Your Fed, Your Voice
Learn about the important work the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis does in your community and throughout the Eighth District to support a strong and resilient economy for all.
Here, current and former St. Louis Fed directors and advisory council members, Bank employees and other stakeholders share their perspectives on how the Federal Reserve amplifies the voice of Main Street—listening and serving as an active partner in communities big and small.
Darrin Williams
CEO of Southern Bancorp Inc., Little Rock, Ark.
Darrin Williams joined the board of directors of the Little Rock Branch of the St. Louis Fed in June 2021. As the leader of one of America’s oldest Community Development Financial Institutions, he is a passionate advocate for financial inclusion. Williams’ experience working with underserved communities informs the perspectives he brings to the board table about economic conditions in Arkansas and the Mississippi Delta.
So my name is Darrin Williams and I am the chief executive officer of Southern Bancorp Incorporated. We’re a Community Development Financial Institution, and as such, our focus is serving underserved people and places primarily in the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta. As a board member, I think it’s important that we bring the voices of the people that we know the most about. I’m talking about people in places that are often overlooked or abandoned or have historically been denied access to capital and credit.
I’m bringing the perspective of people who are new to the financial system, who are struggling to make ends meet. I’m bringing the perspective of small-business owners who are borrowing small sums of money to run their business. I’m bringing the perspective of young people who are not yet engaged in the process of really making money, helping the economy thrive. Their perspectives really, really matter.
As a board member, one of the primary things we get to do is to complete an economic report about what we’re seeing in the economy. And then of course, that information goes into the Beige Book that ultimately goes to the Board of Governors, who actually uses that information to help set monetary policy. And so it has a real impact. And that’s the voice that I get to bring to the table.
Learn more about the work we do:
- Working with communities
- Economic education for teachers and students
- Economic research
- Supervising banks
- Cultivating inclusion
Consider playing a vital role at the United States’ central bank. Learn about careers at the St. Louis Fed, the other 11 Federal Reserve banks across the country and the Federal Reserve System Board of Governors in Washington, D.C.
