The search for the next president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta was essentially restarted after Kevin Warsh took the helm as chairman of the U.S. central bank, CNBC reported Tuesday, citing two unnamed individuals with knowledge of the situation.
The full scope of changes to the search — including which candidates may still be in the running — remains unclear.
Sources who spoke with Reuters say the process had been close to wrapping up this past spring, but officials chose to pause the hiring until new Chairman Kevin Warsh was sworn in so he could personally review whoever was being considered for the role.
While regional Federal Reserve bank presidents are selected by their local boards of directors, those choices must receive approval from the Board of Governors in Washington.
The Atlanta Fed declined to address the specifics directly but shared a statement from its board chair, Gregory Haile.
“Our committee is conducting a thorough and deliberate search for the next president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. We maintain our focus on selecting the best candidate to serve the Sixth District, while protecting the integrity of the process,” Haile said. “We will provide relevant updates about this important leadership role when appropriate.”
The Federal Reserve Board in Washington offered no comment on the matter.
The effort to fill the seat left vacant by former Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic — who stepped down on February 28 — has taken on greater political significance due to the Trump administration’s push to extend its reach over the Fed and its monetary policy decisions. That push has included an attempted removal of Fed Governor Lisa Cook and pressure applied through a since-abandoned criminal probe targeting former Chair Jerome Powell, who continues to serve on the Fed board.
The Fed’s 12 regional bank presidents rotate voting rights on interest rate decisions and also lead large teams responsible for economic research and various operational functions.
Unlike members of the Board of Governors, who are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, regional bank presidents are appointed through a separate process. That distinction is seen as central to the Fed’s independence from political pressure and as a way to keep economic policymaking from becoming too centralized.
Any coordinated effort by the White House or the Treasury Department to shape who lands these regional positions would represent a significant shift in a system that has historically stayed out of Washington’s political spotlight — and was specifically structured to resist concentrated power.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent previously expressed interest in how regional presidents are appointed, floating the idea that candidates should be required to live in the district they would serve.
