Office of Thrift Supervision

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Office of Thrift Supervision

WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 3, 2006) — 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:

• FFIEC’s Web site, www.ffiec.gov/katrina.htm
• Federal Reserve, www.federalreserve.gov/hurricanekatrina.htm
• FDIC, www.fdic.gov/hurricane
• NCUA, www.ncua.gov/Hurricane
• OCC’s Web site, www.occ.gov/hurricane.htm
• OTS's Web site, www.ots.treas.gov

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

The Office of Thrift Supervision, an office of the Department of the Treasury, regulates and supervises the nation's thrift industry. OTS's mission is to ensure the safety and soundness of, and compliance with consumer protection laws by, thrift institutions, and to support their role as home mortgage lenders and providers of other community credit and financial services. OTS also oversees the activities and operations of thrift holding companies that own or control thrift institutions. Copies of OTS news releases and other documents are available at the OTS web page at www.ots.treas.gov.

Created: Friday, 2/3/2006