FAME’s Mary Dyer Selected to Serve on National JumpStart Board of Directors

The Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) is pleased to announce that Mary Dyer, FAME's Financial Education Programs Manager, has been selected to serve on the National Jump$tart Board of Directors.

Dyer currently serves in the role as President of the Maine Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, an all-volunteer nonprofit Coalition whose mission is to improve the financial knowledge of Maine citizens by providing training and support to Maine personal finance and economics teachers. The coalition was recently awarded State Coalition of the Year, which includes a one-year term on the National Board of Directors. FAME is a founding partner and supporter of Maine Jump$tart.

The National Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, formed in 1995, is a nonprofit organization based in Washington D.C. whose mission is to advance financial literacy and financial equity, especially among the nation's youth. The Coalition includes more than 100 national partner organizations from business, finance, education, academia, government, and more, as well as a network of independent, affiliated state coalitions across the country. National Jump$tart was the original promoter of the concept of annually celebrating April as financial literacy month.

Dyer's tenure as Maine Jump$tart President began in 2011. During that time, the coalition has provided over twenty statewide teacher trainings, including the Fostering Financial Education in Maine Schools Conference, which is now in its fifteenth year. Over the years, hundreds of teachers have benefited from these trainings and thousands of Maine students have been impacted. This is the second time the Coalition has received the State Coalition of the Year Award.

"National Jump$tart is an incredible organization made up of individuals who are passionate about financial literacy," said Dyer. "The Coalition is committed to providing teachers with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to bring personal finance into their classrooms. Each year, the Coalition hosts the only national training devoted to personal finance and economics educators, and they do it at no cost to teachers. The all-scholarship event has become the go-to training event for educators. This past year, nearly 350 educators from across the country attended the event. I am proud to be part of National Jump$tart and I look forward to serving on the National Board during the coming year."

Dyer brings thirty years of industry experience in her role as FAME's Financial Education Programs Manager, a position she has held for nearly seventeen years. Dyer has been instrumental in launching several statewide financial education programs designed to support Mainers in strengthening their financial knowledge and capability. Most notably, Mary is responsible for the development of FAME's Claim Your Future® Program, an interactive educational game that encourages students to explore career pathways, financial decision-making, and the future return on investment of postsecondary education and training. Claim Your Future is played by nearly 300,000 students each year, not only in Maine, but across the country.

"We are proud of Mary's leadership and accomplishments in the field of financial education," said Carlos R. Mello, FAME Chief Executive Officer. "Her leadership with the Maine Jump$tart Coalition has been innovative and impressive. I have no doubt that she will bring her experience and expertise to the National Jump$tart board, but more importantly her enthusiasm for the subject, which is contagious."