Monday, September 28, 2015

Dr. Charles L. Evans, President & CEO of Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago visited Marquette University today


Charles L. Evans is president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, one of 12 regional reserve banks across the country that composes our nation's central bank. In that capacity, he serves on the Federal Open Market Committee, the Federal Reserve System's monetary policymaking body. 

Dr. Evans during his speech, which was attended by over 300 faculty, students and alumni, indicated that he did not see a need for tightening (raising the Fed Funds rate) given the low level of expected inflation. While he continued to be optimistic about overall economic growth in the US, he did not see inflation as a significant future threat to the overall economy. During the Q&A he was consistent in his support of current Fed policy.

As head of the Chicago Fed, Evans oversees the work of about 1,400 employees who conduct economic research, supervise financial institutions, and provide payment services to commercial banks and the U.S. government. 

Previously, Evans was director of research and senior vice president, supervising the bank's research on monetary policy, banking, financial markets and regional economic conditions. He taught at the University of Chicago, University of Michigan and University of South Carolina and received a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Virginia and a doctorate in economics from Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh.