The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond announced today that Anna Kovner has been appointed as the new Director of Research. She will join the Richmond Fed's Management Committee in mid-June.
Kovner currently serves as the Director of Financial Stability Policy Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Research and Statistics Group, a position she has held since 2018. In this role, she has led efforts to assess systemic risk and financial stability, contributing to Federal Open Market Committee briefings for the New York Fed. Her work encompasses both leadership and contributor roles related to financial stability and monetary policy within the Federal Reserve System, including quantitative surveillance. Additionally, Kovner is a founding member of the New York Fed Research Groups’ diversity, equity, and inclusion council.
“Anna is highly respected and brings a significant depth of experience and leadership, complemented by her strong mix of policy and research,” said Tom Barkin, president and chief executive officer of the Richmond Fed. “She has demonstrated strong aptitude for tying academic research to practical applications, which is also critical to advancing Research’s work to understand our district economies through both research and on-the-ground engagement. I look forward to her working alongside our Research teams to further our impact in this space.”
“Our search committee found Anna to be visionary, approachable, and collaborative,” Barkin added. “This will serve us well as the Bank furthers high-priority objectives such as CORE Week, the Center for Advancing Women in Economics, and our work to uplift small towns and rural communities.”
“In my 16 years at the New York Fed, I’ve been fortunate to gain knowledge and experience at the nexus of financial stability and monetary policy,” Kovner said. “I look forward to applying this experience alongside colleagues in Richmond. I’m also especially pleased to help amplify the Richmond Fed’s contributions regarding the vital role that small communities play in our regional and national economies.”
Kovner joined the New York Fed as an economist in 2008 and has held leadership roles there since 2013. She earned her doctorate in business economics from Harvard University, her master’s degree from Harvard Business School, and her bachelor’s degree in economics from Princeton University. Her articles have been published in several journals including The Journal of Finance, The Journal of Financial Economics, and The Review of Financial Studies.
As part of its mission within the nation’s central bank system, the Richmond Fed works with community leaders across its Fifth District — encompassing parts or all of North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C., West Virginia — monitoring economic conditions while ensuring safe banking operations.
For more information on Kovner's background or other news updates from Richmond Fed: [link].
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