NFEC Lauds Top 3 Graduates of its Accredited Personal Finance Instructor[℠] Course

LAS VEGAS, Dec. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Financial Educators Council (NFEC) has announced the top three graduates of its advanced financial educator training, the Accredited Personal Finance Instructor℠ (APFI℠) program. Donna Cirillo, Thomas Maluck, and Trinity Owen are the initial three instructors to successfully complete this rigorous course and earn the prestigious certification. 

The Accredited Personal Finance Instructor training focuses on imparting the capability to create and deploy a financial education program, analyze data generated through program delivery, and leverage the results of those analyses to build sustainable programs positioned to scale in communities. Graduates gain expertise to design and implement programming that shows measurable improvements in participants' financial wellness, while supporting partner organizations to reach their objectives.

The advanced APFI course builds upon the NFEC's Certified Financial Education Instructor® (CFEI®) training, which gives individuals the expertise, credibility, and confidence to teach personal finance effectively. The APFI takes financial wellness instructors to the next level by qualifying participants to execute financial education programs that successfully serve students, organizations, and communities as a whole.

Graduates complete a process through which they create all the materials needed to run a program for maximum positive results. They establish a professional image and gain effective communication skills; ability to select lessons and activities to serve unique audiences; data-gathering techniques that highlight success; resource organization and review.

The APFI course complies with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standards and graduates receive IACET CEUs.  The NFEC is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and issues CEUs to graduates. 

Meet the Top Three APFI℠ Graduates

Donna Cirillo, MBA, CFEI®, CFLP, and now APFI℠, believes in the transformative power of financial education – a belief that motivates her to teach personal finance and empower people to create their own secure and successful futures. Cirillo earned her MBA from St. John's University in New York and spent 14 years in the financial industry, including for U.S. Trust and J.P. Morgan Chase. In 2021 Donna founded the Be Money Wise Project to create financial education solutions for Millennials; and her 2023 venture, Smart Money Changes Everything, focuses on providing education for teens and young adults starting their financial journeys as well as adults who need to start over.

Thomas Maluck, international speaker, CFEI®, and APFI℠, has more than a decade of experience in public libraries hosting public programs where people learn, create, and share. With a Masters in Library and Information Science from the University of South Carolina, certification as a Career Services Provider, and recognition as a Toastmasters Advanced Communicator, Thomas's mission is to build people's financial literacy, confidence, and a brighter future regardless of origin. Also a talented editor and writer, Maluck's most positive feedback as a public speaker has been for his ability to relate to audiences, speak from the heart, and punctuate his presentations with a dash of humor.

Trinity Owen, CFEI®, APFI℠, and founder/CFO of The Pay at Home Parent, LLC, realized soon after earning her BS in Business Administration from Bob Jones University that the cubicle life was not for her. So she quit her corporate job and launched her entrepreneurial career. As a mom and business owner, Owen's mission is to empower parents to achieve financial and career freedom, affording them opportunities to pursue their passions from home. Trinity continues to research and test new ways to make money from home so she can share them with families and help them experience the lifestyle freedoms that come with financial and career independence.

About the NFEC

The National Financial Educators Council is a Certified B Corporation™ and an Accredited Provider through IACET. The organization mobilizes advocates, empowering them with resources and training to spread economic empowerment.

Media Contact:
Trevor Stoll
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702.620.3059

SOURCE National Financial Educators Council