Washington, D.C.The federal bank and thrift regulatory
agencies today announced that they will be hosting a forum in New Orleans for banks and thrifts on March 2 and 3, 2006.
The forum, titled The Future of Banking on the Gulf Coast:
Helping Banks and Thrifts Rebuild Communities, will focus on the
short-term and long-term challenges facing banks and thrifts operating in the areas
affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and on ways of helping meet the
needs of the local communities.
Principals from each of the four federal banking agencies will
participate in the forum, which will convene at the New Orleans Marriott, 555
Canal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, at 8:00 a.m. CST on Thursday, March
2, 2006, and close at noon on Friday, March 3, 2006. The FDIC and NeighborWorks of New Orleans will conduct optional
bus tours of devastated areas nearby on the afternoons of Wednesday, March 1,
and Friday, March 3.
Invitees include
senior executives of both large and small FDIC-insured institutions operating
in the areas most severely affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (Mississippi
and Louisiana), and senior executives of FDIC-insured institutions from outside
of that region who are interested in providing technical assistance or other
support or in learning how they can help communities meet the challenges
presented by the hurricanes.
The opening session
and remarks of agency principals, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. on March 2, will
be open to the media as will the keynote address by Donald E. Powell, Federal
Coordinator of Recovery and Rebuilding in the Gulf Coast Region, from 12:30 to
1:30 p.m. on March 2.
FDIC-insured
institutions interested in learning more about the forum or in obtaining
registration information should call 703-516-1049 or e-mail mbluyus@fdic.gov.
Related Financial Hurricane Information Links:
FFIECs Web site, http://www.ffiec.gov/katrina.htm
Federal Reserve, http://www.federalreserve.gov/hurricanekatrina.htm
FDIC, http://www.fdic.gov/hurricane/
OCCs web site, http://www.occ.gov/hurricane.htm
OTSs web site, http://www.ots.treas.gov/hurricane
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Media Contacts:
Federal Reserve Susan
Stawick (202) 452-2955
FDIC David
Barr (202) 898-6992
OCC Bryan Hubbard (202) 874-5770
OTS Erin
Hickman (202) 906-6677