Financial Symposium 2013

Time

Events

8:30-9 a.m.

Registration in the Lobby of Cemo Hall, University of Houston main campus

9-9:50 a.m.

Welcome and Introductions by Nico Sullivan, Finance Senior at UH, Latha Ramchand, Dean & Professor of Finance at the C. T. Bauer College of Business - Education and Outreach, Donald Bowers, II, Assistant Vice President, Federal Reserve - Houston Branch Overview of the Need for Financial Education Outreach, Alex Obregon, Special Projects Coordinator, Office of the City Controller Outreach, Keynote Speaker James Hong, President of the Bauer Alumni Association, founder of Hong Financial, and Lecturer for the Life Insurance and Annuities course for Bauer College of Business , Laura Ewing, Awards to K-12 Students winners of Money Management Poster Contest by Texas Council for Economic Education (TCEE).

10-10:50 a.m.

Breakout Session 1:

• How to Pay for College
• Managing Your Money: Cash Flow, Spending and Saving
• Career in Finance and Financial Planning

11-11:50 a.m.

Breakout Session 2:

• Is it Worth the Cost of an Extra Semester?
• Evaluating and Negotiating a Job Offer
• Understanding Your Credit Report

• How to Pay for College

  With rising costs, paying for college is one of the primary concerns for students and their families. This session will provide valuable information from a student who has gone through the process, and from the UH Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.

  Target Audience

  Parents & students planning for college or in college

  Facilitators:
  1. Tedric Breed, Financial Planning Coordinator, University of Houston C. T. Bauer College of Business
  
  Tedric Breed is a graduating senior at the University of Houston's Bauer College of Business who is majoring in finance with a minor in accounting; he is also a part of the university's Honors College. He currently works part time with the Bauer College as a Financial Planning Coordinator whose objective is to promote financial literacy to the rest of the campus, as well as the Houston community, through financial seminars and workshops. He has been a student leader throughout his years at the university, formerly serving as an active member, Fundraising Chair, and Vice President of the Bauer Ambassadors, as well as volunteering time to help guide underclassmen in their future endeavors. Tedric will be presenting at the Bauer College's second annual Financial Symposium in the "Cost of an Extra Semester" session.
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  2. Destinie Ross, Financial Planning Coordinator, University of Houston C. T. Bauer College of Business
  
  Destinie Ross is a junior at the University of Houston and will graduate receiving her Bachelors of Business Administration in Finance. Currently, Destinie works for the C.T Bauer College of Business as a Financial Planning Coordinator. She is passionate about helping her community understand the importance of financial literacy. As a transfer student from Southern Illinois University, she is a recipient of the the Jesse H. Jones scholarship. Destinie is also an Alum of Bauer's Emerging Leaders Academic Success Program. Destinie spent one year being an effective officer in formerly known student organization, Students in Free Enterprise. (SIFE) Through her school work, volunteering, working, and her involvement in student organizations she strives to be a well-rounded individual.
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  3. Sravya Chilukuri, Financial Planning Coordinator, University of Houston C. T. Bauer College of Business
  
  Sravya Chilukuri is a junior at the University of Houston majoring in Finance and minoring in Mathematics. Sravya is currently working for the Bauer College of Business as a Student Financial Planning Coordinator, with the goal of promoting financial literacy across the university and Houston community via financial workshops and seminars over topics that include: college funding solutions and money management. She is also the outreach officer of the Finance Association, whose main objective is to connect successful and driven Bauer students to the youth in our city, with the hopes of inspiring them to become high achievers and providing them with the guidance to do so. In addition to her extensive involvement and leadership within student organizations, she is an active volunteer in her community events and can speak numerous languages such as Hindi, and Telugu.
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  4. Representative, University of Houston Office of Scholarship and Financial Aid

   

• Managing Your Money: Cash Flow, Spending and Saving

  You seem to always be short of money; your money simply "disappears". What's going on? Learn real world strategies for managing your cash flow so that you know where your money is going and you are not caught short when emergencies happen.

  Target Audience

  Students and the community

  Facilitators:
  1. Tammy Mermelstein, Director of Adult Programs and Certified Financial Coach, at Skills For Living

   

  Tammy Mermelstein is the Director of Adult Programs and Certified Financial Coach at Skills For Living. Since she joined the staff in 2007, she has grown the program from serving 60 people per year in one initiative to serving over 1,200 per year in several initiatives. To date, Skills 4 Living’s adult programs have had over a $9,000,000 economic impact in new wages, taxes, and accumulated assets. Tammy also has developed several award-winning interactive financial games to inspire people to seek financial education. She is a 2012 recipient of the League of Women Voters Rising Star Award, a 2011 recipient of the Alliance for Economic Inclusion Pioneer Award, and a two time Houston Money Week Benjy Award Winner. Tammy earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Stephen F. Austin in 2000, her law degree from the University of Miami (FL) in 2003, and her Masters in Social Work, with specializations in child welfare policy and non-profit management, in 2005.

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• Careers in Finance and Financial Planning

  When choosing a career, it is not only important to consider your skills and interests, but also what careers you can align them with to support the lifestyle you desire. There will an opportunity to hear about careers in finance, especially in personal financial planning services.

  Target Audience

  High School and College Students

  Facilitator:
  1. Elizabeth Knapp, Career Counselor 2, University of Houston C. T. Bauer College of Business
  
  Elizabeth Knapp is the Finance and Management Information Systems Career Counselor at the Rockwell Career Center in the Bauer College of Business. Prior to this role, she was an Academic Advisor for Accounting and Finance students before moving into the role of Career Development Curriculum Manager and co-instructor for the GENB 2301 course. In her current position, she works with students on an individual basis preparing them for their job search and future careers. Elizabeth received a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism and a Master of Science in Educational Administration from Texas A&M University. While in school, she wrote for the Texas A&M Battalion, the official newspaper of Texas A&M University. As a graduate student, she worked in the Department of Student Life where she directed the off campus housing fair for the Texas A&M student body. She later worked for Aggie Access Learning Communities where she planned events for incoming freshmen students, worked on student retention efforts and took a group to Spain. Living overseas for a large portion of her childhood allowed Elizabeth to gain an appreciation for other cultures and for travelling. She grew a passion for working with the international population at universities while in college which helped to open the door for her to act as Director of I-Camp, an orientation session for new international students, at Texas A&M, for three years. Elizabeth has been certified as a Strengths Advocate through Gallup and has facilitated StrengthsQuest workshops for staff and students at the University of Houston. She also participated in and completed the Management Leadership Institute through the National Association of Colleges and Employers and holds her College Teaching Certificate through Texas A&M. She is currently a member of the National Career Development Association and the National Association of College and Employers.
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  Panelists:
  1. Donald Bowers II, Assistant Vice President, Federal Reserve, Houston Branch
  
  Donald Bowers, a native Houstonian, received his bachelors’ degree from Rice University in 1991. He joined the Federal Reserve Bank in 1990 as a Research Assistant and joined the Bank’s Management Development Program in 1991. In 2004, he was promoted to Assistant Vice President. He currently serves as secretary to the Houston Branch Board of Directors and maintains responsibility of the Bank’s human resources, public affairs, law enforcement, and business continuity functions.
  Donald and his wife, Shawn, are the proud parents of two outstanding young men. Their older son is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, and is a newly commissioned Ensigsn in the United States Navy. Their younger son is a student at Texas State University.
  Donald is a member of the Rice University Alumni Board, and has served on the board of the Houston Area Urban League. He is also active with Greater Houston Partnership, World Affairs Council of Houston, Center for Houston’s Future, Youth About Business, Discovery Youth Foundation and the Texas Women’s Empowerment Foundation. Donald and his family are members of the Fifth Ward Church of Christ.
  Donald earned an M.B.A. from Sam Houston State University with a concentration in Banking and Finance. He is also a senior fellow member of the 29th Class of American Leadership sForum Houston Gulf Coast Chapter.
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  2. Reva Zhao Azeez, Financial Services Professional, Strategic Financial Group
  
  Reva Zhao Azeez is a financial services professional who specializes in small business financial planning and advising. Using a long-term relationship approach, she provides a comprehensive analysis financial goals and objectives for her clients. Reva is a graduate of the Bauer College of Business with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and Marketing. She also received the Certified Financial Planner Certificate from Rice University.
  Reva started building her own practice right out of college and in her first year of building her own practice, she was ranked No. 1 in the country in her experience group and was recognized as the Rising Star by The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA). Reva qualifies every year for the Million Dollar Round Table, a world-wide organization that selects members based on high productivity and leadership benchmarks.
  Reva is married with two young sons. Her passion is helping college students and giving back to where she came from, and that’s the C.T. Bauer College of Business.
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  3. Alfred (AL) Coleman, Community Affairs Specialist, Dallas Region
  
  Alfred “Al” Coleman possesses more than 28 years of progressive experience working throughout the FDIC as a Bank Liquidation Specialist, Oversight Manager, Training and Recruitment Specialist, Assistant Compliance Examiner, Closing Manager, Liquidator-in-Charge, and Community and Government Public Relations Specialist. Currently, Mr. Coleman is the Financial Education Coordinator for the Dallas Region.
  Mr. Coleman has served as an Adjunct Faculty member in Economics and Finance for Prairie View A & M University and Lone Star College of Houston, Texas and is currently an Adjunct Faculty for University of Phoenix in the College of Humanities. He has also taught numerous financial literacy classes and conducted Train–the–Trainer sessions throughout the region.
  Mr. Coleman has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Paul Quinn College and a Masters of Business Administration in Management from Amberton University. Mr. Coleman also holds a certification from Langevin Training Services as a Certified Training Director/Facilitator. Mr. Coleman is the recipient of several FDIC and industry awards and serves as a mentor and coach for several Youth Sporting Organizations in his spare time.
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  4. Leonard Loyd, Senior Vice President Business Banking Sales Manager, Regions Bank
  
  Leonard Loyd has been a Houston Banker for over 30 years. His banking career includes expertise in both commercial and consumer banking. He is currently Senior Vice President and West Houston Business Banking Sales Manager for Regions Bank. He grew up in Houston and received a BBA with a major in Economics and a Master’s Degree in Economics from the University of Houston. Additionally, he served as a lecturer at the University of Houston for 29 years teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in economics and finance. Mr. Loyd served as Chairman of The Texas Council of Economic Education, and was separately a member of the Council’s board of directors. Among his civic activities, he is a life member of the Greater Houston Partnership and continues to teach/facilitate classes for the Junior Achievement in the Houston area. He and his wife have been married 33 years and have one son, Ryan, who earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston with a dual major in economics and psychology.
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• Is it Worth the Cost of an Extra Semester?

  In this session, an analysis of the various financial and non-financial implications of graduating a semester late will be presented, as well as a hypothetical calculation of exactly how much that one deferred semester will cost you. In addition, there will be a panel of educators that will offer their personal opinion on the matter. A high percentage of students today choose to stay in school longer than four years, for a multitude of reasons, so it is important that students truly know and understand the effects of this decision so they can do an accurate cost benefit analysis when determining whether to stay in school longer or to graduate and begin working

  Target Audience

  Parents & students planning for college or in college; High School & College Students

  Facilitator:
  1. Tedric Breed, Financial Planning Coordinator, University of Houston C. T. Bauer College of Business
  
  Tedric Breed is a graduating senior at the University of Houston's Bauer College of Business who is majoring in finance with a minor in accounting; he is also a part of the university's Honors College. He currently works part time with the Bauer College as a Financial Planning Coordinator whose objective is to promote financial literacy to the rest of the campus, as well as the Houston community, through financial seminars and workshops. He has been a student leader throughout his years at the university, formerly serving as an active member, Fundraising Chair, and Vice President of the Bauer Ambassadors, as well as volunteering time to help guide underclassmen in their future endeavors. Tedric will be presenting at the Bauer College's second annual Financial Symposium in the "Cost of an Extra Semester" session.
  ×
  2. Destinie Ross, Financial Planning Coordinator, University of Houston C. T. Bauer College of Business
  
  Destinie Ross is a junior at the University of Houston and will graduate receiving her Bachelors of Business Administration in Finance. Currently, Destinie works for the C.T Bauer College of Business as a Financial Planning Coordinator. She is passionate about helping her community understand the importance of financial literacy. As a transfer student from Southern Illinois University, she is a recipient of the the Jesse H. Jones scholarship. Destinie is also an Alum of Bauer's Emerging Leaders Academic Success Program. Destinie spent one year being an effective officer in formerly known student organization, Students in Free Enterprise. (SIFE) Through her school work, volunteering, working, and her involvement in student organizations she strives to be a well-rounded individual.
  ×
  3. Sravya Chilukuri, Financial Planning Coordinator, University of Houston C. T. Bauer College of Business
  
  Sravya Chilukuri is a junior at the University of Houston majoring in Finance and minoring in Mathematics. Sravya is currently working for the Bauer College of Business as a Student Financial Planning Coordinator, with the goal of promoting financial literacy across the university and Houston community via financial workshops and seminars over topics that include: college funding solutions and money management. She is also the outreach officer of the Finance Association, whose main objective is to connect successful and driven Bauer students to the youth in our city, with the hopes of inspiring them to become high achievers and providing them with the guidance to do so. In addition to her extensive involvement and leadership within student organizations, she is an active volunteer in her community events and can speak numerous languages such as Hindi, and Telugu.
  ×
  4. Representative, University of Houston Office of Scholarship and Financial Aid

   

• Evaluating & Negotiating a Job Offer

  Target Audience

  Students and the community

  Facilitator:
  1. John Lopez, Clinical Associate Professor, University of Houston C. T. Bauer College of Business
  
  Since the undergraduate days at the University of Houston’s Bauer College of Business, John Lopez has had an interest in personal finance savings, money management, investing, and making smart decisions when it came to money. Upon graduation, he attended Texas A&M where he earned an MBA in Finance. He entered “Corporate America” and worked for several major international firms - more at www.linkedin.com/in/johnclopez.
  Later in life he continued his education in personal finance by attending Rice University’s Certified Financial Planner Program and then successfully completing the CFP Certification Exam (http://www.cfp.net/). After early retirement and a 2 year sabbatical to travel and explore, he began teaching Financial Planning at Bauer. He is passionate about teaching students the fundamentals needed to become financially secure and ultimately financially independent.
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• Understanding Your Credit Report

  Target Audience

  Students and the community

  Facilitator:
  1. Sherrie Young, Executive Director, Credit Coalition of Houston

  Sherrie Young serves as the Executive Director of the Credit Coalition, a HUD Approved Housing Counseling Agency, whose membership includes Houston area financial institutions, community organizations, community leaders and other related businesses and organizations. She is the Credit Coalition’s lead instructor and foreclosure intervention, credit, homebuyer and reverse mortgage counselor. Aside from counseling and conducting Credit Coalition classes, Sherrie participates in many community events to help spread the word about financial education, Individual Development Accounts, free VITA site tax preparation assistance, and other programs that can help families build their assets. She is the Co-Chair of the Counseling Committees of the Texas and Greater Houston Foreclosure Prevention Task Forces.

  Sherrie is a certified homebuyer education provider under the Texas Statewide Homebuyer Education Program /Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs and a Reverse Mortgage Counselor with the Reverse Mortgage Education Project. She completed her Accredited Financial Counselor Certification in 2007 and holds NCHEC Certifications in Housing Counseling, Pre-purchase Homeownership Education and Foreclosure Intervention and Default Counseling.

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