Friday Follow: Get to Know AFCPE’s Newest Board Members

Welcome, Barbara Martinez, AFC®

My Work: My work centers on ending asset poverty for low-income families and narrowing the racial and gender wealth divide. As the Community Partnerships & Asset Building Programs leader at Heartland Alliance, I oversee financial coaching programs that offer personalized financial coaching, asset-building opportunities, and financial education. My role involves training hundreds of practitioners in best practices for financial coaching, particularly for low-income populations, re-entry individuals, people with disabilities, immigrants, refugees, and domestic violence survivors.

My Roots: Growing up alongside a mother struggling with significant mental health challenges and navigating the complexities of emotional hardship profoundly influenced my formative years. The environment was often unpredictable and chaotic, shaping my resilience and perspective on life. Adding to these challenges, I grappled with undiagnosed dyslexia, an invisible hurdle that made learning uniquely tricky.

Lacking stability and support, especially in my educational journey, I learned to be self-reliant and adaptive. Despite these formidable obstacles, I found the strength to thrive against all odds. Though rife with difficulties, this journey was pivotal in forging my character. It instilled in me a deep commitment to empowering others who face their adversities and overcoming barriers, no matter how impossible they may seem.

My Passion: My passion lies in pursuing justice and financial empowerment, with a deep commitment to working towards economic equity. I am driven by a desire to balance the financial system, using the skills and talents I have been given to uplift those deprived of the same opportunities and access.

My Favorite Quote: “It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness” – Eleanor Roosevelt.

My Reason for Serving on the AFCPE Board of Directors: I love the AFCPE for what it stands for – ensuring that all people, regardless of income or background, have access to empowering financial education and counseling. Before I learned about AFCPE or became an Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC), I spent years working with low-income individuals in the field, profoundly immersing myself in understanding their hardships and the predatory practices often targeted at them. During those years, I engaged in credit and debt training that nonprofit budgets could afford. I was able to help many, but it was only after I studied and prepared to take the AFC examination and obtain my AFC certification that I realized the exponential impact of my newfound knowledge.

My AFC training has not only enhanced my ability to assist individuals but also transformed the way I approach training others. My goal is to support the AFCPE’s mission to expand the field and empower more professionals in the nonprofit sector with this accreditation. By doing so, we can improve service delivery, protect more people from poor financial decisions and predatory entities, and enhance their overall financial well-being. Essentially, it’s about creating a ripple effect that reaches coast to coast, uplifting countless lives through better financial education and guidance.

My Advice for Someone Beginning the Journey of Financial Education/Well-being:
Drawing inspiration from Eleanor Roosevelt’s words, I believe that no matter where you find yourself in your financial journey – whether you’re just starting, navigating a crisis, or marching towards financial freedom – it’s crucial to focus on action rather than despair. Acknowledge that simply taking the step to be mindful of your finances is a form of lighting your candle in the darkness. Progress may not always be a straight path; there will be highs and lows, but what matters most is your continual effort and perseverance.

Social Link: LinkedIn Profile 

Welcome, Dr. Jessica Parks, AFC®

My Work: I am an Assistant Professor of Business at Nevada State University, where I teach Financial Planning and Financial Counseling. Additionally, I maintain my own private practice, providing financial counseling and creating financial education content.

My Roots: A Georgia Peach, Southern hospitality, grounded in faith, passion for financial literacy.

My Passion: I am dedicated to offering personal finance content to everyone in need.

My Favorite Quote: “People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies. Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you. Be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight. Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough. Give the best you’ve got anyway. You see, in the final analysis it is between you and God ; it was never between you and them anyway.” (Mother Theresa)

My Reason for Serving on the AFCPE Board of Directors: I wanted to grow as a professional, give back to AFCPE® and help shape the organization’s future.

My Advice for Someone Going Through the AFC® Program: There are many benefits of the AFC® program. Of course, the knowledge gain was worthwhile. I relearned personal finance concepts from my masters that helped me better manage my personal funds. Additionally, the program improved my interpersonal skills. By learning motivational interviewing, CBT, and Solution-Focused therapy, I watched myself become a more optimistic and joyous person. To this day, I try to reframe negative experiences.

My advice is to stay positive, tell yourself that you will pass, and take advantage of every resource made available to you – study guides, wisdom of past test-takers, the Mobilize communities, etc. It also helps to try to apply the content to your personal life. For instance, don’t just learn about “debt-to-income ratios”; actually, calculate yours and brainstorm ways to improve your own ratio.

Welcome, Lynne Patterson, AFC®

My Work: I work as the project manager on the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities Program (SECO) at Zeiders Enterprises, Inc., where our mission is to “deliver quality of life services and support that make a positive difference for individuals, families, organizations, and communities.”

My Roots: As a United States Air Force (USAF) veteran, a military spouse for thirty years, a mom of two USAF offices, a mother-in-law to an USAF officer, and a daughter to a retired United States Marine, I understand the military life and its unique challenges. In support of our country, I moved thirty times.

My Passion: Life is not about me.

My Favorite Quote: “A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” – Colin Powell

My Reason for Serving on the AFCPE Board of Directors: My intense dedication and commitment to AFCPE and our American military heroes and their families in all branches of services and for all people around the globe to have access to financial support to reach their financial goals.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lynnepattersonpmp