NFEC Introduces Illinois Chapter and Advisory Board to Enhance Financial Education

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES, June 12, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The National Financial Educators Council^® is delighted to announce the inauguration of its Illinois partner organization, the Illinois Financial Educators Council (IFEC). The IFEC is being launched to create and deploy financial wellness initiatives for individuals and communities across Illinois – initiatives that are effective, sustainable, and designed to be taken to scale.

Part of the NFEC’s motivation for creating this organization is to help address the need for improved economic empowerment in the Prairie State. The U.S. Census Bureau’s latest data indicate that 11.5% of Illinoisans live below the poverty level. More than 1.5 million Illinois residents face food insecurity and the state also ranks 15th in the nation for housing insecurity.

As it embarks on its campaign to address some of these key issues, the Illinois Financial Educators Council will center its focus around three primary pillars: 1) ensuring and sustaining widespread access to financial education in Illinois; 2) gathering support and raising awareness about financial education to increase economic empowerment; and 3) developing robust partnerships to implement effective financial wellness initiatives that benefit Illinois communities.

To achieve these goals, the IFEC selected a distinguished Advisory Board of professionals with relevant expertise to guide its endeavors. Board members undertake various roles to support the IFEC toward achieving its social impact mission. Current members of the IL Financial Educators Council board include:

• Dustin Voss, Financial Education Specialist for Chicago Public Schools
• Elizabeth Cruz, Owner and Founder of Moxie Financial Wellness
• Craig Hill, Founder and CEO of SPENDiD
• Darrin “Boomer” Williams, CEO of Vertex Credit & Financial and retired professional basketball champion
• Dr. Tim Shimp, EdD, Superintendent of Schools, Yorkville CUSD, Yorkville, IL
• Heidi Albert, Director of People & Culture for The Greenwood Project

“We are very pleased to announce the formation of our Illinois branch,” comments Vince Shorb, the NFEC’s CEO. “The organization plans initiatives that will support families, individuals, and communities across Illinois to build excellent financial health. Our advisory board members will work alongside our partners and patrons to help us make a significant contribution to financial wellness all across the Prairie State.”

The Prairie State does rate above most state standards for financial education in public schools but does fail to meet the minimum education standards required by other subjects and does not graduate students ready to make qualified near-term financial decisions. To improve these financial literacy standards and student achievement outcomes, the NFEC provides access to financial wellness resources and tools for individuals and community organizations throughout Illinois. The NFEC also offers state-of-the-art training for financial education instructors through its Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI^®) program, ensuring that a top-qualified pool of financial educators is available in all regions of the state.

The Illinois Financial Educators Council represents one branch that the National Financial Educators Council has formed at the state level. The NFEC is a Certified B Corporation with a social impact mission, and also an Accredited Provider of financial education through IACET. The NFEC mobilizes a cadre of financial literacy champions and advocates around the world, empowering them with the highest quality of resources and training to spread the financial wellness message on a global scale.

Claudia Martins
National Financial Educators Council
+1 702-620-3059
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