2024 Chair, Vice Chair Named
DENVER—The National Endowment for Financial Education® (NEFE®) welcomes two new members to its Board of Trustees. Nancy Kim-Yun, senior vice president of ecosystems and partnerships with NSS Partners; and Beth Lesen, Ph.D., vice president of student affairs at California State University-Long Beach, have joined the 16-member board.
We are grateful to have Nancy and Beth join our Board of Trustees. Their backgrounds will enhance our leadership group that offers diverse expertise and an unwavering commitment to advance financial education. The collective thoughtful perspectives from our leadership are pivotal in guiding NEFE toward continued success to ensure that everyone has the knowledge, confidence and opportunity to live their best financial life. - Billy Hensley, Ph.D., president and CEO of NEFE
The NEFE Board of Trustees also announces that it has named Jason W. Young, co-founder and CEO of Mindblown Labs and partner of Totally Human in Atlanta, as chair for 2024; and Dionne Blue, Ph.D., chief impact officer at YWCA USA in Columbus, Ohio, as vice chair.
Nancy Kim-Yun
Nancy Kim-Yun serves as chief of staff for Childhood Cancer-Data Integration for Research, Education, Care and Clinical Trials (CC-DIRECT), a White House initiative under President Biden to reduce 50% of cancer deaths in 25 years. CC-DIRECT supports children, adolescents and young adults throughout their cancer journey, offering patient navigation support to families seeking information and optimal care. CC-DIRECT, a public-private partnership with over 22 participating organizations, works toward developing a patient-centered, standard, portable and shareable health record to facilitate care, research and clinical trial participation.
Previously, as managing director of health ecosystems, Kim-Yun worked across the University of California-Irvine (UCI) health, research and operations enterprise, collaborating externally with the broader global health ecosystem to achieve a true digital transformation for health in a digital world. Kim-Yun retired from the Boeing Company where she served in multiple executive positions. Before Boeing, Kim-Yun was a strategy consultant for Fortune 200 companies. She is co-founder of Caravive, an automated ghost kitchen start-up, and Vertum Innovate, a hyper-local weather data start-up for corporate planning, logistics and customer service. Kim-Yun serves on private and nonprofit boards, including the Southern California Society for Information Management and Help Me Grow. She received her MBA from the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) Anderson Graduate School of Management, and a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts from UCI (cum laude) in computer science and psychology.
“The opportunity to serve on the NEFE Board with esteemed colleagues is an honor. NEFE is addressing a significant gap in accessibility to effective financial education. I look forward to working with NEFE’s dedicated staff and board colleagues to progress financial education for all. - Nancy Kim-Yun
Beth Lesen, Ph.D.
Beth Lesen, Ph.D., is vice president of student affairs at California State University (CSU)-Long Beach, a position she has held since June 2020. As one of the largest public universities in California, CSU-Long Beach serves a diverse student body, primarily comprised of first-generation college attendees and those eligible for PELL grants. Before assuming her role at CSU-Long Beach, Lesen served as assistant vice president and dean of students at Sacramento State. Prior to that, she dedicated 12 years to the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York City and held various positions at the State University of New York (SUNY) Buffalo.
Throughout her career, Lesen has focused on key areas, including (but not limited to) mental health, disability services, DEI work and basic needs support for students in financial crisis. Noteworthy accomplishments include originating the Basic Needs program at Sacramento State, building a fully staffed Office of Multicultural Affairs with several cultural resource centers, and spearheading the development of a comprehensive mental health strategic plan at CSU-Long Beach, receiving national attention. Lesen earned her Ph.D. in psychology and a master’s degree in education from SUNY Buffalo. In addition to her work on various college campuses, Lesen serves on the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Region VI Board and the board for the American Council on Education’s Women’s Leadership Network for Southern California. Additionally, she is a Long Beach City Commissioner, holds a position on the board for the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services and is mother to two pretty great kids.
“It’s truly an honor to serve an organization making such a strong national impact. NEFE continues to catalyze and curate the best practices for financial education and is leading the country in making large-scale, positive systemic change in this area. It’s an exciting time for NEFE and for financial education. - Beth Lesen, Ph.D.
Read more on the NEFE Board of Trustees.
