Representatives from minority depository institutions gathered in Washington, D.C, this week for the fifth annual MDI Partnership Summit, where they explored opportunities to better serve their communities and educated lawmakers and regulators about the economic contributions of their sector.
The American Bankers Association and the National Bankers Association co-hosted the two-day event. Attendees spent yesterday networking and meeting members of Congress and their staff, and spent today in educational sessions on real-time payments, stablecoins and more.
“The reality is that the data shows what we already know: MDIs are engines of economic opportunity in the communities that serve every single day, by helping people build businesses, buy homes, and save and invest for their future. But we all have a part to play in helping them do more,” NBA President and CEO Nicole Elam told attendees.
ABA Chief Policy Officer Naomi Camper stressed the need for MDIs and other segments of the banking industry to regularly engage with policymakers so they understand the special needs and contributions of banks.
“If you don’t educate policymakers about what’s going to make you strong and able to create economic opportunity for communities across the country, they might not know,” she said.
