Thomas Siems is Chief Economist at the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) in Washington, DC. Thomas joined CSBS in 2019 after serving 34 years at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and 20+ years teaching at Southern Methodist University. Dr. Siems earned a BSE in industrial and operations engineering from the University of Michigan and MS and PhD degrees in operations research from Southern Methodist University. Thomas is also a 1991 graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado. More recently, in 2022, Siems was awarded the degree of Master of Biblical and Theological Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary, and in 2024 earned a Doctor of Ministry in Theology and Apologetics from Liberty University. Since he cannot seem to get enough education, Siems is now taking classes toward a doctorate in public policy.

Dr. Siems’ current research interests are examining the impact of regulatory compliance costs on community banks and using surveys of community bankers to better understand the risks and opportunities for community banks. At CSBS, Siems is responsible for evaluating the results of the organization’s quarterly Community Bank Sentiment Index.

Thomas teaches “Economics for Bankers” at the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado and has published more than 75 articles in academic, Federal Reserve, and refereed journals. He delivered a 2015 TEDxSMU Talk, “The Wealth of Innovations,” and has authored five children’s picture books, including The Dangerous Pet, which poetically helps readers understand the dangers of debt. When not researching the intricacies of the U.S. financial system, Dr. Siems can be found on a golf course or playing with one of his seven grandchildren or walking his dog Nitro.