(Adds word to headline)

By Howard Schneider

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic, the first Black and the first openly gay president of one of the Fed’s 12 regional banks, said on Wednesday he will retire at the end of his current term on February 28, 2026.

His retirement will end an eight-and-a-half-year stint that saw him also take an outspoken stance on issues of economic equity in the wake of national social justice protests in 2020.

Bostic’s unexpected departure at age 59 – years ahead of mandatory retirement age – comes as the Fed Board of Governors was already mulling the reappointments of its 12 regional leaders, a process that could be unusually complex this year as President Donald Trump pushes for greater influence over the central bank.

“I

See Full Page