UPFRONT FiSCAACTIVITIESExecutive Director Featured in Currency Research Virtual RoundtableCOVID and the Cash Cycle DiscussionHighlights Critical Role of FSCsContinuing FiSCA’s partnership with Currency Research, Executive Director Ed D’Alessio was invited to join a panel of experts featured in the Cash Cycle Seminar, “COVID and the Cash Cycle.” The panel addressed issues including: how COVID is impacting cash and the cash cycle; what are the current payment trends; how are cash management companies, financial institutions, and central banks adjusting their operations during the pandemic; and what are industry suppliers doing to help keep the cash cycle safe and efficient?The Seminar, presented on May 20, 2020, provided FiSCA with an opportunity to discuss the critical role of the financial service center industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. D’Alessio highlighted the industry’s designation as essential by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Treasury Department, and state executives and regulators in all 50 states. He explained the challenges faced by operators who were required to acquire personal protective equipment for employees, implement enhanced cleaning protocols for store locations, and react to employee concerns about issues such as exposure to the virus, transportation to and from work, engagement with customers, and cash-handling procedures. Executive Director D’Alessio also reviewed the impact of the coronavirus on transaction volumes, tracking consumer behavior during the first three months of the pandemic.FiSCA has utilized research provided by Currency Research for data from around the world relating to the handling of cash in order to counter misconceptions about the safety of currency. This research has proven to be valuable to counter the movement toward electronic transactions and the exclusion of unbanked and underbanked Americans from necessary day-to-day consumer transactions.