This year's conference has a great line-up of speakers to provide attendees with excellent financial information for every stage of life.

Keynote Speaker:

Dee Lee is a Certified Financial Planner who received a diploma in Financial Planning from Boston University and her MBA from Simmons College. She dissolved her successful financial planning practice for individuals so that she could devote all of her energies to educating the financial consumer. She is a member of the Financial Planning Association and served on their national Board of Directors.

Dee has penned several books, her including:

• Women and Money;Your Personal Finance Guide
• The Complete Idiot's Guide to Retiring Early
• Let's Talk Money
• The Complete Idiot's Guide to 401(k) Plans
  

Because of her broad financial knowledge base, Dee is often consulted as an expert for many TV and radio stations across the country and is a regular contributor to CNBC's Power Lunch.

Check out Dee's website www.deelee.net to find where she is speaking and when she will appear on CNBC. In addition, you can hear her every afternoon on WBZ radio giving personal financial advice or listen online at: www.wbz1030.com/money.

She has been featured in the New York Sunday Times and quoted as a resource in USA Today, Fortune, Money, Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Fidelity Focus, Financial Planning, Smart Money, Worth, Forbes, Journal of Financial Planning, Employee Benefit News, Employee Benefit Plan Review, Fidelity's Stages, and The Wall Street Journal.

Presenters:

Kathy Anderson has 15 years of experience working with all aspects of higher education financing and financial aid. She is Director of College Services for MEFA, where her primary responsibility is meeting with colleges and universities to discuss the options MEFA provides for their students and families to help finance higher education. Prior to joining MEFA, Kathy was an assistant director of financial aid at the University of Georgia, and Director of Financial Aid at Suffolk University Law School. She has also been a consultant to financial aid offices throughout Massachusetts, and has also worked for the Access Group, a non-profit lender focusing on graduate and professional education. Kathy has done numerous presentations throughout the country on financial aid, saving for college, college financing, and debt management to a wide variety of audiences on the local, state and national level. She is chair of MASFAA's Training and Development Committee, and has also participated in the Graduate and Professional Concerns Committee. She holds a BA in English from the University of New Hampshire and an MBA from Brenau University in Georgia.

Julie Bernick is the Regional Director of Education and Community Relations for Money Management International of Massachusetts. She has worked in the financial industry the last 15 years. She provides financial education programs for schools, colleges, community agencies, financial institutions, employee assistance programs and employers. She truly has a passion to empower people to become more financially fit and knowledgeable. Money Management International of Massachusetts, previously Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Southern New England, is a non-profit credit-counseling agency. Money Management International improves lives through financial education. MMI offers budgeting counseling, credit counseling, debt management, foreclosure counseling, bankruptcy counseling and group financial education programs.

Kristy Bowden is the Financial Entertainment Specialist at D2D fund. Kristy works in conjunction with game and new media developers to create and distribute financial entertainment products to the public, as well as nonprofit organizations, financial institutions, employers, and community colleges. Previously, Kristy was the Director of the Digital Media Council in Austin, Texas, establishing ties between education, community, and digital media leaders to promote workforce development and education initiatives in Central Texas. In addition to her work in the nonprofit space, Kristy spent 4 years as an Associate Producer and PR Manager for Roxor Games, an independent game development studio in Austin. Kristy holds both a Masters and a Bachelors degree in Literature from the University of Texas (Permian Basin).

Kurt Czarnowski is the Regional Communications Director for the Social Security Administration (SSA) in New England, a position he has held since December 1991. He began his career with SSA in 1976 as a claims representative in the Framingham, Massachusetts District Office and, since that time, has worked in several different management and staff positions in the Boston area.

A native New Englander, Czarnowski received a Bachelor's degree in History from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, and a Master's degree in Public Administration from Northeastern University.

He currently lives in Norfolk, Massachusetts with his wife, Anne.

As Regional Communications Director, Czarnowski is responsible for coordinating the Social Security Administration's public affairs/public information activities in the six New England states. This past January, he was the featured presenter on "Social Security: What You Need to Know," the Social Security Administration's national webinar for financial service professionals.

Elizabeth Garlow started at ACCION USA in November of 2008, where she is the lead educator and technical assistance provider for ACCION USA's national financial education program, designed to provide microentrepreneurs with education about building, managing and repairing credit, basic money management, small business fundamentals and survival strategies for a slow economy. Prior to joining ACCION USA, Ms. Garlow worked in an international business cooperative to provide financial seminars and business development assistance to a variety of entrepreneurs. She is a graduate of Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, MI.

Zaragoza Guerra joined the NOAH staff in 2009 as a homebuyer counselor. He teaches NOAH's First Time Homebuyer Class and counsels alumni of those classes, as well as participants of NOAH's BHA assistance program, purchase their first home. A Certified Buyer's Representative, Zaragoza has been a real estate agent since 2006. He has helped developers renovate and sell multi-unit condos, helped homeowners ready and sell the family home, and helped buyers successfully find and purchase their first home. He also has solid experience packaging affordable housing applications to city and state agencies on behalf of buyers and Community Development Corporations. Prior to entering the real estate profession, Zaragoza spent many years in higher education. As a college admission officer at MIT and Caltech, his marketing and communication skills resulted in banner years at both schools and earned Caltech a national gold medal for one of its marketing campaigns—marketing skills he still puts into practice. He holds a BA, in Great Books from the University of Notre Dame as well as a Masters Degree in International Education from Harvard University

Amy Hostetter is a Senior Credit Counselor and has served clients with American Consumer Credit Counseling for 10+ years. From her wealth of knowledge and experience she mentors counselors and provides financial counseling throughout the country. She is dedicated, compassionate, and approachable as she conducts workshops throughout Massachusetts.

Education at the YWCA Malden, Laura Lucas is a trusted advisor to local women. Her ardent support of the advancement of women has lead to the founding of several micro-enterprises and access to quality professional development for struggling individuals. An immigrant herself, she also works with first, and second generation, immigrants to release their entrepreneurial spirit and produce family economic stability using proven models of performance excellence.

She brings over 15 years of experience in computer technology and learning systems to financial education and entrepreneurship in the community. She earned a Masters and Bachelors degrees in Computer Science from Boston University and Northeastern University respectively and, as a believer in lifelong learning, has pursued continuing education at various universities including MIT.

Matthew Paradise is the Community Outreach Team Lead and Trainer and has been with American Consumer Credit Counseling for 11 years. As the Outreach Team Lead and Trainer, Mr. Paradise works with the Education and Development team to recruit and train workshop coordinators and volunteers to raise financial education awareness through community workshops. He provides financial literacy classes throughout the Northeast and is certified as a Credit Counselor and Financial Educator.

Dr. Jonas Parker is Program Manager at the Heller School's Institute on Assets and Social Policy (IASP), where he works as a teacher trainer, program designer, and research-evaluator of financial literacy and education projects. He is currently training staff at homeless shelters to use a Financial Education Toolkit for and with their clients - to help them improve money attitudes and values, budgeting and goal setting, repair credit, reduce debt, and navigate our increasingly complex the financial system. Dr. Parker is the core staff person for a program development and evaluation project of Consumer Action's MoneyWi$e Financial Literacy Program. Dr. Parker is also Director of Programs at The Financial Literacy Group, a full service consultancy helping organizations of all sizes and types empower people with financial knowledge and capability. Dr. Parker holds a Bachelor's degree in Media Studies and Environmental Studies from Brown University, and Ph.D. in Social Policy from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management.

Kristy Phillips is the Lead Benefits Advisor with the Boston Regional Office of the U. S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration. As a Benefits Advisor, Ms. Phillips provides technical assistance and customer service to employers and employees in private sector retirement and welfare plans. She also does outreach and education on the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and related laws throughout New England and upstate New York.

Ms. Phillips obtained a Bachelor of Arts from Boston College and a Master of Science from Northeastern University. She received her J.D. from Suffolk University Law School in Boston and is admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Federal District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Tom Powers is a Senior Vice President at Moors and Cabot. His twenty plus years experience in the in the securities industry, allow him to customize solutions for each individual he works with. He began his career in the in 1987, at Prudential Securities. Tom served for many years as Senior Vice President at Tucker Anthony and ran the firms Boston fixed income trading desk. To help facilitate serving his clients Tom holds numerous securities licenses including, general securities representative, Municipal principals license, and that of "registered investment advisor representative". Among the services that Tom is knowledgeable are fixed income investments, portfolio management, IRA & rollovers, and 401K assessments/plan reviews.

Tom and his family have lived in Medfield, Massachusetts for the last 15 years. He volunteers his time with the Boys Scouts of America, and serves as the Troop Committee Chair, for Troop 10. He has volunteered at High School career days, and also serves his Town as a Committee member. Moors & Cabot was established in 1890 is one of the country's oldest brokerage houses. The company was founded by John Moors & Charles Cabot to handle the personal investments of if the founders, their families, and friends. It still operates on Devonshire Street, its original home.

Martha joined MEFA in 2006 providing direction for the College Services Team and is currently the Director of External Relations. Martha began her career in admissions at Dean College and entered financial aid at Fitchburg State College, first as the Assistant Director and then as Director. She also served as Director of Financial Aid at Harvard Graduate School of Education for 7 years. She then became the Director of the Office of Student Services at the MGH Institute of Health Professions with responsibility for the oversight of the offices of Admissions, Financial Aid, Bursar and Registrar. Martha has been a presenter at various conferences on the state, regional and national levels on saving, planning and paying for college.

Julie joined MEFA in February 2007 and is currently the Director of Early College Planning. She provides expertise and assistance related to MEFA's programs and services to Massachusetts colleges and universities and others around the state. From 2003-2007 Julie coordinated the College Board's financial aid activities in the New England region. She previously worked for Nellie Mae and American Express Educational Loans. She also worked for 13 years in financial aid at Harvard University where she was Director of Financial Aid at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Julie has been involved with the Massachusetts Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (MASFAA) in a variety of positions and committees since 1993. Her numerous professional positions have given her the opportunity to present to varied audiences at many state conferences and meetings throughout the New England region. Julie is currently state tri-chair of College Goal Sunday in Massachusetts. She holds degrees from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Cambridge

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and currently works as a portfolio manager at Boston Advisors, LLC. Lisa has 12 years of experience in the development and use of quantitative investment management tools, focused primarily on small cap investments for institutional clients. Lisa earned a B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross and an M.A. from the Fletcher School at Tufts University. She recently joined the board of Early Investors, a non-profit organization devoted to raising the financial literacy of young adults through financial education, asset building and wealth management.

Constance Theodossiou is a NCHEC certified Housing Counselor and Foreclosure Prevention Manager with the Neighborhood of Affordable Housing. She has counseled over 400 distressed homeowners over the past two years. As a counselor, she teaches weekly seminars, negotiates loan restructuring options with servicers, and provides personal financial guidance. Constance previously was French attorney licensed with the Paris Bar, and she is a 2008 graduate of the Masters Degree in Banking and Financial Law at BU Law School.