Good afternoon and thank you for the flexibility in allowing me to deliver my remarks towards the end of the day due to scheduling issues. Earlier, the Committee engaged in discussions on corporate governance and tokenization and will later discuss artificial intelligence disclosures.

Today, also, is the final Committee Meeting for our Investor Advocate. I want to extend my appreciation to Cristina [Martin Firvida] for her dedication and professionalism. Cristina is the second Investor Advocate in the Commission’s history. When she was selected, I was not quite sure what to expect from her. However, Cristina won me over by finding areas of mutual agreement and then executing upon them. One of Cristina’s important contributions is reforming the selection process for Committee members. As an SEC staff member, I was here at the very beginning of the Committee. It became clear that the departure of a significant majority of the Committee members every four years was not conducive to longer-term thinking. Through Cristina’s efforts, we now have a plan where approximately a quarter of the Committee will be replaced annually, thereby obtaining a smoother transition of new members into the Committee. Thank you, Cristina, for your outstanding service and I wish you the best in your future endeavors!

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