Agenda—El Paso

8:45 a.m. Welcome 9:00 a.m. Credit Reports and Credit Scores: What You Need to Know but Won’t Hear Anywhere Else Rod Griffin Manager, Public Education Experian 10:00 a.m. Mandates for Personal Finance: What’s Happening?   What’s Happening in Texas? Sherry Kiser Director of Economic Education Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas   What’s Happening in New Mexico? Benjamin Matta Professor and Director, Center for Economics and Personal Finance Education New Mexico State University, Las Cruces 11:00 a.m. Break 11:15 a.m. Hands-On Banking: Money Skills You Will Need for Life Timothy L. Shaunty President Texas Council on Economic Education 12:15 p.m. Lunch 1:00 p.m. Understanding Taxes: Just a Point and Click Away Charla B. Vanhoutan Senior Tax Specialist Stakeholder Partnerships, Education and Communication Internal Revenue Service 2:00 p.m. Having Enough Money for Investments Timothy L. Shaunty 3:00 p.m. Wrap-up 3:15 p.m. Adjourn Speakers Rod Griffin Manager, Public Education Experian Griffin is responsible for Experian’s national consumer education program and for supporting the company’s government affairs and public relations activities. He produces Experian’s consumer education materials and coauthors Ask Max, an online consumer credit advice column. Griffin collaborates with consumer organizations, including Call For Action, the National Consumers League and the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, to provide individuals with financial information. He also works closely with government agencies to address consumer concerns and responds to inquiries from the media, consumer credit counselors and educators about consumer credit and credit reporting. Griffin holds a B.S. in journalism from the University of Kansas. Sherry Kiser Director of Economic Education Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Kiser is charged with developing and implementing economic education initiatives for the Dallas Fed. Before assuming her current position in the Public Affairs Department, she worked in the Bank’s Research Department. Her responsibilities included analyzing international economic and political conditions, particularly in Latin America, as well as organizing international visits and conferences sponsored by the Center for Latin American Economics. Kiser has taught at the secondary, junior college and university levels. She has also been a social studies curriculum writer and secondary social studies instructional facilitator for the Dallas Independent School District. Kiser received a B.A. in Spanish and history from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.L.A. from Southern Methodist University. Benjamin Matta Professor and Director Center for Economics and Personal Finance Education, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces In addition to teaching, Matta serves as director of NMSU’s newly chartered Center for Economics and Personal Finance Education. His most recent research includes the effects of instruction received in workshop settings and the impact of class size on undergraduate achievement in economics. Previous appointments include a Ford Foundation Research Fellowship at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, chief economist with the Texas governor’s office and staff associate in employment policy at the Brookings Institution. Matta has B.A. and M.A. degrees from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio and a Ph.D. from UT–Austin. Timothy L. Shaunty President Texas Council on Economic Education Shaunty served as director of the Center for Economic Education at the University of Houston–Clear Lake before becoming president of the Texas Council on Economic Education in 2001. During a 30-year career in higher education, he held a variety of positions, including research economist and director of governmental relations. After retirement, he taught government and economics in the public school system. Shaunty has earned multiple degrees in agricultural economics, sociology, business administration and architecture. Charla B. Vanhoutan Senior Tax Specialist Stakeholder Partnerships, Education and Communication (SPEC) Internal Revenue Service Vanhoutan is responsible for establishing and managing relationships with members of volunteer, community, faith-based and government organizations, businesses, and financial and educational institutions to cosponsor free tax preparation sites, tax credit awareness and financial literacy outreach. She is also currently working with a team of tax specialists and external partners to develop training materials for volunteers to prepare tax returns. Prior to joining SPEC, Vanhoutan was a tax auditor for 15 years. As an instructor, she has trained new employees for the IRS and worked as a train-the-trainer for instructors. Vanhoutan attended the University of Texas at El Paso.