"Small, town, but not small talk" was the headline of a story published in fedgazette about Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari's visit to Pierre on Feb. 7.

"Despite its small economy, the seat of state government offers a unique stethoscope to listen to the state’s economic and policy heartbeat. While in Pierre, Kashkari met with a variety of stakeholders to hear about the opportunities and challenges faced by businesses and workers in the region and state, as well as to learn about priorities during the current legislative session. Foremost among stakeholders were Gov. Dennis Daugaard, Lt. Gov. Matt Michels and other cabinet-level officials, along with Legislative leaders from both political parties."

In addition to meeting with state officials, Kashkari met with around 40 bankers prior to a Town Hall Forum open to the public. The goal of the outreach trip to Pierre was to get a ground-level view of how businesses, workers and communities are faring in the current economy. Read the story.