Make A Difference – Wisconsin recently welcomed four new members to its Board of Directors. While these new members are hardly new to our organization, their new roles on our active board and various subcommittees raise our teen financial education organization to another level.
Mike Conmey is an Assistant General Counsel at Northwestern Mutual and a member of the Law Department’s Investment Products and Advisory Services team. He earned a B.A. in Business from Loras College and a J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law.
Mike first learned about Make A Difference by attending our annual Investment Conference. He began volunteering in the classroom teaching the core Money Sense financial literacy class. Later, Mike joined the Fund Development Committee and now serves as the Committee’s Chair.
“Financial literacy is an essential life skill that should be taught early so young people develop good habits and make smart, lifelong financial decisions,” Mike says.
Elmer Moore Jr. is the Project Team Leader for Scale Up Milwaukee. Formerly, he was Director of Business Development for Allen Edmonds Corporation, Associate Dean of Admissions at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Me. and a professional modern dancer. He earned his B.A. from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pa. and M.B.A. from Columbia Business School in New York City.
“I am lucky to count my greatest successes in terms of the achievement of others,” Elmer says. “Equipping teens with the tools to be financially responsible and independent through Make A Difference – Wisconsin allows me to help young people in an important and meaningful way that enhances the likelihood of their future success.”
Sara Walker is Senior Vice President – Senior Portfolio Manager at Associated Bank. She earned her B.S. in finance and economics from UW-Parkside and her M.B.A. from UW-Milwaukee. Sara is a member and past-president of the CFA Society of Milwaukee.
Sara has been a volunteer with Make A Difference – Wisconsin since 2010. She believes that being a financial education volunteer is important for teenagers so that they understand how to avoid financial challenges.
Christine Smyth is Senior Portfolio Manager for SJA Financial Advisory. She is a Marquette University alum with 15 years of experience in the financial services industry.
Christine has been volunteering with Make A Difference – Wisconsin for three years, with a skill for teaching in bilingual classrooms. “Financial literacy is a skill everyone needs regardless of their financial background,” Christina says, adding, “As a member of the financial services community, I have the responsibility to do my part.”
