Advisory Board Member Melissa Weathersby
Texas Financial Educators Council

As President and CEO of 5-Star Empowerment, I am committed to making personal finance education available to individuals, communities, and organizations globally. After spending several years in the financial services sector, I realized how many are lacking basic financial acumen.

I worked my way from part-time teller to assistant branch manager at a large credit union before being promoted to banking center manager at a major retail bank. It was then that I became aware of the stark differences between the business models of credit unions and banks. I even worked briefly for a finance company that made short-term loans with exorbitant interest rates and fees. I had the “privilege” of making collection calls and repossessing collateral for defaulted accounts. It was there that I learned of poverty and predatory lending. I vowed never to work in such a place again.

After leaving the banking industry, I became a licensed Realtor® and decided to open a mortgage brokerage company. I learned very quickly that many people who applied for a mortgage did not have their financial affairs in order and had very little idea what it took to purchase a home, let alone maintain home ownership. This was during the time that the subprime market was booming, and many fell into the lure of adjustable-rate mortgages. When the market crashed in 2008, I went to work at a community college.

Once I entered higher education, I became a vocal advocate for financial literacy. In 2018, I completed and published a 400+-page doctoral dissertation highlighting the need for financial literacy in higher education. The dissertation has been downloaded more than 150 times in 24 different countries. I teach real estate, business, and personal finance classes and continue to emphasize that financial literacy is a life skill that affects all areas of our lives and our families. I continue to speak at conferences, churches, and radio shows whenever the opportunity affords me to discuss this important topic. I have also written books to help those who need clarity about the mortgage approval process and for those who need an action plan for overcoming a financial crisis.

It is an honor to be chosen to serve on the Texas Financial Educators Council Advisory Board. This is my opportunity to go beyond working with individuals and to begin making high-quality financial education resources widely available at the community and organizational levels. My goal continues to be financial wellness advocacy and consulting, and this opportunity to network with likeminded individuals will further advance my doctoral social justice contribution and promote positive social change by helping to create fiscally competent adults who are likely to produce fiscally sound communities and economies.

A true sense of enthusiasm and passion for improving financial wellness, promoting the financial literacy cause, and making communities and individuals stronger through financial education and empowerment.

Organizations and individuals who have time available to commit toward financial wellness efforts and to participate actively in Board communications.

Individuals selected to the Advisory Board are dedicated to serving their communities and have strong reputations for integrity, ethics, and honesty in their respective professional arenas.