The U.S. Treasury is creating a new role of point person for racial equity, hiring JPMorgan Chase veteran Janis Bowdler for the job.
Bowdler served as head of global philanthropy at the Wall Street giant, a unit that aims to support inclusive growth. She has long worked on boosting prospects for underserved communities, having started her career working to rejuvenate Cleveland’s east side neighborhoods.
“Janis will coordinate and lead efforts across the department to inform our decisions with a focus on racial equity and work to ensure our programs create opportunity in communities of color,” Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in a
Racial-equity issues have become an increasing focus for the finance industry. Citigroup last week became the
an investigation of its business to see if, and how, it contributes to racial discrimination.
Bowdler, co-author of “Building Equitable Cities: How to Drive Economic Mobility and Regional Growth,” previously served as economic policy director at the National Council of La Raza, the largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., now known as UnidosUS. She “advocated for more consumer relief and new protections” during the global financial crisis, Adeyemo said.
