African Development Center

What a fantastic way to start this new year of Business Breakfast Roundtable discussions! This month, the African Development Center of Minnesota had the pleasure to host Senior Vice President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Dorothy Bridges.

With a packed Meridel LeSueur Conference Room, Vice President Bridges spoke about the deep research and efforts of the Bank in relation to community development, housing, and financial education. It was an extremely interesting and important discussion, filled with great questions and insights from those in attendance.

Unfortunately, there were problems with the audio of the first portion of this discussion, and we sincerely apologize for these technical errors. It was a wonderful presentation and we regret not being able to provide video of the roundtable in its entirety. Please enjoy the question and answer portion of the morning, as well as these still photos:

Also, be sure to check out our Flickr page for all the photos from this Roundtable.

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ADC is proud to announce that this year’s lineup of these important community discussions is made possible through the generous support of

A new partner for ADC, Carolyn Foundation seeks to enhance the vitality of Minneapolis by building a shared understanding and commitment to our community

A long-time supporter of ADC, Comcast is dedicated to expanding digital literacy, promoting community service and building tomorrow’s leaders

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Dorothy Bridges was named senior vice president responsible for community development and outreach at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis in July 2011. Prior to that, she was president and CEO of City First Bank in Washington, D.C. She served in the same role at Franklin National Bank in Minneapolis from 1999 to 2008.

Bridges has over 30 years of banking experience, much of it centered on local lending and development markets. Prior to joining Franklin National Bank, Bridges was a senior consultant for Barefoot, Marrinan & Associates, a bank regulatory compliance firm, where she focused on issues related to the Community Reinvestment Act and the Fair Lending Act. In 1995, Bridges joined the Community Reinvestment Fund, a private nonprofit corporation that securitizes economic development loans for secondary market investments.

Bridges is known for her community work in Washington and in Minneapolis. In 2009, the Washington Business Journal reported her as one of Ten People to Watch, noted for her work as an advocate for the poorest neighborhoods and the American Banker placed her in their 25 Women to Watch. Finance and Commerce named her one of the Top Women in Finance in 2002. While serving as president and CEO of Franklin National Bank in Minneapolis, she received the Women of Achievement Award from the TwinWest Chamber of Commerce in 2000 and was recognized as one of the most influential women in business and finance by local business publications.

Bridges, who began her banking career in 1979, has served on the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and as a member of the Federal Reserve System’s Consumer Advisory Council. She has also served on community banking councils for the American Bankers Association and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. She is currently chair of the board of directors of the Northwest Area Foundation.

Bridges earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Montana in 1980.