Dennis Lockhart at GSBLSU: The Economic and Community Banking Landscape

At the beginning of a recent session of the Graduate School of Banking at LSU, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Dennis Lockhart, spoke to the student bankers in attendance.  Having such a close relationship with the Graduate School of Banking at LSU over the years, in the collaborative effort of the Fed’s supervisory and regulatory staff to host the Banking Outlook Conferences in Atlanta, Lockhart notes the importance of and interest in maintaining the current and future ties with GSBLSU.

In his address to the students and professors, he took a high-level look at many factors affecting the banking industry today, including the approach of the Federal Reserve to the future supervisory plans of community banks, the operational challenges that many community banks may encounter, the economic outlook, and the monetary policy outlook.  He emphasized that his personal thoughts were expressed, and they may not mirror the views of his colleagues at the Federal Reserve.

The full speech can be viewed by clicking the link here.

In closing, Lockhart reiterated the magnanimous responsibility that the GSBLSU students carry with them not only in their current education but also in the impending choices and impacts that will be made by them on their home banks.  He says, “You are here participating in continuing education to be the best bankers you can be. The history of bank failures in the Southeast contains a number of cautionary lessons. I’ll add one more. Improving conditions bring their own challenges. Conditions seem to be improving. Be careful.”