As Jerome Powell concludes his tenure as Chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve, I want to take a moment to honor a man who served this country with uncommon grace.

I had the pleasure of meeting with Chair Powell recently, and I can tell you — he is a good man. Decent, thoughtful, and deeply committed to doing right by this country. We were fortunate to have him at the helm.

Chair Powell navigated the Federal Reserve through one of the most turbulent periods in modern economic history — a global pandemic, historic inflation, geopolitical shocks, and relentless political pressure — with remarkable steadiness and institutional integrity. He understood that a central bank must hold the confidence of global markets and the trust of the American people, in order to help us build an economy that is stable, and able to fully prosper.

Economic inclusion is not possible without economic stability, and Chair Powell worked tirelessly to provide that foundation — even when it was politically costly to do so. For that, the communities Operation HOPE serves owe him a debt of gratitude.

History will be kind to Jerome Powell. 

John Hope Bryant — founder of Bryant Group Ventures, Operation HOPE, Inc, publisher of the Bryant Journal and author of his 7th book Capitalism for All: Inclusive Economics and the Future Proofing of America, now a bestseller. Bryant was recently named a member of the Forbes 250.