A closer look behind a prominent promotion
This Week: A. Heath Abshure, president of the North American Securities Administrators Association
Background: A. Heath Abshure graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Christian Brothers University in Memphis and received his law degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law in 1998.
Experience: Abshure began practicing law at Giroir Gregory Holmes & Hoover in Little Rock. Then for two years, he worked for the Securities & Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C., as a staff attorney while also attending Georgetown University Law Center, where he earned a master’s degree in laws with distinction in securities and financial regulation. After returning to Little Rock, he became a partner at Williams & Anderson PLC, specializing in corporate securities. In 2007, Gov. Mike Beebe appointed Abshure commissioner of the Arkansas Securities Department.
New Position: In his new role as president of the North American Securities Administrators Association, Abshure said, he plans to focus on the organization’s response to the changing regulatory environment. “We must show that our role strikes the most reasonable balance between investor protection and capital formation. If the JOBS Act is any indication, lawmakers appear willing to sacrifice reasonable regulation for perceived economic growth. However, reasonable regulation is essential to facilitate the investor trust necessary for economic growth,” Abshure said. “But all too often, lawmakers believe that unregulated markets promote growth. We must persuade lawmakers that this belief is misguided and prove that we are the best option to promote capital formation while at the same time maximizing safe and secure investing for consumers.”
