Drake University and the Greater Des Moines Partnership will host Charles Evans, president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, for an economic update on Aug. 10 from 10 to 11 a.m. at Drake’s Sheslow Auditorium.

Evans will provide an expert perspective on the effects of recent monetary policy on regional and U.S. economic activity. The Chicago Fed is one of 12 regional Reserve Banks across the country. These 12 banks — along with the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C. — make up the nation’s central bank. As head of the Chicago Fed, Evans oversees the work of about 1,400 employees in Chicago and Detroit who conduct economic research, supervise financial institutions and provide payment services to commercial banks and the U.S. government.

Evans has held his current role since September 2007. In that capacity, he sits on the Federal Open Market Committee, the Federal Reserve System’s monetary policymaking body. Before becoming president, Evans was director of research and senior vice president, supervising the bank’s research on monetary policy, banking, financial markets and regional economic conditions. His personal research has focused on measuring the effects of monetary policy on U.S. economic activity, inflation and financial market prices, and has been published in peer-reviewed journals.

The conversation will feature a question-and-answer session with Evans moderated by Robert Palmer, a member of the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Advisory Council and general counsel to the Iowa League of Cities.

“We are excited to welcome Charles Evans for what promises to be a timely and relevant conversation on the U.S. economy,” said Andrea Woodard, senior vice president of government relations and public policy with the Partnership. “Charles will provide insight into the Federal Reserve’s decisions and how they will impact Greater Des Moines businesses and organizations.”

The event is free to attend, but registration is required and can be completed on the Partnership’s event page.