N.C. treasurer to speak at ECU June 22

Janet Cowell, state treasurer of North Carolina, will speak at East Carolina University’s Financial Literacy Summit June 22 from noon to 1:15 p.m. in Mendenhall Student Center.

Cowell, the first woman elected to the post in North Carolina, will discuss initiatives led by her office to provide teachers with resources to teach financial literacy concepts and secure their own financial health. As the state’s fiscal advisor, Cowell oversees more than $75 billion in pension fund investments, affecting more than 850,000 public employees including teachers, firefighters, and other government workers.

“Promoting financial literacy is a kindergarten through retirement initiative,” Cowell said. “My office is working to make sure teachers are equipped to pass these skills along to their students. Ultimately, we want to give all North Carolinians – from students to teachers to retirees – the resources they need to make sound financial decisions.”

Hosted by ECU, the summit is being offered through the state affiliate of the national Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, a nonprofit group of organizations that work to improve the personal financial literacy of young adults, along with the North Carolina Center for Economic Education, a nonprofit organization that targets teachers and students.

Approximately 200 public school teachers are expected to attend.