WORKING CREDIT - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Credit Building Department Admin
Alex has over 20 years of experience advocating for people and empowering them with information, including around credit. He is a paralegal working on his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Legal Emphasis. Alex brings an exciting array of skills and passion about helping others.
Job Titles:
- Credit Building Counselor
Amy is a military spouse, mom of two, and Accredited Financial Counselor®. Amy started her financial services career in banking where she worked as a branch manager for over a decade. Amy was accepted as a FINRA Fellow and became an Accredited Financial Counselor® in 2018 from the Association of Financial Counseling, Planning and Education. After obtaining this certification, she completed an internship with Operation Homefront in Critical Financial Assistance, providing one-on-one counseling to wounded veterans. When not working with credit-building clients, Amy is advocating for military families and their financial health and wellness. Amy also loves cooking and baking and spends lots of time in the kitchen with her husband and daughters.
Job Titles:
- Credit Building Counselor
Brandon Haney joined Working Credit in February 2023. Before Working Credit, Brandon worked as a Financial Counselor at the United Way of Greater Nashville where he provided financial counseling services to community residents. Brandon has a depth of experience with credit counseling, budgeting, and personal finance management. Brandon holds a Master of Social Work degree from Simmons University in Boston, Massachusetts, and is an Accredited Financial Counselor from the Association of Financial Counseling and Planning Education. Brandon believes that everyone has the right to a good credit score and the financial opportunities that it brings. He enjoys working with clients to build their scores and celebrating their success. When not working, Brandon loves spending time with his dog, a Lancashire Heeler named Holden. Brandon also enjoys learning Spanish and is a self-described "foodie" with Indian being his favorite.
Job Titles:
- Senior Credit Building Counselor
Claudia is passionate about increasing everyone's access to financial literacy and credit building tools. Before joining the Working Credit team in August of 2022, she worked at Homewise, a non-profit housing counseling agency in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she helped hundreds of clients understand and navigate their finances and improve their credit in order to achieve their dream of homeownership. In addition to helping clients, she regularly trained and onboarded new coaches and worked with management to streamline various processes and procedures. She currently volunteers with the Rebel Finance School based in the UK and is an avid FIRE movement enthusiast. She spends her free time looking for ways to make the principles of FIRE relevant and accessible for all people. Claudia earned her MA in Counseling from Southwestern College and her BA in Moving Image Arts from the College of Santa Fe. She received her Accredited Financial Counselor® certification from the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education® in 2020.
Job Titles:
- University Associate Director, Central Office of Careers and Industry Partnerships, City University of New York
Job Titles:
- Workshop Manager and Senior Credit Building Counselor
Derison joined Working Credit in January 2022, bringing over ten years of experience in direct service, program management, program design, and organizational capacity building. He was formerly at Phipps Neighborhoods, a multi-service organization that serves over 12,000 individuals in the South Bronx, where he led the integration of financial services across education and workforce programs to promote economic mobility. He serves on the Board of Directors for Credit Builders Alliance, a national non-profit agency that helps organizations move people from poverty to prosperity through credit building. Derison has trained financial coaches, counselors and program managers in delivering financial development strategies. His other passions are his Christian faith, his family, serving his community and the never-ending (but enjoyable) search for the best pizza.
Job Titles:
- VP, US Programs, Population Reference Bureau
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Treasurer of the Board
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Founder & President Emeritus of Insights in Marketing and President of Gary Kash Marketing Insights
Job Titles:
- Credit Building Counselor
Ivory's got the inside scoop on turning around your money game because he's been there. Growing up in Detroit's inner city, he saw the effects of poverty firsthand. From drug and crime infested neighborhoods to the failing school systems; the odds were stacked against him. Luckily, he rose to the challenge. Rather than becoming a statistic, he became the first in his family to attend and graduate from college. He answered the millennial call to "Treat yo'self!" He spent his money on materialistic stuff, name brand clothes, and meals at expensive restaurants. Though he'd locked down his dream job working as a Financial Coach, he was just barely making his own ends meet. What's that old saying, "The shoemaker has no shoes?" Finally caving to the demands of his screaming wallet, Ivory buckled up his boots and started walking the walk. He challenged himself to rebuild credit, eliminate debt, and plan for emergencies. Since stepping up to the plate, he's been hitting all home runs, paying off $32k in debt, and boosting his credit score from 545 to 803. He understands that credit can be a useful tool, but even the best tools require a skilled builder to create something awesome. Wealth building is the name of the game and Ivory wants to help others to experience an abundant lifestyle that makes them happy.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Board President / Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, Loyola University of Chicago
Job Titles:
- Director of Programs and Senior Credit Building Counselor
Jim Schebek joined Working Credit in September 2018. Before Working Credit, Jim worked at one of the nation's leaders in credit building, Justine PETERSEN, for six years. There, Jim assisted hundreds of clients in building their credit and buying a home. In 2018, the Illinois Housing and Development Authority awarded Jim the Housing Counselor of the Year award. Besides counseling clients, Jim was one of the lead credit building trainers for Justine PETERSEN's Credit as an Asset Training. He trained dozens of organizations across the country on credit building best practices. Jim also provides training to organizations new to credit reporting as part of Credit Builder Alliance's Rapid Response Team. Jim graduated from Saint Louis University with his Bachelor's and Master's degree in Social Work.
Job Titles:
- Credit Building Counselor
- Financial Coach, Counselor
Judy is a financial coach, counselor, and educator with over 15 years of experience. She works with clients to help them increase their savings, decrease their debt, and build their credit to be in a better position to have what matters, and the freedom to make decisions that fulfill their lives. Judy holds a bachelor's degree from Boston University and two master's degrees from University of Michigan. She worked as a researcher, data analyst, and financial education curriculum writer. Additionally, she has provided technical and capacity building assistance to dozens of community-based organizations in New York City and worked with hundreds of clients. She earned an Accredited Financial Counselor® certification from the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education® and a Financial Fitness CoachTM certification from Sage Financial Solutions. Currently an Adjunct Professor of Quantitative Methods at New York University, Judy has taught an array of statistical analysis courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels for more than 20 years. On most weekends she can be found with a cup of coffee on the sidelines cheering for her son's soccer team.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Principal, Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Board Secretary / Principal, the Allman Group LLC
With over a decade of experience helping individuals, families, and organizations to understand credit building as asset building, Kristin keeps our programs up-to-date and running smoothly. Previously, she worked at Justine PETERSEN, a CDFI and microlender in St. Louis, where she ran a national secured credit card and small dollar loan program. Kristin was the lead credit building trainer for the "Asset Building through Credit" Pilot Program-a FIELD project through the Aspen Institute, as well as the Chicago Credit Building Coalition and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation's network of Financial Opportunity Centers-during which she trained more than 100 non-profit organizations. Kristin was part of the inaugural class of Emerging Leaders in Microenterprise (ELM2), an Aspen Institute FIELD program in 2013 and spent six years as a board member of Credit Builders Alliance in Washington, D.C. She currently serves on the board of June Jessee Memorial Foundation. Kristin has her Master of Social Work from Saint Louis University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas.
Job Titles:
- Chief Community Engagement Officer
Morgan has rooted her career in not simply working toward economic inclusion but rather economic justice. Morgan currently serves as the Chief Community Engagement Officer for Working Credit. In this role, Morgan oversees the design, implementation, and oversight of a comprehensive community engagement strategy that drives long-term program growth, stability, and true impact by centering WCNFP's mission. It is in this role that Morgan truly builds out WCNFP's community engagement and business development strategy at all levels. Prior to Working Credit, Morgan served as the Senior Manager of Member Relations for Credit Builders Alliance for over 5 years. During her time with CBA, Morgan created and institutionalized the member intake and onboarding process and overall membership management process. Morgan has a deep commitment to economic justice. Her passion for systemic change is rooted in her lived experience and values. Morgan served as an Emerson National Hunger Fellow through the Congressional Hunger Center. In that capacity, Morgan actively led the effort on community engagement for Detroit Black Community Food Security Network. Morgan's community organizing and coalition-building skills allowed her to increase the Detroit People's Food Co-op's members/owners by 40%. Prior to this, Morgan supported the economic security team at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights where she researched and authored written work on economic security issues such as payday lending, tipped wage, and equal pay. Morgan currently serves as an active board member for the CBA Fund and sits on both its' Loan and North Star Committee (which she chairs). Morgan is also a Fulbright Scholar where she conducted independent research on Islamic Financing. Morgan holds a BA in Sociology, with minors in Economics and Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies from DePaul University. Morgan was born and raised in north city St. Louis but now resides in Hampton, Georgia. She is a proud mother to two dynamic little humans and enjoys playing volleyball.
Job Titles:
- Director of Operations and Senior Credit Building Counselor
Niki began partnering with Working Credit in 2015 when she joined as a part-time contractor. Shortly after, she graduated as a full-time team member when she saw the impact credit building had on people's finances and how it can provide new options and possibilities for individuals and their families. In her additional role as Operations Manager, Niki does the behind-the-scenes work of keeping the elements of the organization in order, strategizes improvements to internal processes, and advises on organizational development issues critical to carrying out Working Credit's mission. When she's not working with others to achieve their goals, she's probably attempting a DIY home project, learning more about urban forests and agriculture, or eating Raisinets and watching horror movies
Job Titles:
- Community Engagement Relationship Manager
Rachel has always been passionate about helping others reach their goals. So when the opportunity to help people realize their financial goals came along, she knew it was a perfect fit. Rachel graduated Magna Cum Laude from Webster University's School of Business with a Bachelor's in Nonprofit Leadership and Community Relations. Being a lifelong learner, Rachel enjoys keeping up with the latest advancements in finance and credit-building so that she can pass along leading-edge information and resources to her clients. When she's not working, she enjoys writing, dancing, and hanging out with her dogs, Pixie and Nino.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Director of Special Projects
- Member of the Board
- Senior Advisor
- Senior Advisory and Director of Special Projects
For more than 25 years, Ricki has been designing and implementing programs to help Americans improve their finances. Before founding Working Credit, Ricki served as the Director of Economic Opportunities for the Chicago office of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) in Chicago. At LISC, she created the organization's first network of Financial Opportunity Centers-a model LISC replicated in 13 U.S. cities, and for which LISC received a federal Social Innovation Fund award in 2010. Ricki also developed Twin Accounts, a credit building and savings product featured in The New York Times Magazine and Telemundo Nacional in 2014. Before joining LISC, she developed neighborhood-focused employment initiatives for the Comprehensive Community Revitalization Program (CCRP) in the South Bronx. Ricki also worked for Chicago's Business and Professional People for the Public Interest (BPI), assisting residents from the Henry Horner public housing development to pursue community revitalization initiatives. She holds a Masters in Public Policy from Columbia University in New York.
Rose Mary is a Honduras-born, Boston raised, Afro Latina. She participated in Working Credit's program in 2018, and after much success and great partnership, joined our board in 2020. Earlier this year, Rose Mary joined Working Credit as our Chief Strategy Officer! Her background is in health informatics with over 10 years of experience in the field and holds a masters degree from Northwestern University.
Sarah joined Working Credit in 2021. As CEO, she focuses on organizational growth and development-helping Working Credit meet its mission by strengthening internal systems and identifying opportunities to scale our credit building services to those who will most benefit from them. Prior to joining Working Credit, Sarah was the Chief Operating and Strategy Officer at Credit Builders Alliance, a national nonprofit network of hundreds of organizations that serves as a bridge between its member organizations and the credit bureaus. Before that, she was Executive Director of Innovative Changes, one of the few CDFI nonprofit loan funds in the country dedicated specifically to consumer lending, financial education, and credit building as a responsible alternative to payday lenders. Sarah has over a two decades of experience in nonprofit and public sector organizations with missions to help create systemic change. She has managed numerous programs with sizeable budgets and staff and has worked in diverse and challenging contexts, including post-war Bosnia. Sarah has a Master's Degree in Public Administration, a J.D. from the University of Texas, and is a member of the Oregon State Bar.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder, Director of Strategic Partnerships
Susan Simon is the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Working Credit where she developed the workshop you will see today. Since the organization's inception, Susan has been committed to the goal of communicating the importance and promise of credit building so that it is an easily understood concept and accessible strategy for all. Susan has an extensive background in Human Resource that spans 25 years at Harvard University as Senior Consultant in charge of training. She holds a master's in education from Wheelock College in Boston, is an adjunct professor at Lesley University, and currently sits on the board of Harvard University Employees Credit Union.
Job Titles:
- Founder and Financial Planner, FirstGen Wealth