Maria Caldwell, Esq., currently serves as NASBA’s chief legal officer and director of compliance services. In this role, she oversees all legal matters for NASBA, management of the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, and various other lines of business including the Accountancy Licensing Library (ALL), Accountancy Licensee Database (ALD), CPE Audit Service, CPE Rules Engine Service, CPA Mobility and CPAVerify).
Ms. Caldwell was hired by NASBA in November 2003 as in-house general counsel and subsequently created a new business development department. As NASBA general counsel, Ms. Caldwell built an in-house legal department and as director of business development, she managed the development of several NASBA products including ALL, Wall Certificate Services and the creation of NASBAregistry.org. As a natural extension of her work experience with NASBA, Ms. Caldwell was asked to lead the Compliance Services Department in February 2011 as director and assumed the position of chief legal officer in January 2012.
Currently, she also serves on the Board of Directors and Audit Committee of Sotherly Hotels, Inc., a publicly traded hotel REIT. Prior to joining NASBA, Ms. Caldwell served as general counsel of Sirrom Capital Corporation, a public company specializing in mezzanine debt offerings, formerly headquartered in Nashville. She also worked as an associate with the law firms of Bass, Berry & Sims in Nashville and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in Los Angeles, CA.
A graduate of Duke University School of Law, Ms. Caldwell became a member of the Bar of the State of California in 1988 and a member of the Bar of the State of Tennessee in 1991.