Biography
Jim Cunha is the Executive Vice President and Interim Chief Administrative Officer at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, responsible for day to day administration of the Bank. He is also a member of the Boston Fed’s Executive Committee.
Jim oversees the Boston Fed’s contributions toward supporting a secure, reliable, and accessible U.S. payments system. He is responsible for Boston’s Cash Services and Wholesale Payments operations. Jim is also spearheading the Boston Fed’s efforts to study, explore, and engage with distributed ledger technology, or blockchain, to determine applicability, potential benefits, and risks for internal and external uses. He is specifically focused on the evolution of the technology and its potential impact on the financial services sector. He is responsible for the Bank’s digital currency research efforts.
Jim has worked at the Boston Fed since 1984. He holds a bachelor’s in accounting and philosophy from Northeastern University and a bachelor’s in computer science from Rhode Island College.
Work Experience
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston 1984 – Present
Senior staff position in IT Audit and technical support. Officer-level positions responsible for technical support, computer operations, retail payments (Automated Clearing House), Y2K planning/execution, technology strategy, wholesale payments, cash operations, various payment-related businesses for the U.S. Department of the Treasury (from pilot to full implementation).
Member of the Executive Committee, champion/senior sponsor of the Management Council, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives, and innovation initiatives.
Fleet National Bank, Providence RI 1980-1984
Staff/officer position in Financial and IT Audit.
Education
B.S., Northeastern University
B.A., Rhode Island College
Public Service
Member of the board of trustees of Justice Resources Institute, a social justice nonprofit.
Ex-officio member of the board of directors at the New England ACH Association, a payments education nonprofit.
Former chairman of the board of Children's Friend and Family Services of Salem, Mass.
Publications
The Stability of Prime Money Market Mutual Funds: Sponsor Support from 2007 to 2011
Aug 13, 2012 Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Working Paper
GASB 45 and other post-employment benefits: The fog is clearing
Sept 2007 Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Policy Brief