Lydia Mashburn Newman

Lydia Mashburn Newman is the Managing Director of Monetary Economics at the American Institute for Economic Research. Over the course of two decades in public policy, she has held leadership positions with federal regulators, at nonprofits, and in Congress, focusing on monetary policy and financial regulation. Her areas of interest include monetary system reforms with an emphasis on targets, rules, and the incorporation of market feedback and discipline into monetary policy. 

Prior to joining AIER, Lydia was an independent consultant for investment, management, and private equity firms, providing regulatory and public policy insights. From 2019 to 2021, she served as Deputy Chief of Staff for the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, where she was also Senior Advisor for the newly formed Division of Research and Statistics. In 2014, Lydia co-led the launch of Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives, the first D.C.-based nonprofit focused on free market monetary reforms. During that time, she was appointed to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Investor Advisory Committee. Prior to Cato, Lydia developed the monetary policy portfolio for the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and was Program Manager for its Financial Markets Working Group. Before joining the non-profit sector, she served as Policy Director of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology, the subcommittee with oversight of the Federal Reserve. Lydia began her career in public policy as a research analyst with the U.S. Joint Economic Committee. 

Lydia received her B.A. in economics, cum laude, and a minor in international relations from the College of William and Mary. She resides in Tampa, FL, with her husband Patrick Newman, PhD, and their terrier rescue Benny.