The state Department of Commerce said Friday that Mark B. Steinagel has been appointed director of the Division of Real Estate. Since 2001, Steinagel has worked for the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel as a policy analyst. He will start the new role in early January. Steinagel said addressing the problem of mortgage fraud in Utah will be one of his top priorities. "Since we license the mortgage lenders in the state, we have an enormous role to make sure they have ethical standards and follow the law," he said. Steinagel said he will be working with the existing mortgage fraud task force to address the issue. "I am confident that he will be able to hit the ground running once he takes over the position," Francine Giani, executive director of the Utah Department of Commerce, said in a news release. Steinagel says his experience with the Legislature has prepared him for his new role. "The issues I hear [the task force] discussing are things I've dealt with before," he said. Steinagel has a master's in public administration, and a bachelor's degree in geography from Brigham Young University. Derek Miller, the former director of the Division of Real Estate, will take over as managing director of business recruitment for the Governor's Office.