FBOR Represented on Statewide Team Impacting Oregonians
September 21, 2021 -- Financial Beginnings Oregon Executive Director Kate Benedict was selected as a member of the Oregon State Treasurer's Financial Education Advisory Team (FEAT), which has collectively recommended action items to help Oregonians in every community become more financially literate and empowered.
From January through May 2021, Benedict joined 13 fellow Advisory Team Members from the financial education community for ongoing meetings, all of whom were invited by State Treasurer Tobias Read.
Chaired by Read, the advisory team's objective was to guide Oregon State Treasury's efforts to provide resources to--and a foundation for--Oregonians to gain confidence when making financial decisions.
"The goal when starting the Financial Education Advisory Team was to map roads forward for using Treasury tools to help Oregonians," stated Read.
The FEAT has released seven financial education priorities and specifics in its report:
"Many of these objectives align with the aim and outreach of Financial Beginnings Oregon--I am honored to have had the opportunity to lend my expertise and insight," Benedict said. "Being a part of this collaborative advisory team has helped solidify the importance of all of these organizations' important missions to support a more financially resilient Oregon."
"As an organization, we understand the challenge of recognizing and reducing barriers in the financial realm. We're excited to reflect the needs of the communities we serve by operating through a DEI lens--and our committee is making progress," Jyles said.
Overall, the committee is working to move DEI forward for Financial Beginnings and its key partners and stakeholders. Duties include:
The duties were set in motion starting in May, when the committee welcomed facilitator Nefertiti Beck to lead an all-staff meeting, which included board members, centered on defining DEI terms and discussing ideas in tandem with Financial Beginnings' vision.
Recently the committee finalized the organization's DEI goals, which are in the form of categories with purpose statements:"We are defining our role in creating a more inclusive and equitable society, particularly as we strive to deliver our financial education programming to additional underserved communities across the country," said Financial Beginnings CEO, Melody Bell.
Next up, Financial Beginnings USA and affiliates will develop their own goal for each category aligning with the goal purposes and with national initiatives.
"The committee is making great, important progress in furthering inclusive goals and creating and implementing a shared, actionable vision," Jyles said. "We are committed to creating equity, and ensuring our intentions have a meaningful impact for learners, stakeholders, volunteers, staff, and communities."
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