Contact: Cullen Werwie, 608-267-7303
Sign Executive Order at Financial Literacy Awareness Month Ceremony
Madison – Governor Scott Walker signed an executive order today creating the Governor’s Council on Financial Literacy (GCFL). The signing took place as part of a ceremony at the Capitol kicking off Financial Literacy Awareness Month in Wisconsin.
“The Council will advise me on how to improve the financial literacy of all Wisconsin citizens,” said Governor Walker. “The importance of money management is more evident than ever today because we face such great economic challenges. Wisconsin has a great financial literacy legacy and the Council will build upon it.”
William E. Wilcox, president of the CBM Credit Education Foundation will serve as Chair of the GCFL. Last year he received the 2010 William E. Odom Visionary Leadership Award, a national honor recognizing leadership and outstanding achievement in the effort to advance the financial literacy of students.
Mr. Wilcox has been referred to as the “Father of Financial Literacy” in Wisconsin. He also was instrumental in creating Wisconsin’s acclaimed National Institute of Financial and Economic Literacy that celebrated its 10th anniversary last year. In addition, he played a lead role in development of Wisconsin’s Model Academic Standards for Personal Financial Literacy, the nation’s first ever to specify what students should know and be able to do.
Serving as Co-Chairs will be Secretary Peter Bildsten of the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) and Ted Nickel, Wisconsin Commissioner of Insurance. The GCFL will work with nearly 3,000 financial literacy partners around the state and DFI’s Office of Financial Literacy.
Financial Literacy Awareness Month in Wisconsin is part of a nationwide effort to raise awareness of the value of gaining financial skills and knowledge. It also spotlights the growing dangers of fraud and identity theft.
The ceremony will include the presentation of proclamations to several organizations that promote financial literacy throughout the year but place special emphasis on it during April. It will also highlight the nation’s first ever statewide financial literacy campaign Money Smart Week Wisconsin.
The proclamations include:
* CBM Credit Education Foundation making April 17-23, 2011 National Credit Education Week.
* Community Bankers of Wisconsin making April 2011 Community Banking Month.
* Wisconsin Bankers Association making April 12, 2011 Wisconsin Teach Children to Save Day.
* Wisconsin Credit Union League marking April 17-23, 2011 as National Credit Union Youth Week.
* Wisconsin Jump$tart Coalition making April Financial Literacy for Youth Month.
* Money Smart Week Wisconsin to be held October 8-15, 2011.
A copy of the executive order is attached.
