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This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
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JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Tuesday that he is nominating a regulator with almost 20 years of experience to be the state commissioner of banking and consumer finance.

Rhoshunda Kelly of Madison will need to be confirmed by the state Senate. She has been interim commissioner at the state Department of Banking and Consumer Finance since July.

“Her experience and dedication to the department will be an asset to the industry as well as the citizens who utilize the services of state-chartered banks and credit unions across Mississippi,” Reeves said in a news release.

Kelly earned a business degree with a concentration in banking and finance from Mississippi State University. She was a field examiner from 2001 to 2011, assessing the soundness of state-chartered banks. She became a review examiner in 2012 and was promoted to director of bank supervision in 2013.

Kelly was appointed deputy commissioner in 2014 and was responsible for oversight of the banking, mortgage, consumer finance, administration, legal and information technology divisions. She also ensured coordination between state and federal regulators.

In the news release Tuesday, Kelly thanked Reeves for the nomination as commissioner.

“Mississippi has a vibrant financial ecosystem of banks, credit unions, mortgage companies, and consumer finance industries. … Our bankers and consumer finance industries are committed to serving their customers and promoting economic growth in their communities,” Kelly said. “I look forward to building on the growth and success of Mississippi’s financial sector and enhancing the regulatory partnership with the industry.”

Kelly serves on the board of directors for the Conference of State Bank Supervisors.

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The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.

Mississippi native Donna Ladd and partner Todd Stauffer founded the Jackson Free Press in 2002 in the capital city. The heavily awarded local newspaper did many investigations heralded across the state and nation and served as a paper of record due to its diversity, inclusion, in-depth reporting and deep connection to readers and dedication to narrative change in and about Mississippi. In 2022, the nonprofit Mississippi Free Press, founded by Ladd and JFP Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin in 2020, purchased the journalism assets and archives of the Jackson Free Press. A Google grant through AAN Publishers enabled Newspack's integration of the JFP archives into the Mississippi Free Press website to become part of a more searchable archive of recent Mississippi history and essential journalism.