Atlanta Fed Names Officers
Staff Report From Metro Atlanta CEO
Thursday, May 14th, 2020
Julie Schoen Hower has been named senior vice president and general auditor, announced Raphael Bostic, president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. John Pelick has been named vice president in the Supervision, Regulation, and Credit (SRC) Division, and Michael Williams has been named vice president in the Retail Payments Office (RPO). Several assistant vice presidents were also named: Terry Brown in Technology Solutions Services (TSS), Maria Frazier in Operations and Administrative Services (OAS), and Phil Ridgway in the RPO.
Hower brings extensive audit experience and broad leadership background. She joins the Bank from Carter's Inc., where she served as vice president of internal audit and enterprise risk management. During Hower's eight-year tenure with Carter's, she developed and executed the company's annual internal audit plan, led the enterprise risk management program, and developed an internal audit data analytics strategy. She also spent 11 years with Deloitte & Touche LLP, consulting with organizations to solve strategic, operational, financial, technology, and compliance challenges.
Hower earned bachelor degrees in accounting and management information systems from Florida International University. She is a Certified Information Systems Auditor and president of the Atlanta chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors for 2020–21.
Pelick assumes responsibility for the SRC's data and risk analytics group. Pelick has held a variety of roles with increasing responsibility in SRC since joining the Atlanta Fed in 2004. He served as deputy central point of contact for the SunTrust and Regions supervisory teams before being promoted in 2015 to his most recent role as assistant vice president and central point of contact for Regions Financial Corporation. Pelick received a bachelor's degree in computer science from the University of Florida.
Williams assumes responsibility for RPO product, revenue, and billing. Williams began his career with the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City in 2002. He held positions of increasing responsibility in check automation services before joining the Atlanta Fed in the Check 21 Business Operations Office. He was promoted to RPO operations director in 2011 and assumed his most recent role as assistant vice president in 2014. Williams earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and finance from Park University.
Brown assumes responsibility for business relationship and project management in TSS. He joined the Atlanta Fed in 2009 as a manager of the Atlanta and National IT training teams. He was promoted to information systems director in 2013 and assumed his most recent role as director of business relationship and project management in 2015. Brown holds a bachelor's degree in integrative studies from Clayton State University. He also holds Project Management Professional, Business Relationship Management, and Organizational Change Management certifications.
Frazier will have responsibility for the OAS Central Support function and on-site leadership of Birmingham Branch operations. She began her career in the Birmingham Branch of the Atlanta Fed in 1997. She served in several operations and human resources roles at the Branch before being promoted to her current role of OAS Central Support director in 2010. Frazier earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Alabama, Birmingham.
Ridgeway assumes responsibility for RPO product development. Ridgeway joined the Federal Reserve System at the Kansas City Fed in 2013 as a lead enterprise architect for Check and FedACH Retail Payment Technology Services. In 2016, he joined the Atlanta Fed as a product development director in the RPO Product Office. He was promoted to product strategist in 2017 and his current role of product architect in 2019. Ridgeway attended North Staffordshire University in the United Kingdom.