Finance 
The Finance spoke focuses on empowering women of all ages to achieve financial security and sustainability. This includes helping Utah women learn how to make informed financial decisions to serve their own life goals and improve financial wellness. Spoke leaders will bring together individuals and organizations from around the state who can provide crucial financial information, are developing innovative resources, offering timely educational opportunities, increasing awareness of personal finance best-practices, and offering gatherings to meet new friends, mentors, and advocates. Important areas of focus include budgeting, managing debt, credit scores, home ownership, estate planning, investing, entrepreneurship, understanding insurance needs, protecting your money, and starting a business in this economy. Working groups within the Finance spoke are focused on Access to Capital, College Admissions (Business & Finance), Communication & Outreach, Corporate Outreach & Funding, Community Education, High School Financial Literacy, Intervention Resources, and Metrics & Research. To learn more, check out the resource box below.
Spoke Leaders
Melanie Jewkes
Extension Professor, USU LinkedIn Profile
Melanie Jewkes is an Extension Professor at USU. An award-winning and published professional, she promotes and teaches financial wellness through USU’s Home & Community Department throughout the state.
Susan Speirs
CEO, UACPA
LinkedIn Profile
Susan Speirs, CPA is the CEO of the Utah Association of CPAs. In this role, she directs the affairs of the Association with regard to advocacy, professional education, leadership development, networking, and community service.
Brittany Griffin
Policy & Communications Deputy
LinkedIn Profile
Brittany Griffin is the Policy & Communications Deputy at the Utah Treasurer’s Office. She has a background in public administration, policy, and communications, and she has worked in local government, academia, marketing, and television news. 
Bold Vision & Goals
To make Utah a place where more girls and women can thrive, the Finance spoke leaders and partners have crafted the vision and goals below.
Vision: Empower Utah women of all ages to achieve financial security and sustainability by increasing their financial confidence and competence.
Goals:
- Increase financial competence in high school girls. [Metric Dashboard]
- Increase the percentage of women who feel confident that they can achieve a financial goal. [Metric Dashboard]
- Increase the percentage of Utah women who have emergency savings. [Metric Dashboard]
- Increase the percentage of Utah women who have a retirement account. [Metric Dashboard]
- Change Utahns’ agreement (understanding and perceptions) in the following areas: [Metric Dashboard]
- I am aware of resources that help me achieve financial security. [Increase women’s agreement by 10% by 2026 and 20% by 2030]
- I have utilized resources that have helped me achieve financial security. [Increase women’s agreement by 10% by 2026 and 20% by 2030]
- I believe it is valuable for me to understand my personal finances. [Increase women’s agreement by 5% by 2026 and 10% by 2030]
- I can manage my personal finances independently and make informed decisions to improve my financial wellness. [Increase women’s agreement by 10% by 2026 and 20% by 2030]
- It is important for women to be competent and confident with money. [Increase agreement by 5% by 2026 and 10% by 2030]
Thriving Statement: Women of any age thrive when empowered to achieve financial security and sustainability.
Partners
Working Group Leaders
- Access to Capital: Jacki Zehner (Founder, ShePlace) & Madison Limansky (COO, ShePlace)
- College Admissions - Business & Finance: Alayna Williamson (Associate Professor of Finance, David Eccles School of Business, University of Utah)
- Communication & Outreach: Ania McGrath (Communications Specialist, Utah State Treasurer's Office) & McKenzie Walsh (Housing Program Coordinator, USU Extension – Salt Lake County)
- Corporate Outreach & Funding: Alheli Brilliant (Realtor, BRIX Real Estate) & Jenny Sass (Marketing Specialist, my529)
- Community Education: Vincenza Vicari-Bentley (Lead Program Coordinator, Empowering Financial Wellness, Utah State University)
- High School Financial Literacy: Shauna Barfuss (Executive Director, Utah Jump Start) & April Painter (CTE Education Specialist, USBE)
- Intervention Resources: Cassie Whitlock (Chief People Officer, Diversify)
- Metrics & Research: Karsten Walker (retired Financial Literacy Teacher) & Lucy Delgadillo (Professor, Utah State University)
Get Engaged: Ways to get engaged include volunteering to participate in a sub-committee of the Utah Coalition of Financial & Economic Education (UCFEE); attending the Women in the Money Conference in the fall (womeninthemoney.org); and completing the financial literacy survey. Thank you for your interest!
Angela Rawlings
Spoke Coordinator
LinkedIn Profile
atrawlings1@gmail.com