In this regard, along with my colleague Governor Betsy Duke, I serve on a subcommittee of the Board that oversees the supervision of community and small regional banking organizations. Among other things, we consider not only whether specific policies are appropriate for community banks, but also whether these policies could have the effect of reducing the availability of credit to sound borrowers.
We are actively involved in providing greater clarity and specificity regarding the applicability of supervisory policies to community banks. One of the things that I try to do whenever I review policies is to draw on my experience of working with community banks in Maryland and think about the effects these policies are likely to have on community banks and the areas they serve.