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Laura Levine has devoted her career to helping people of all ages better understand financial services through marketing and outreach, communications, and most recently, through education.  In 2004, she became executive director of the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, a Washington DC-based nonprofit organization committed to “financial smarts for students,” and was named President and CEO in 2011.

Since taking over at Jump$tart, Laura has continued raise awareness about the importance of financial literacy and the need for effective financial education. Under her leadership, Jump$tart launched the Jump$tart National Educator Conference, Jump$tart Financial Foundations for Educators and J$FFE Online, Project Groundswell and Check Your School, as well as the coalition’s social media efforts.  Laura guided the expansion of Financial Literacy for Youth Month to the broader Financial Literacy Month (sometimes called National Financial Capability Month) observed today.  While growing the coalition at both the state and national levels, she lead the enhancement of legacy programs including the Jump$tart Clearinghouse and National Standards in K-12 Personal Finance Education.

In 2008, Laura was appointed to the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy by President George W. Bush and chaired the Council’s Youth Committee. She is currently a member of the Experian Consumer Council and has held many voluntary appointments, including having served on the Parent Cabinet for DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson.  Laura speaks and writes on financial literacy topics, especially the important role of parents and family members.

Laura began her career in credit unions and was a credentialed, Capitol Hill correspondent before moving into the securities industry.  Laura served as Director of Editorial Services for the National Association of Securities Dealers (now FINRA) and, later, as Director of Education and Information for the NASD Office of Individual Investor Services. From 1999-2004, Laura was Director of the NASDAQ Educational Foundation.  A native of Los Angeles, Laura holds a degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Southern California.  She does not consider herself a financial expert, but rather, a staunch advocate for financial education and information and (she hopes) she is raising a financially literate son.