Idaho’s Erin Van Engelen Named NMLS Ombudsman

Washington, D.C. – The Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) announced Erin Van Engelen, Consumer Finance Bureau Chief for the Idaho Department of Finance, will serve as the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System & Registry® (NMLS) Ombudsman, starting July 1. Van Engelen succeeds Jim Payne, Deputy Commissioner for the Consumer and Mortgage Lending Division of the Kansas Office of the State Bank Commissioner, who had served as NMLS Ombudsman since July 2020.   

The NMLS Ombudsman, who serves a two-year term, provides state regulators and industry a neutral venue for discussing NMLS and State Examination System (SES) issues and policies governing the system. As NMLS Ombudsman, Van Engelen will lead dialogue among NMLS and SES users with the goal of achieving a more modern and efficient financial services regulatory and supervisory landscape.

“I’m honored to serve as the NMLS Ombudsman at this important time,” said Van Engelen. “NMLS has undergone significant modernization in recent years, with additional enhancements planned through 2029. I look forward to working closely with industry and state regulator users to understand their experiences, elevate their feedback, and help ensure NMLS continues to evolve in ways that support their needs.”  

Prior to being named the NMLS Ombudsman, Van Engelen served as Chair of the NMLS Policy Committee. Van Engelen’s leadership roles also include serving as President for the North American Collection Agency Regulatory Association, Vice President of the American Conference of Uniform Consumer Credit Code States, and Chair of the CSBS Certification Committee. 

At the end of 2025, approximately 550,000 mortgage loan originators relied on NMLS to maintain their licensing or registration in the system. More than 34,700 state-licensed mortgage, debt, consumer finance, and money services businesses maintained licensing requirements in NMLS, along with more than 7,500 federally registered companies. 

NMLS users can contact the NMLS Ombudsman at [email protected]. 

Media Contact: Vonnetta Cornish, 202-728-5752, [email protected] 

X: @CSBSNews

The Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) is the national organization of financial regulators from all 50 states, American Samoa, District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands. State regulators supervise 79% of all U.S. banks and a variety of non-depository financial services. CSBS, on behalf of state regulators, also operates the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System to license and register non-depository financial service providers in the mortgage, money services businesses, consumer finance, and debt industries.