Texas Financial Educators Council: About, Mission, Advisory Board
The Texas Financial Educators Council℠ is committed to helping people across the state gain access to financial education programming that helps them work toward financial wellness. To this end, we provide complimentary resources, advocacy campaigns, and local personal support to build scalable financial wellness initiatives.
The mission of the Texas Financial Educators Council℠ is to build sustainable, scalable economic empowerment programs that have a real impact on people’s lives at the community level.
State Chapter Details & Affiliation with National Council
The Texas Financial Educators Council℠ is a chapter of the National Financial Educators Council®. The National chapter is well-qualified to support our initiatives here across the state of Texas. They bring:
Accreditation
As an IACET Accredited Provider, the NFEC offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard.
Social Impact
As a Certified B Corporation, the NFEC meets the highest standards for socially responsible commerce, using the power of business to build more sustainable economies.
Standards
The NFEC set industry standards for the financial education industry and materials are developed with the highest educational outcomes in mind.
Advisory Board
The Texas Financial Educators Council Advisory Board members come from diverse backgrounds, yet share one similar goal – to help push the financial wellness movement forward. Board members serve in a variety of roles to support the Leadership Team to develop leading educational resources, expand our business, and create positive social change.
Dr. Melissa Weathersby
President and CEO of 5-Star Empowerment
Dr. Melissa Weathersby’s selection as a member of the Texas Financial Educators Council (TFEC) can be attributed to her distinguished leadership background, wealth of expertise, and strong support of the mission and vision of the National Financial Educators Council – the TFEC’s parent organization. Advisory Board Member Melissa Weathersby is a licensed real estate broker, former professor, published author, highly sought-after speaker, and founder/CEO of 5-Star Empowerment, a personal and professional development coaching and consulting firm.
Melissa Weathersby more than meets the stringent criteria for selection to the Advisory Board through her commitment to educating individuals and organizations in personal and business finance, supporting whole communities in the process. The Texas Financial Educators Council eagerly anticipates a dynamic and productive collaboration with Dr. Weathersby in the coming years.
Building Personal Finance Acumen on a Global Scale: Melissa Weathersby
As President and CEO of 5-Star Empowerment, I am committed to making personal finance education available to individuals, communities, and organizations globally. After spending several years in the financial services sector, I realized how many are lacking basic financial acumen.
I worked my way from part-time teller to assistant branch manager at a large credit union before being promoted to banking center manager at a major retail bank. It was then that I became aware of the stark differences between the business models of credit unions and banks. I even worked briefly for a finance company that made short-term loans with exorbitant interest rates and fees. I had the “privilege” of making collection calls and repossessing collateral for defaulted accounts. It was there that I learned of poverty and predatory lending. I vowed never to work in such a place again.
After leaving the banking industry, I became a licensed Realtor® and decided to open a mortgage brokerage company. I learned very quickly that many people who applied for a mortgage did not have their financial affairs in order and had very little idea what it took to purchase a home, let alone maintain home ownership. This was during the time that the subprime market was booming, and many fell into the lure of adjustable-rate mortgages. When the market crashed in 2008, I went to work at a community college.
Once I entered higher education, I became a vocal advocate for financial literacy. In 2018, I completed and published a 400+-page doctoral dissertation highlighting the need for financial literacy in higher education. The dissertation has been downloaded more than 150 times in 24 different countries. I teach real estate, business, and personal finance classes and continue to emphasize that financial literacy is a life skill that affects all areas of our lives and our families. I continue to speak at conferences, churches, and radio shows whenever the opportunity affords me to discuss this important topic. I have also written books to help those who need clarity about the mortgage approval process and for those who need an action plan for overcoming a financial crisis.
It is an honor to be chosen to serve on the Texas Financial Educators Council Advisory Board. This is my opportunity to go beyond working with individuals and to begin making high-quality financial education resources widely available at the community and organizational levels. My goal continues to be financial wellness advocacy and consulting, and this opportunity to network with likeminded individuals will further advance my doctoral social justice contribution and promote positive social change by helping to create fiscally competent adults who are likely to produce fiscally sound communities and economies.
Marlon Green
Founder of the Prosperous Athletes Financial Education
Advisory Board Member Marlon Green, MBA, CFEI®, is the founder of the Prosperous Athletes financial education and career awareness program for high school and collegiate athletes. Marlon has more than 20 years of accounting and finance experience during which he has worked in various industries such as Chemical, Oil and Gas, and Consulting. Marlon holds an Undergraduate degree in Accounting and Business Administration from Houston Baptist University. Marlon also obtained his MBA in Finance and Investment Management from the University of Houston Downtown. He earned his Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI®) credentials via the National Financial Educators Council, an organization that specializes in providing financial wellness education and training and is the parent organization to the Texas Financial Educators Council.
Marlon attributes his professional successes to his background as a student athlete where he learned the importance of discipline, teamwork, communication, collaboration, time management, leadership, and perseverance at an early age.
Marlon has over 15 years of leadership experience where he has led teams in Accounting and Human Resources (Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion). Marlon has worked on global projects with various cross-functional organizations such as Supply Chain, Procurement, Treasury, Manufacturing Operations, Recruiting, and Human Resources – with efforts spanning across various regions including Europe, Asia, India, and Latin America.
Marlon is a husband, father, leader, and mentor. In his spare time, Marlon enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf, reading, and exercising.
Adding Value by Bridging the Financial Literacy Gap: Marlon Green
As an Accounting and Finance professional, I have over 20 years of experience working in various industries such as Oil and Gas, Chemical, Consulting, and Insurance. Obtaining an Undergraduate degree in Accounting and an MBA in Finance and Investment Management has equipped me with the necessary knowledge and tools required to educate my clients and assist them to navigate the arena of personal finance. My experience and passion for paying it forward has created a pathway for me to add value to the Texas Financial Educators Council’s Advisory Board.
As a former athlete and now a financial educator, my mission is to provide a comprehensive financial literacy program that will empower current and former athletes to take control of their financial destinies. I founded Prosperous Athletes with the goal of raising awareness about personal finance in my community and becoming an advocate for financial wellness. Throughout my personal and professional journey, I have overcome my own financial pitfalls through continuous learning and awareness. My purpose is to add value to the lives of others by helping bridge the financial literacy gap in our communities. I believe that financial wellness is a cornerstone of personal and societal well-being.
It is an honor and privilege to be on the Texas Financial Educators Council’s Advisory Board. I look forward to sharing information that will empower and equip those in my community and beyond. Financial Education is not just a topic that we discuss, it is a life skill that empowers individuals to design the lives they deserve.
Gerardo King
Investment Banker, Member of the Board of Directors of Peak 10 Energy
Advisory Board Member Gerardo King was selected by the Texas Financial Educators Council not only due to his rich background in the investment banking and financial services industries, but also because of his multicultural connections and commitment to making a positive social impact.
In addition to his contributing role on the TFEC Advisory Board, Gerardo also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Peak 10 Energy – a leading energy company – where he provides strategic insight and guidance on the company’s growth and sustainability initiatives. He plans to leverage his wealth of expertise to create value and positive impact for the TFEC’s financial wellness community campaigns across the state of Texas and beyond.
Forging Global Financial Wellness Partnerships: Gerardo King
Gerardo King is a well-seasoned investment banker with more than 20 years of experience across various divisions of world-class financial institutions. He began his career at Citigroup in the top-tier corporate, mining, and resource industries group as a Management Associate, participating in the most relevant deals in the Andean Region while leading a transaction execution team by the time of his departure. In 2004 he joined Standard Bank as a Vice President for Resource Banking, closing the first staple oil and gas syndication in the LatAm region for the bank. Later he evolved to become the lead deal originator for the Americas.
In 2008 he joined Morgan Stanley to head and develop its Investment Banking franchise across the southern cone of the Americas, including the Andean region. During his tenure as an Executive Director, Gerardo poised Morgan Stanley as a leader in the primary league tables for the first time in the American emerging markets history. As a result, in 2011 the bank opened its representative office in Peru to provide pivotal support to the region. He was the protagonist for the origination and execution of first-time issuers in the mining, energy, and oil and gas industries, establishing a robust presence for Morgan Stanley. This accomplishment led him to become an integral member of the bank’s operating committee for the Americas, nominated to Managing Director in 2015.
In 2016 he founded Tamesis, a multidisciplinary boutique investment bank with partnerships across the globe. With a strong focus in private markets, asset curation, and its take-out to public markets, he has gained a wealth of experience with asset managers worldwide. He is also the principal as an investor in the Peru Forest Impact Fund, a USD200MM reforestation effort primarily funded by institutional liquidity and operated by a world-class asset manager.
Gerardo’s skill sets range across business development, corporate finance, M&A advisory, debt and equity capital market, and commodities. He has over USD25BN of origination and structuring experience across debt and capital markets placements and has wide access to executive management in top-tier corporations and institutions. King holds an outstanding reputation across the institutional investor community including pension funds, insurance companies, investment fund managers, family offices, broker-dealers, and banks.
Paul Goebel
Founder and director of UNT’s Student Money Management Center
Paul Goebel launched the center at UNT in 2005 as a non-academic financial education program dedicated to serving students. Since then, Paul and his team have reached nearly 167,000 students with financial education instruction and special events; and more than 11,000 students with personalized financial coaching through the Center. In addition, more than 200 universities and community colleges rely on Paul for his expertise, resulting in the establishment of financial education programming at higher education institutions across the country.
Expanding the Reach of Financial Education Programming
Goebel gives raising awareness about financial wellness top priority. He continually explores opportunities to find unique, relevant, and engaging ways to reach the ever-changing composition of UNT’s growing student body. Paul forms collaborative partnerships across university departments and offices to facilitate outreach and ensure holistic learning opportunities for all students campus-wide.
Goebel’s work extends beyond the UNT campus to bring sustainable financial education programming throughout Texas and around the U.S. His innovative, adaptable teaching style transforms financial instruction from ideation into implementation – laying a strong foundation for sustainability
Vince Shorb
Founder & CEO of the National Financial Educators Council
After spending 15 years in financial services working one-on-one with more than 20,000 people, he founded the National Financial Educators Council in 2006 and directed the organizations focus on combating the financial illiteracy epidemic. He is the current CEO of the NFEC, an IACET Accredited company and a Certified B Corporation.
Dedicated to Advancing Economic Empowerment Thorough Financial Education
Vince Shorb is one of the country’s leading advocates for promoting financial wellness and a thought leader in teaching and scaling financial education programming.
Vince’s mission is to create a world where people are informed to make qualified financial decisions and confidently take effective financial action that best helps them meet their basic human needs while moving toward fulfilling their personal, family, and global community goals.
Shorb has led the NFEC in the development of 2,500 financial education programs and more than 80 financial literacy assets and financial education standards that guide the industry. His focus is on mobilizing and developing community champions and empowering them with the resources, knowledge, and processes they need to help their communities’ citizens work toward financial self-sufficiency and security.
Sharita Humphrey
National Financial Educator of the Year & Financial Wellness Advocate
Advisory Board Member Sharita M. Humphrey is a nationally-recognized and award-winning Certified Financial Education Instructor and business mentor. Sharita has received two Texas Proclamations recognizing her ongoing commitment and work to teach financial and business literacy to marginalized communities and small businesses. Sharita was named the National Financial Educator of the Year in 2020 for her education and advocacy work across the country. In 2021, Sharita began to do global financial literacy work via the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Namibia.
Sharita plans to leverage her substantial experience in mentorship, financial literacy, and entrepreneurism as she makes significant contributions to the mission and vision of the Texas Financial Educators Council’s Advisory Board.
Fostering Collaboration and Inspiring Global Financial Freedom: Sharita M. Humphrey
Sharita Humphrey has continued to work with state and local agencies, nonprofits, banks, and educational institutions, presenting and developing curricula, workshops, and training to increase financial and business literacy awareness and education. She is a resident business advisor for a collaborative project including Houston Community College, the City of Houston, and the Spring Branch Independent School District to help aspiring entrepreneurs gain access to educational resources and capital.
She is a regular contributor to major publications and has been featured in top-tier media, including CNBC, MSN, Acorns, Wall Street Journal, Martha Stewart, Credit Karma, iHeartMedia, Forbes, Yahoo Finance, and BBC World News. She is a talented media spokesperson and partners with other brands and organizations to further educate mass communities on financial well-being, entrepreneurship, and funding opportunities.
Sharita and her family set a goal of purchasing hundreds of acres of land over the next few years to build a family-run farm. During their journey, Sharita will be teaching under-resourced farmers how to obtain capital to acquire and retain their farmland for generations to come.