Lunch & Learn with Tom Barkin

On Thursday, November 6, members of the ESVA Chamber of Commerce attended a Lunch & Learn session featuring a question & answer “fireside chat” with Tom Barkin, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.

 He has held this position since 2018. Tom serves on the Fed’s chief monetary policy body, the Federal Open Market Committee, and is also responsible for the Richmond Fed’s bank supervision and the Federal Reserve’s technology organization. He is “on the ground” continually in the Fed’s Fifth District, which covers South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, D.C., West Virginia and Maryland. His engagement in the region has brought real attention to areas facing economic challenges. 

 The luncheon at the Chamber was one of several stops on the Eastern Shore that Tom and his staff members had planned for the day. He and Chamber members discussed the impact of tariffs on businesses and consumers, the impacts of chain stores replacing independently owned businesses in the area, challenges in the workforce for both employers and workers, and the effects of AI on the workforce and economy. The Chamber thanks all who participated, and we appreciate the valuable information that Tom shared.