Advisory Board Member Benjamin Liff
Maine Financial Educators Council
Benjamin Liff brings a rich background and global perspective to his role on the Maine Financial Educators Council Advisory Board. With a BA in History from the University of North Florida and an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from George Mason University, Liff has close to two decades of experience as an educator at the university and secondary school levels. He is well-versed in the entire educational process, from admissions and enrollment to academics and extracurricular activities. His expertise also encompasses online course development and program creation for private boarding school students.
Advisory Board Member Benjamin Liff is a global traveler who has lived abroad in both China and The Netherlands. Through his current business enterprise, Tributaries Educational Consulting, Liff serves as an educational consultant focused on helping families evaluate their educational options and design a strategy to approach and fund education in a way that supports their values and financial goals. He joins the MEFEC with a shared objective to promote financial wellness at the intersection of school choice, financial aid, and long-term financial planning. This mission aligns well with the vision and goals of the National Financial Educators Council and its state-level chapter in Maine.
Building Financial Capability to Guide Educational Choice: Benjamin Liff
My love for education and teaching started in 2007 in Wuhan, China, where I taught English to students of all ages. After receiving my bachelor’s degree in history from the University of North Florida in 2011, I taught English composition and literature at George Mason University, where I also completed my MFA in Creative Nonfiction in 2015. These early experiences shaped the way I think about learning, support, and the barriers that keep families from making informed choices about their children’s education. I have spent years helping students and families navigate complex systems that always have a financial component connected to them.
After graduate school, I was given a career-changing opportunity at Gould Academy in Bethel, Maine where I served as the English Studies director, revamping the entire program. That experience deepened my commitment to helping students and families understand the many logistical, academic, and financial considerations that come with major educational transitions. In 2018, my work expanded when I joined CIEE as an online course designer and developed and expanded the Know Before You Go program for US college students studying abroad in over 60 locations around the world. In 2021, I became an instructional designer at the Roux Institute at Northeastern University, where I partnered with faculty to design and deliver graduate courses in areas like data science, AI, and leadership development. Through all of this work, I have seen how financial uncertainty and a lack of clear information can limit a family’s educational options long before they realize it.
I have lived and traveled widely, including time in China, a semester in the southern Netherlands, and travel to Japan, Korea, Vietnam, the United Kingdom, Canada, and much of Europe. I enjoy cooking, reading, gardening, and concerts, and I bring the same curiosity and care from my personal life into my work with students and families. In addition to my degrees, I am an IECA associate member and a National College Attainment Network certified counselor. These roles strengthen my ability to understand both the academic and financial sides of educational decision-making.
My wife, Haze, and I have worked together for almost two decades; and our two sons’ experience in the education system have only sharpened our belief that every student deserves the right environment in which to learn and thrive. Our work reminds us daily how important clear guidance is, especially for families who are trying to do the best they can with limited information and funds. That is why I am committed to the NFEC financial wellness campaign. I want families to feel prepared and knowledgeable, not overwhelmed, when making choices that affect their children’s futures.
I look forward to contributing to the NFEC advisory board by bringing practical insight from the education world, helping strengthen community financial wellness, and supporting families as they build the financial understanding they need to choose opportunities that genuinely fit their goals.
Maine Financial Educators Council Board Details
The Maine Financial Educators Council Advisory Board Members drive our push to build sustainable, scalable economic empowerment programs that affect people’s lives at the community level. Our Advisory Board Members share their knowledge and expertise to guide financial wellness programs and donations to community members.
Our Board Members are professionals who have successfully passed a rigorous selection process and have proven their commitment to supporting the growth of sustainable financial wellness programming in their communities. Board members possess these traits:
Passion
A deep belief in the importance of promoting financial wellness and a desire to strengthen individuals, loved ones, and communities with financial education.
Participation
Individuals and organizations that can allocate time toward financial wellness initiatives and actively participate in Board communications.
Ethics
Individuals with a track record of providing service to their local communities with honesty and upholding the values of esteemed professionalism.
