Operation HOPE has enjoyed a strong working relationship with the Federal Reserve System, and most of the Federal Reserve Banks over the years.  I have personally met with and even conducted a financial literacy teaching session with then Federal Reserve Chairman Greenspan, and the former vice chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, the late, great Mr. Preston Martin even served on the national board of Operation HOPE until the day he passed away.  

Today, I am honored to say that I and we enjoy a solid and ongoing working relationship with Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Dennis Lockhart, in my home city of Atlanta, Georgia. President Lockhart has been instrumental over these past three years as we sought to stand-up the new HOPE Financial Dignity Center at Ebenezer, located on the hallowed ground of the King Center, which is now scheduled to open to the public in November, 2012.

But of all the leadership at the Federal Reserve over the years, dating back 20 years to the founding of Operation HOPE itself, I have enjoyed the most my relationship with U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, who actually lives in what many refer to as the underserved section of Washington, D.C.  In short, the Chairman understands the poor and underserved.  His wife is even a teacher in the public school system.  They both get it, and they genuinely care.

For all these reasons and so many more, we are honored to have U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke confirmed as our lead keynote speaker for our HOPE Global Financial Dignity Summit scheduled for November 14th-15th, 2012, in Atlanta, Georgia.  See you all there.

In closing, a special thank you is extended to my friend Sandra Braunstein at the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C., who substantially manages our very important working relationship with the Fed nationwide, and has for at least a decade.  

Onward and with HOPE

 

John Hope Bryant is a thought leader, founder, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE and Bryant Group Companies, Inc. Magazine/CEO READ bestselling business author of LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World (Jossey-Bass) the only African-American bestselling business author in America, and is chairman of the Subcommittee for the Under-Served and Community Empowerment for the U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability, for President Barack Obama.  Mr. Bryant is the co-founder of the Gallup-HOPE Index, the only national research poll on youth financial dignity and youth economic energy in the U.S. He is also a co-founder of Global Dignity with HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Professor Pekka Himanen of Finland. Global Dignity is affiliated with the Forum of Young Global Leaders and the World Economic Forum.   Mr. Bryant serves on the board of directors of Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation, an NYSE Euronext publicly traded company, and a division of $54 billion Ares Capital.

 

Pin It on Pinterest