Throughout a Pandemic, the Banking Industry Remains Resilient
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) ensures that national banks and federal savings associations operate in a safe and sound manner, provide fair access to financial services, treat customers fairly, and comply with applicable laws and regulations. The OCC is the primary regulator of banks chartered under the National Bank Act. The OCC's Northeastern District is responsible for nationally chartered institutions (banks, trust companies, federal savings associations, and technology service providers) headquartered in Connecticut, Delaware, part of Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia, and a number of national trust companies outside the northeast region.
On June 11th, the RMA New England Chapter will present a program addressing the state of the entire banking industry during the pandemic. Ernie Knott, the Northeastern District Financial Analyst will present on the subject with Tracy Velez and Lori Bittner, both Assistant Deputy Comptrollers in the Boston Field Office, joining Ernie for the Q&A session following the presentation. This will be an informative and interactive program.
About Our Speakers:
Ernie Knott - Northeastern District (NED) Financial Analyst
Ernie Knott is the NED Financial Analyst for Midsize and Community Bank Supervision (MCBS) at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).
In this capacity, Ernie is responsible for compiling a report of condition for the NED’s 170 plus institutions, conducting trend analysis, identifying emerging risks and flagging outlier banks with higher risk or negative trends. Ernie also prepares reports of condition on MCBS, the Federal Savings Associations, Mutual Savings Associations, Minority Depository Institutions, and makes presentations to bankers from all over the United States.
Ernie sits on the NED Risk Committee and is extensively involved in the development of OCC’s pre-commissioned work force. Ernie is also a member of the national instructor cadre and teaches FINDRS (OCC’s bank data system) and Microsoft Excel.
Ernie began his OCC career as an Assistant National Bank Examiner in 1985 and worked in both the Miami and Fort Lauderdale field offices. He became a commissioned national bank examiner in 1989 and transferred to the Northeastern District in 1990. He has served as regional bank analyst and special supervision analyst before assuming his current position. Ernie completed the cross-credentialed examination in 2014, giving him the authority to lead examinations of both national banks and federal savings associations.
Ernie received his bachelor of science degree in finance and graduated with honors from Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida.
Tracy Velez - Assistant Deputy Comptroller (ADC)
Tracy Velez is an ADC in the Office of the Comptroller’s (OCC) Boston Field Office responsible for supervising national banks and federal savings associations in New England. Tracy joined the OCC in 1992 in Miami, FL. During her 29 years with the agency, Tracy has spent her time supervising technology service providers and domestic and foreign owned community and midsize banks across the nation. Throughout her career, Tracy has focused on areas including credit, information technology, Bank Secrecy Act, and problem bank rehabilitation. From 2004-2013, Tracy served as the ADC Analyst in Nashville, TN, responsible for overseeing staff, bank examinations and executing bank supervisory strategies to ensure a safe and sound banking system for all. During the 2008 real estate crisis, Tracy was responsible for supervising and rehabilitating more than 10 problem banks under formal enforcement actions.
From 2013-2018, Tracy was part of the OCC’s Special Supervision Division in headquarters. As a Problem Bank Specialist, Tracy utilized her extensive problem bank experience supervising and rehabilitating the most troubled banks across the country. During this time, she was also involved in numerous fraud and failed bank investigations.
Tracy has been active in the recruitment, hiring and development of bank examiners. Prior to relocating to Boston, Tracy served as ADC in the Central District’s Schaumburg Office and Acting ADC in the Southern District’s Houston Office. Tracy earned her National Bank Examiner Commission in 1997 and her thrift cross credential certification in 2013. Tracy is a graduate of the University of South Florida.
Lori Bittner - Assistant Deputy Comptroller (ADC)
Lori Bittner is an ADC in the Office of the Comptroller’s (OCC) Boston Field Office responsible for supervising national banks and federal savings associations in New England. She has over thirty years of bank regulatory and private sector consulting experience. Prior to accepting the position in Boston in 2018, Lori worked in the OCC’s large bank division in headquarters responsible for Recovery and Resolution Planning for the nation’s largest banks. In this role she worked with foreign jurisdictions and regulators in the oversight of globally significant financial institutions. She was instrumental in the OCC’s development of the Recovery Planning regulation requiring U.S. banks to proactively prepare for potential severe financial stress to avoid resolution. She also served as an Acting Team Lead at PNC for Enterprise and Operational Risk. She rejoined the OCC in 2012 as the Special Assistant to the Senior Deputy Comptroller for Large Banks engaged in implementing agency policies and procedures. Between 1995 and 2012, she designed and led economic and financial sector reform projects in developing and transitional countries as a managing director at Deloitte, BearingPoint and KPMG consulting firms. Her international experience includes working with foreign government officials to develop country strategies and policies to promote economic and financial sector stability across banking and non-banking sectors in over 25 countries
| Date: Time: Place: |
Friday, June 11, 2021 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. Zoom - Register in advance for this webinar: https://rmahq.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_oPAPWiBMTLO4SoXGWMHDYA After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. |
For more information contact:
Julie Conroy, Chapter Executive Director
Julie@rmanewengland.org