Bullard new head of STL Fed

There’s a new boss at the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank.

Dr. James Bullard has been appointed president and chief executive, the bank’s Board of Directors said Tuesday morning. Bullard, who was vice president and deputy director of research for monetary analysis, will succeed William Poole, who’s retiring March 31.

Bullard, 47, has worked at the St. Louis Fed for more than 18 years, has published extensively on economic policy issues and is an adjunct faculty member at Washington University. He is a co-editor of the Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, and has played a key role in pre-FOMC briefings with Poole in recent years.

“We believe Jim Bullard will make significant and constructive contributions during the economic policy deliberations of the Federal Reserve System and will lead the St. Louis Bank to higher levels of visibility within the Eighth District,” said Irl Engelhardt, chairman of the bank’s board. “Dr. Bullard’s in-depth knowledge of monetary policy along with his leadership, interpersonal and communication skills will help him become an important leader.”

In a statement, Bullard said he plans to focus on building on the Bank’s research program, providing world-class economic information, enhancing the Bank’s outreach to industry and universities, and gathering and disseminating information for economic policy decisions.

More information on Bullard is available here.

In a separate release, the Fed said that Poole has accepted positions at the University of Delaware and the Cato Institute, a libertarian thinktank in Washington, DC.