Simply Stated - A Podcast On All Things State Finance

Welcome to Simply Stated, a podcast by CSBS, the Conference of State Bank Supervisors. I am Matt Longacre.My guest today is Greg Gonzales. He is commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions. Like many other state regulators, the department oversees banks, credit unions, trust companies, and a variety of nonbanks. Because of this diversity, Greg says, “Our small department touches every community in the state of Tennessee.” And that comes in handy as the department looks to support the strategic plan of his new Governor, with an emphasis on assisting rural communities across the state. The regulatory approach relies on balancing two important parts of its mandate — “ensuring safety and soundness and being mindful of economic development” — while tailoring regulations to the risks presented by individual institutions, depository and non-depository alike. To Greg, that’s the best way to enable financial institutions to deliver benefits to the citizens of Tennessee. “We want to help institut