Federal Reserve, CSBS To Host Community Banking Research Conference in St. Louis in October

ST. LOUIS - The Federal Reserve System and the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) will host “Community Banking in the 21st Century,” an inaugural community banking research and policy conference to be held Oct. 2-3, 2013, at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

Community bankers, academics, policymakers, and bank supervisors will gather to discuss the latest academic research on community banking as well as extensive on-the-ground reports from state bank commissioners, who are conducting town hall sessions with community bankers in their states this spring and summer.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will kick-off the conference the afternoon of Oct. 2.

Other guest speakers and panel participants will include Federal Reserve Governors Elizabeth Duke and Sarah Bloom Raskin; Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard and Banking Supervision and Regulation Senior Vice President Julie Stackhouse; CSBS Chairman Greg Gonzales, CSBS Chairman Elect Charles Vice and CSBS President and CEO John Ryan; and state commissioners and community bankers from across the United States.

“Community banks play a vital role in the U.S. economy,” Bernanke said. “It is crucial that we thoroughly explore the issues that may impact the future of the community banking model.”

The conference will not only feature current academic research in the community banking sector, it will feature the findings of state bank commissioners from across the country, who are holding town halls with community bankers this spring and summer to discuss the issues and research of most importance to them.

The conference will also include keynote presentations and roundtable conversations from thought leaders across the community banking industry. “This will be a dynamic conference that will spark dialogue and provide meaningful takeaways on the health and future of the community banking model,” said CSBS Chairman Gonzales. “It will allow us to get at the heart of the issues that need to be discussed now.”

“In addition, we are seeking to generate more research of the community banking system through this conference,” said CSBS's Ryan. “Combined with the engagement of the state bank commissioners, the conference will provide a strong platform from which to discuss current findings to launch further studies.”

More information will be posted soon on the conference web site at stlouisfed.org/cbrc2013. Information regarding the call for papers for the conference is already posted at this location.