Vice president Prichard retires from Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA — Blake Prichard, first vice president and chief operating officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, has announced his plans to retire on Feb. 29, after more than four decades of service to the Federal Reserve System.

“I am grateful that Blake has agreed to stay through next February. His help has been invaluable during my transition to the role of president and chief executive officer,” said Patrick T. Harker, president and chief executive officer of the Philadelphia Fed. “Blake’s experience in running the Bank, both as first vice president and most recently as acting president, and his deep knowledge of Federal Reserve System activities, have been essential in enlightening me on the workings of the Fed and the opportunities that await us.”

Harker took office on July 1, 2015, as the 11th president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. In this role, Harker participates on the Federal Open Market Committee, which formulates the nation’s monetary policy.

Before taking office at the Philadelphia Fed, Harker served as the 26th president of the University of Delaware. He was also a professor of business administration at the university’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics and a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the College of Engineering.

Prichard joined the Philadelphia Fed in 1992 as senior vice president of Retail Payments after serving 20 years at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.