MUSCLE SHOALS, AL (June 21, 2023) — When Alabama Governor Kay Ivey recently signed House Bill 164 into law requiring high school students to complete a personal financial literacy and money management course before graduation, she brought two parallel missions to light.
One mission is that of Representative Andy Whitt (Harvest, AL) and co-sponsor Senator Jay Hovey (Auburn, AL) to represent the interests of credit unions, banks, and other financial institutions in bringing financial literacy education to high schools across Alabama.
The other mission is a decades-long quest by Listerhill Credit Union to educate students and families on financial literacy initiatives as well as safety and soundness to promote financial health and wellness in local communities.
“Financial literacy was the original catalyst for forming Listerhill in 1952,” said Brad Green, President and CEO of Listerhill. “Our founders saw the need to provide financial options to the predatory lending that was prevalent in our area, and from that financial education has been an ongoing part of Listerhill’s mission.”
Green said that Listerhill has been actively involved not only in supporting the passage of HB 164, but that its efforts in advocating for financial literacy and wellness also extend to visiting Washington, D.C. each year to meet with legislators and decision-makers on key issues affecting Listerhill members and financial consumers nationwide.
“We are constantly advocating for our members and our communities in Alabama and Tennessee,” said Green. “Sometimes that involves having some very challenging conversations, but we stand behind our commitment to improving lives in our community through whatever processes we have available to us.”
According to Sarah Evans, Director of Financial Health at Listerhill, the credit union has been involved with local financial literacy efforts for decades.
“What some people may not appreciate about credit unions like Listerhill is that they have been proactively promoting financial health in the community for years,” said Evans. Evans added that representatives from Listerhill have been teaching financial literacy courses in high schools, colleges, and local businesses at no cost to the organizations since the early nineties.
“Listerhill is ecstatic that every high school in Alabama will be teaching financial literacy courses to students,” said Evans. “But Listerhill has always been a trailblazer in that respect, and we’re happy to provide that leadership in our communities.”
As part of its continued efforts to bring increased financial literacy to local schools and businesses. Listerhill has partnered with Banzai to provide online financial educational tools and resources to its members as well as the community at large, according to Evans.
“Listerhill is excited to fulfill our mission of improving lives by expanding our capability to serve our local communities through financial education and offering the credit union difference to more people everyday,” said Green. “We are excited to see others embrace something we’ve worked to provide from day one.”
Listerhill Representatives in Washington
Listerhill Representatives in Washington
Listerhill Credit Union is a nonprofit, member-owned financial institution. Founded by Shoals residents 72 years ago, Listerhill has grown to include 94,000 members, $1.3 billion in assets and 17 branches in north Alabama and southcentral Tennessee. For more information, please visit www.listerhill.com or call 800-239-6033.
Drew Edwards
(256) 383-9204, ext. 1279
dedwards@listerhill.com
