PROGRAM INFORMATION

The FDIC and North Carolina Office of the Commissioner of Banks will be joining us virtually for the FDIC Risk Management Seminar. The session will be kicked off by Commissioner Ray Grace and will also feature a regulator roundtable and other updates. Specific topics include:

• Opening Remarks from Commissioner Ray Grace and FDIC Deputy Regional Director John Henrie
• Prospects for Economic Recovery Following the Pandemic
• COVID-19 and the Impact on Accounting: The COVID-19 pandemic has created many hot topics in the accounting world. This session will provide details on actions taken by the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the regulatory agencies to address the current economic environment.
• Ombudsman Update
• Regulatory Roundtable: Agency updates including new offsite efforts, examinations in this new environment, and Q&A

SPEAKER INFORMATION

Ray Grace – Commissioner, North Carolina Office of the Commissioner of Banks

Ray Grace is North Carolina Commissioner of Banks and oversees the regulation of banks, savings and loans, trust companies, mortgage lending, consumer finance lending, and other non-bank lenders. Grace was appointed commissioner in 2013, after serving as acting commissioner since 2012.  

Grace joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1966, served in the Vietnam War from 1967 to 1968, and was honorably discharged in 1969. He graduated from Niagara University, Niagara Falls, New York, in December 1973, with a B.S. in Commerce, and began his career at the N.C Office of the Commissioner of Banks (NCCOB) as an examiner trainee on July 1, 1974. For more than 40 years, he has dedicated his service to our state, serving in various capacities at NCCOB, including commercial bank examiner, special supervisory examiner (responsible for supervision of troubled banks), director of bank applications, chief deputy commissioner and his current role of commissioner.  

Jennifer Smith – Regional Accountant, FDIC

Jennifer Smith has over 20 years of experience in public accounting and bank supervision. As the regional accountant for the FDIC’s Atlanta Region, her primary duties include resolving accounting issues at FDIC supervised institutions, training bank examiners in bank accounting topics, and overseeing regulatory reporting requirements for the Atlanta Region’s banks.

Jennifer joined the FDIC in 2009 as a mid-career examiner in Atlanta and became a commissioned bank examiner in 2011. In July of 2014, she was promoted to case manager in the Atlanta Regional Office. She was then selected for her current position in September of 2015. Prior to joining the FDIC, Jennifer served as an auditor with Big 4 and regional accounting firms specializing in audits and consulting engagements for financial institutions and also served as an executive officer for small and medium-sized community banks.

Stefan Spong – Regional Economist, FDIC

Stefan Spong is the regional economist in the FDIC’s Division of Insurance and Research for the Atlanta Region. His research and analysis focus is on ongoing economic trends and the risks they pose to financial institutions and the deposit insurance fund. Previously, he has held positions in the Division of Insurance and Research in the Chicago Regional Office, the International Affairs Branch in Washington D.C. and in the Division of Resolutions and Receiverships in Dallas, TX. Prior to joining the FDIC, Stefan worked for State Street Corporation and taught at Northeastern University in Boston, MA.