St. Louis Fed and St. Louis Regional Unbanked Task Force to Host Author Lisa Servon on June 20

ST. LOUIS ― The St. Louis Fed’s Center for Household Financial Stability and the St. Louis Regional Unbanked Task Force will host a panel discussion on Tuesday, June 20, featuring Lisa Servon, author of the new book, “The Unbanking of America: How the New Middle Class Survives.”

The event, which is free of charge, will be held from 9-11:30 a.m. at the St Louis Public Library. Online registration is available at via the St. Louis Fed's website.

As part of her research for her latest book, Servon, a professor of city planning at the University of Pennsylvania, worked for a check-cashing business and for a payday lender. As part of her St. Louis presentation and dialogue, Servon will share her firsthand insights into why a growing number of Americans are turning to alternative financial services, including prepaid debit cards, check-cashing centers and payday lenders. The dialogue will be moderated by Ray Boshara, the director of the Center for Household Financial Stability and a senior fellow in the Financial Security Program at the Aspen Institute.

Servon will also participate in a panel discussion with local experts and practitioners that will be moderated by Jeanne Marra, St. Louis Fed senior community development specialist.

Panel members will include:

• Veta Jeffery, co-chair, St. Louis Regional Unbanked Task Force/Bank-On Save-Up St. Louis; manager of community economic partnerships, Missouri Department of Economic Development;

• Ellen O’Neill, project manager, Center for Social Development, Washington University in St. Louis;

• Kathy Siddens, vice president, regional community development manager, U.S. Bank;

• David Toby, vice president, First Collinsville Bank, Edwardsville; and

• Paul Woodruff, executive director, Prosperity Connection; vice president, community development, St. Louis Community Credit Union.

For more information, see the St. Louis Fed's Community Development section.