TU announces new executive director of Maryland Council on Economic Education

By Laura Braddick on October 22, 2019

Julie Weaver will lead the Maryland Council on Economic Education’s (MCEE) effort to assure that Maryland’s schoolchildren are equipped with the economic knowledge and decision-making skills they will need to become informed consumers, workers, citizens, savers, investors and participants in the global economy.

“Many of the social problems our communities are facing are directly related to poor financial education and decision making," said Weaver. "Teaching these critical skills at an early age and reinforcing them throughout K–12 education not only benefits the students but also impacts their families when they share the information at home.”

Weaver brings a wealth of experience in both corporate banking and education to the position. A native of Carroll County, Maryland, she was a first-generation college student at the University of Maryland-College Park, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business management. She has also earned the Certified Equity Professional and Certified Employee Benefit Specialist designations from Santa Clara University and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, respectively.

Prior to joining MCEE, Weaver created an innovative financial wellness program for students at McDaniel College. She spent more than 15 years in finance with Deutsche Bank (formerly Alex. Brown and & Sons) as a director and head of the bank’s corporate services marketing efforts. 

“The idea of making an impact on something as important as preparing kids to make lifetime financial decisions was an important factor in my decision to take on the leadership of MCEE,” stresses Weaver. “I can’t think of work that is more challenging or rewarding then to know that you contributed to sharing knowledge that could change the trajectory of a student’s (or a teacher’s) life for the better. At this point in my career and as a parent, I am much more motivated by empowering others create the best possible life for themselves than ever before.”

Aligned with TU's strategic goal to be a model for teacher preparation, MCEE offers comprehensive K–12 economic and personal finance education programs as well as professional development, content and resources to Maryland teachers. The council's teacher training programs works with the education system to increase the quantity and improve the quality of economic and financial instruction.

“At our core, MCEE is an organization focused on training and empowering teachers to share personal finance and economics with their students and perhaps even learn something about how to manage their own finances,” says Weaver. “Real learning comes from experiences so we offer hands on learning programs for students, like participating in The Stock Market Game and visiting the T. Rowe Price Finance Lab at Towson University as a means to acquire knowledge in an engaging and fun way.”

Weaver's appointment follows the retirement of Mary Ann Hewitt who served the Council in various capacities for 34 years.

“I think this generation and the next is more acutely aware than ever that they need to be responsible for their financial futures and that they need the skills to do so successfully,” she says. I see MCEE continuing to play a leading role in supporting the educational community in making that happen.

“I see the organizing becoming a little more regionalized to respond more quickly to the needs of students and teachers across the state and adapting to include technology where possible to enhance our ability to meet the needs of the educational community. It’s a very exciting time to be part of the movement towards a financially literate Maryland.”

This story is one of several related to President Kim Schatzel’s priorities for Towson University: BTU-Partnerships at Work for Greater Baltimore.