A. degree from Harvard University, where she graduated cum laude and was a recipient of the Harvard College and Elizabeth Carrie Aggasiz scholarships.