During the years prior to 2010, the relationship between the front line staff and senior management at the Miami Regional Office had become strained. At MIRO, many of the staff believe that for too long, they were managed through intimidation and cronyism, rather than through respect and cooperation. This management approach had a negative impact upon employee morale, which was reflected in the poor scores that MIRO management received in the 2008 Federal Human Capital Survey. So, when the SEC announced on December 16, 2009, the appointment of former SEC attorney Eric Bustillo as the new Miami Regional Director, MIRO staff and their Union representatives were optimistic about the possibility for positive change.

Miami staffers knew that Bustillo was the Chief of the Economic & Environmental Crimes Section at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Florida. They also knew that he had previously served as an SEC staffer. Many, however, did not know much else about him, including his outlook on leadership.

To learn more, some Miami staffers reached out to their friends at the USAO, where Bustillo then managed about 60 employees, including about 35 attorneys. Many of those attorneys, including several former SEC staffers, expressed confidence in Bustillo’s professional judgment, his commitment to enforcing financial regulations, and his record of creating a workplace in which people can work efficiently and effectively. They also expressed their view that he is a thoughtful and reasonable manager. With such praise, Miami employees were cautiously optimistic.

So far, that optimism has been justified. Since Bustillo’s arrival at MIRO, Union representatives have found him to be a pleasure to work with. Throughout the Enforcement reorganization process, for example, he worked hard with the Union to ensure the satisfaction of as many attorneys and paralegals as possible. Due to the fact that Bustillo likes to be well informed about all of the investigations, cases and examinations going on in the office, he was extremely busy during the entire reorganization. Nevertheless, he made time in his busy schedule to discuss the details of the reorganization by arranging to call MIRO stewards late after the normal workday, enabling them to work through all of the Miami issues well.

"During the Enforcement reorg, if I got a call on my cell phone after 8 pm and the caller ID showed an SEC phone number, I knew Eric was calling," MIRO Steward Drew Panahi recently remarked.　"Throughout the whole process, Eric repeatedly said that he wanted people to be assigned to the managers they wanted because that would make them happier and more productive. I think that we accomplished that goal by working closely together to make it happen."

During Bustillo’s early meetings with MIRO Union leadership, they have discussed many issues that have gone unaddressed in Miami for quite some time. Bustillo has listened respectfully to each issue. At times, he has even explained that he was already taking steps with SEC senior management to address them.

Bustillo has made it clear that, while there certainly will be times when management and the Union will disagree on an issue, he will always try to explain the reasoning behind his position. His articulation of his vision for a productive and healthy SEC culture, and his commitment to improving communications with all employees and their Union representatives is something that the Union certainly welcomes.

It is still extremely early in Bustillo’s tenure at the SEC, and it is clear he will not be able to adequately address all of MIRO’s persistent problems overnight. However, it is equally clear that he understands that the Union, along with management, is striving to improve employee satisfaction in order to improve employee performance, and that certainly leads us in the right direction.

The Union recently approached a number of MIRO employees about their views on Bustillo. Many of them are cautiously hopeful that things will improve at MIRO, but they remain aware of the fact that problems that have existed for many years could be difficult to resolve. Others are more optimistic.

"When I met with Eric, I found him to be straightforward and sincere in his belief that an office with happy employees will be far more productive than a dysfunctional office," Chapter 293 President Greg Gilman said after a recent visit to the Miami Regional Office. "A productive office is one that will do a better job of fulfilling the SEC’s mission of protecting investors, and Eric seems to get that point."

The Union remains committed to improving MIRO, and other SEC offices, through open conversations with management. We are hopeful and optimistic that for the first time in many years, we have a partner in Miami who will legitimately represent management’s and employees’ interests and concerns, which will help all of us fulfill the agency’s mission and better serve the investing public.