The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City appointed Esther George president to succeed Thomas Hoenig, who retires Oct. 1. George has been with the bank since 1982, most recently as first vice president and chief operating officer. “Esther is a great leader who possesses an extraordinary depth of knowledge of the financial system and the economy that will enable her to carry out the tradition of excellence at the Kansas City Fed,” said Paul DeBruce, chair of the Kansas City Fed’s board of directors. “We are confident that she will uphold the high standards of performance at this Bank and will be a strong voice for Main Street on national policy issues.” George was appointed first vice president in 2009 and previously served the bank as senior vice president in charge of supervision and risk management. Two years ago, George served as acting director of the central bank’s division of bank supervision and regulation in Washington. She held that role in the midst of the financial crisis. Write to Kerri Panchuk.