Ep. 41: The Foundations of Financial Literacy

The core values of SECU Credit Union are based on the philosophy of people helping people and giving back to the community. In order to strengthen these values, SECU created a foundation to build a stronger Maryland. Sarah Ryan, Assistant Vice President of Community Engagement at SECU and Director of SECU MD Foundation, joins the Financial Experience Podcast to discuss the foundation’s broad impact on education, health and wellness, and community development. As director, Sarah manages corporate and philanthropic giving, which includes sponsorships and employee volunteer efforts.

The foundation started in 2017, and within the past four years it has grown exponentially. Since the onset of the pandemic, SECU members searched for a way to support the multitude of grant and scholarship programs. Sarah details the challenging transition of large foundation gatherings like their finance fairs and speaking events to solely virtual. Although they could no longer be held in-person, the foundation wanted their online presence to be just as impactful.

Sarah speaks to the foundation’s goal of providing financial literacy to all ages. Your relationship to money is understandably personal, but the foundation seeks to provide adults and the younger generations with the necessary products and services to achieve their goals. The organization wants to become a trusted advisor in the cycle of financial education for adults and children alike, with the hopes of encouraging habits that will positively impact their financial futures.

The SECU MD Foundation aims to be an approachable and open-door environment, and they desire to be present in communities of the underbanked and underserved. Sarah believes that banks and credit unions are in a position to make a substantial impact with the tools they offer, and she is excited to be a part of helping people feel empowered and achieving financial freedom in the years to come.

Tune in to the latest podcast episode to hear Hunter and Sarah discuss more about the SECU MD Foundation and their efforts to help community members achieve their financial goals.

More About Sarah

Sarah Ryan is Assistant Vice President of Community Engagement at SECU, the largest chartered credit union in Maryland. Recently, she was also named the Director of the SECU MD Foundation. In her role she is responsible for the strategy and coordination of SECU’s strategic partnerships, sponsorships, in-kind donations and employee volunteerism, while also organizing the SECU MD Foundation’s programming, grants, and fundraising.

Prior to her current role, Sarah held roles as a Community Market Leader and Community Relationship Manager at SECU. Helping to grow and develop market presence, she planned, developed and implemented programs to support awareness and financial literacy. With more than ten years of community outreach experience, she was actively involved with companies and their employees to ensure they were aware of the credit union difference while providing financial education to members. She also worked at PNC Bank as a Business Development Officer.

Sarah prides herself on her support of the communities where she lives and works. Volunteering her time and talents, she participates on numerous planning committees to ensure programs, events and ideas are implemented with a goal of improving and enhancing the region. She sits on the board of the Towson Chamber of Commerce, where she served as President in 2018/2019. Sarah graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor’s of Science in Marketing and currently resides in Cockeysville, Maryland, with her husband, Jamie, and their three sons. When not at work, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family. vacationing at the beach, and enjoying time outdoors with her young children.