Who has to leave the Federal Reserve next?

The Federal Reserve faces substantial turnover at the top over the next year and half. President Joe Biden has three slots on the seven-member Federal Reserve Board to fill. Two of the 12 regional Fed bank presidents will hit the mandatory retirement age early in 2023 (Chicago and Kansas City), and there is a vacancy at the Dallas Fed.

By law, the president nominates a Fed chair and the two vice chairs for four-year terms. They must be confirmed by the Senate for those positions in a vote distinct from their confirmation as a member of the Fed Board of Governors. Jerome Powell’s term as chair expired in February 2022; Biden has nominated him for a second term. The president has also nominated current Fed governor Lael Brainard to succeed Richard Clarida for a four-year term as vice chair; he resigned on January 14, 2022, two weeks before his term as a Fed governor was to expire, after controversy over trading in his personal portfolio during the pandemic. The president nominated Sarah Bloom Raskin to succeed Randal Quarles as vice chair for (bank) supervision and for the term as governor that expires in 2032, after Quarles resigned as a Fed governor at the end of December 2021. She withdrew her name in March 2022. For the term as governor that expires in 2024, Biden nominated Lisa Cook. For the term that expires in 2036, he nominated Philip Jefferson. For the term as governor that expires in 2024, Biden nominated Lisa Cook. For the term that expires in 2036, he nominated Philip Jefferson.

Members of the Fed Board of Governors in Washington are chosen by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The president and Senate have no say in picking presidents of the 12 regional Fed banks, however; they’re chosen by their private sector boards of directors, subject to the approval of the Fed Board of Governors in Washington.

Presidents of the regional Fed banks can serve until they’re 65—unless appointed after turning 55, in which case they can serve for a maximum of 10 years or until they’re 75, whichever comes first. For instance, Mary Daly, appointed on October 1, 2018, at the age of 55, falls into the second category, which means her term is up in October of 2028. (As Kaleb Nygaard has documented, this retirement rule dates to a 1936 decision by the Board of Governors.)

After press reports of their stock market trading raised eyebrows, Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren retired on September 30, 2021, nine months earlier than his mandatory retirement, due to health issues, and Dallas Fed President Rob Kaplan retired on October 8, 2021, four years before his mandatory retirement date, because “recent focus on my financial disclosure risks becoming a distraction to the Federal Reserve.”

Name	Must Leave By	Bank	Age Now	Age Appointed
Evans	January 2023	Chicago	64	49
George	January 2023	Kansas City	64	53
Mester	May 2024	Cleveland	63	55
Harker	June 2025	Philadelphia	63	56
Bullard	February 2026	St. Louis	60	47
Barkin	January 2028	Richmond	60	56
Williams	June 2028	New York	59	56
Daly	October 2028	San Francisco	59	55
Bostic	May 2031	Atlanta	55	51
Collins	July 2032	Boston	63	63
Kashkari	July 2038	Minneapolis	48	42
vacant	—	Dallas	—	—

Neel Kashkari, the youngest of the current regional presidents, can serve through 2038. There is (at least) one technicality, though. Presidents of the 12 regional Fed banks are up for reappointment every five years. The Fed Board of Governors in Washington could replace any one of them, though it hasn’t ever done so.

The Fed governors in Washington serve fixed 14-year terms that are staggered; one term expires every two years. If a governor leaves before his or her term is up, their successor completes their term. Governors filling unexpired terms can still be appointed to a new one, meaning that they can serve for more than 14 years. Only two Fed governors, however, have served for more than 14 years in the past half-century of Fed history. The median term length was a little over 5 years. By law, the president cannot remove a governor except “for cause,” a legal term that means he would have to show that the person had done something wrong.

Fed Board Member	Age	Term Expires
vacant	—	January 2024
Lael Brainard*	60	January 2026
Jerome Powell	69	January 2028
Christopher Waller*	62	January 2030
vacant	—	January 2032
Michelle Bowman	50	January 2034
vacant	—	January 2036

*Filling an unexpired term, so could be reappointed.

Two of the current members of the Fed Board of Governors were initially appointed by Donald Trump (Bowman and Waller). Powell was originally appointed to the Board by Barack Obama in 2012, was named chair by Trump, and was reappointed as chair by Biden.