*Media Advisory*

WHAT: "Monetary Policy Under Uncertainty," the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis' 32nd Annual Economic Policy Conference

WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 18; Friday, Oct. 19

WHERE: Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark, One South Broadway (Downtown St. Louis)

WHO: Research division of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

WHY: Leading economists and researchers from around the country and abroad will discuss and debate how best to develop and implement effective monetary policy against a backdrop of uncertainty. Ben S. Bernanke, chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, will participate via live television in the Friday morning panel discussion.

The conference is being held in honor of William Poole, the president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, who will retire from the Reserve Bank in March of 2008 after 10 years of service. An advocate of clear communication and transparency, President Poole has delivered more than 125 speeches in his tenure with the St. Louis Fed, many of which addressed his belief that the Fed functions best when it clearly communicates its policy changes.
Among his many accolades was induction in May 2005 into The Johns Hopkins Society, which described him as "that rare combination of path-breaking research scholar and distinguished public servant." (See the conference agenda.)

Some other notable participants will be:

John B. Taylor, Stanford University, distinguished for his research on the foundations of modern monetary theory and policy, which has been applied by central banks and financial analysts around the world.

Laurence H. Meyer, Macroeconomic Advisers, a former member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and a distinguished scholar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.

Stephen G. Cecchetti, Brandeis University, who has written more than 75 articles in academic and policy journals on a variety of topics, including banking, securities markets and monetary policy.

Athanasios Orphanides, Central Bank of Cyprus, who has served as a senior adviser to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and has taught and lectured at Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University.

Robert G. King, Boston University, who has served as the editor of the Journal of Monetary Economics since 1983.

James D. Hamilton, University of California at San Diego, whose primary fields are macroeconomics and econometrics, on which he teaches and has extensively published in leading journals.

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