Diversity & Inclusion

Message from the President and Chairman

At the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, we have long focused on fostering diversity and inclusion across our business. We know that diversity and inclusion strengthens our workforce, broadens our knowledge base and expands our ability to support the communities we serve. This is why Diversity and Inclusion was made a part of the FHLBNY’s Strategic Plan in 2019. The Strategic Plan includes Aspirational Targets and Yearly Checkpoints for Capital Markets, Procurement, and Employment activities to help the Bank measure progress towards achieving our objectives.

Our culture and mission define who we are, and our strategy guides us as we act on this mission, positioning the FHLBNY to take advantage of opportunities, identify and address risks and generate results for our members. Our focus on Diversity and Inclusion is central to this. We are honored to serve a diverse District – covering New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands – and we are committed to hiring, developing, promoting and retaining a workforce that mirrors the communities we serve. This creates a focus on diversity at every level of the Bank, from our Board of Directors to our senior leadership to our newest colleagues. This focus also extends to those we interact with on a daily basis, creating an inclusive experience for our members, business partners and suppliers.

We began 2020 like any other year, focused on the opportunities and challenges presented by the year ahead. But as COVID-19 infections soared locally, nationally and globally, a public health crisis suddenly became an economic crisis when the nation shut down, creating an entire new set of challenges for our cooperative and the communities we serve. We quickly pivoted to our remote posture, with nearly our entire workforce working from home. But even in this virtual setting, our focus on inclusion ensured we remained one team across many locations. Throughout our remote posture, we have supported each other, kept each other informed of activities, achievements and updates from across the FHLBNY, and kept our team connected through a number of virtual events focused on wellbeing and work-life balance. As increased conversations on injustice, inequity and inclusivity began to be held across our region and across our country in the summer of 2020, our commitment to diversity helped to guide our internal discussions, with our Workplace Inclusion Team developing a set of recommendations to enhance and support diversity efforts both inside our institution and in the communities we serve. We all have a role to play in creating a more equitable and just society, and the initiatives developed by our Workplace Inclusion Team will help us strengthen our contributions and create new opportunities in the communities we serve.

Despite the volatility present throughout the year, 2020 was another strong year for diversity and inclusion at the FHLBNY, especially with regards to our workforce, our supplier outreach, our financial transactions and our housing and Community Investment activities. These achievements are captured in our 2020 Diversity & Inclusion Annual Report, the highlights of which can be found here. By championing diversity and inclusion at every level of our organization, we are well-positioned to meet the needs of our employees, our members, our partners and our communities each and every day.

/s/

José R. González,
President and CEO

John R. Buran,
Chairman