Sandra Pianalto

President
Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

Sandra Pianalto took office on February 1, 2003, as the tenth chief executive of the Fourth District Federal Reserve Bank, at Cleveland. In 2008, she serves as a voting member of the Federal Open Market Committee.

Ms. Pianalto was born on August 4, 1954, in Valli del Pasubio, Italy. She earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Akron and a master's degree in economics from The George Washington University. She is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and holds honorary doctor of humane letters degrees from the University of Akron, Baldwin-Wallace College, Kent State University, Ursuline College, and Notre Dame College. Ms. Pianalto also received an honorary doctor of business administration degree from Cleveland State University and an honorary doctor of laws degree from John Carroll University.

Ms. Pianalto's tenure with the Bank spans more than 25 years. She joined the Bank in 1983 as an economist in the Research Department. She was appointed assistant vice president of public affairs in 1984, vice president and secretary to the board of directors in 1988, and first vice president and chief operating officer in 1993. She assumed her position as president in 2003. Before joining the Bank, Ms. Pianalto was an economist at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and served on the staff of the Budget Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Ms. Pianalto is active in the Fourth District's civic community. She is chairman of the board of the United Way of Greater Cleveland and serves on the boards of directors of many community organizations, including The Cleveland Foundation, the Greater Cleveland Partnership, University Hospitals Health System, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education, and the Ohio Business Alliance for Higher Education and the Economy.