Event Description: Join the South Florida Banking Institute for an insightful panel as leading economists from the Federal Reserve and Stifel discuss the state of the economy from a national, regional and local perspective. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and network with industry peers.
Moderator
Kenneth Schoeni
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Banesco USA
As Chief Financial Officer of Banesco USA, a $5 billion asset bank with operations in South Florida and Puerto Rico, Kenneth Schoeni is responsible for directing the growing bank’s overall finance, accounting, treasury, and strategy functions.
His contributions have included securing $250 million in capital through the U.S. Treasury Department’s Emergency Capital Investment Program (ECIP) program to boost lending in underserved communities, leading the recently announced acquisition of an SBA business platform that will allow Banesco to become an SBA lender nationwide, and leading the bank’s strategic plan that is ahead of schedule.
Raised in Cincinnati, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University. Prior to joining Banesco in 2012, he worked in investment banking at Lazard Middle Market and Sandler O’Neill. Additionally, he serves on the board of the South Florida Banking Institute and was recently appointed to the board of Chapman Partnership, a non-profit that provides services to help residents overcome homelessness.
Speakers
Shari Bower
Regional Executive, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
Shari Bower is the regional executive at the Miami Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. As a member of the core group of Atlanta Fed leaders advising on monetary policy her work with business executives in the branch’s 13-county area helps bring local insights to national policy deliberations. Shari oversees the Miami Branch's board of directors, the District’s Advisory Council on Travel and Tourism, and regional community outreach efforts.
She began her career at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as a summer intern in 2004 and joined the Atlanta Fed in January 2020.
Shari serves on the boards of Junior Achievement of Greater Miami and the Center for Financial training International. She is a member of Leadership Florida Cornerstone Class 42 and the International Women’s Forum, Florida and was honored as one of the South Florida Business Journal’s 25 Influential Business Women in 2025. A native of Queens, New York, Shari earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations and anthropology from Tufts University and a master’s degree in public policy from New York University.
Lauren G. Henderson
Sr. Economist, Director at Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated
Lauren Henderson is a Sr. Economist for Stifel Financial. She focuses on the research and analysis of economic trends and activity, world economies, financial markets, and monetary and fiscal policies. She has been with the Stifel Economics Department for almost ten years and provides commentary and interpretative analysis on economic data, as well as supportive insights for economic forecasting. Her reports provide support across all business lines at Stifel Financial. Additionally, she has also been quoted in the business press.
Henderson is a member of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE). She holds two degrees from Loyola University Chicago in marketing and economics and earned her MBA with a focus in economics from Loyola University Chicago. She is based in Stifel’s downtown Chicago office.
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