Michelle W Bowman: Advancing our understanding of community banking

Speech by Ms Michelle W Bowman, Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, at "Community Banking in the 21st Century" 2019 Community Banking Research and Policy Conference, sponsored by the Federal Reserve System, the Conference of State Bank Supervisors, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, St. Louis, Missouri, 1 October 2019.

The views expressed in this speech are those of the speaker and not the view of the BIS.

Central bank speech  | 
02 October 2019

It is a special honor for me to be part of this conference and its tradition of advancing our understanding of how banking shapes our economy and our communities. As a community banker, I sought out actionable research that I could leverage to better serve my customers and my community. As a state bank regulator, I conducted my own research to answer questions about issues affecting the banks my agency regulated. I also appreciated learning what researchers thought would provide better insight into the industry. Today I am honored to be here as the first person to serve on the Federal Reserve Board in the role that the Congress designated for someone with community banking or state supervisory experience. My work at the Board has given me an even greater appreciation for how creative, insightful research informs and shapes policy decisions that support our economy. But it also tells me there is still much to be learned and many additional areas that deserve more exploration.