South Carolina Financial Educators Council: About, Mission, Advisory Board
The South Carolina Financial Educators Council℠ is committed to helping people across the state gain access to financial education programming that helps them work toward financial wellness. To this end, we provide complimentary resources, advocacy campaigns, and local personal support to build scalable financial wellness initiatives.
The mission of the South Carolina Financial Educators Council℠ is to build sustainable, scalable economic empowerment programs that have a real impact on people’s lives at the community level.
South Carolina & Regional Advisory Board
The South Carolina Financial Educators Council Advisory Board members come from diverse backgrounds, yet share one similar goal – to help push the financial wellness movement forward. Board members serve in a variety of roles to support the Leadership Team to develop leading educational resources, expand our business, and create positive social change.
Founding Members
Southeast Coastal Regional Advisory Board Members
State Chapter Details & Affiliation with National Council
TheSouth Carolina Financial Educators Council℠ is a chapter of the National Financial Educators Council®. The National chapter is well-qualified to support our initiatives here across the state of South Carolina. They bring:
Accreditation
As an IACET Accredited Provider, the NFEC offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard.
Social Impact
As a Certified B Corporation, the NFEC meets the highest standards for socially responsible commerce, using the power of business to build more sustainable economies.
Standards
The NFEC set industry standards for the financial education industry and materials are developed with the highest educational outcomes in mind.
LaQuetta McGill
Lender Optimization Consultant
An energetic, results-oriented community leader, LaQuetta McGill possesses more than two decades of experience spanning the banking, insurance, financial services, and sales sectors. She earned her BS in Business Administration from Columbia Southern University in 2009; and possesses credentials as a Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor, Certified Personal Financial Wellness Consultant (CPFWC), and Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI®). She currently serves dual roles as Lender Optimization Consultant with TruStage and Founder/CEO of MyPLAN Consulting Group and its nonprofit financial education arm, MyPLAN Forward.
McGill’s previous career experience includes Vice President at VyStar Credit Union, district and regional leadership positions, and championing leadership development initiatives. Her community service commitment has led to her participation on several boards and committees including the City of Daytona Beach Affordable Housing Advisory Board, Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce Board & Strategic Planning Committee, United Way of Volusia-Flagler, and the Midtown Community Development Corporation Board. LaQuetta also is a member of The Links, Incorporated.
LaQuetta McGill founded MyPLAN Consulting Group, LLC with a mission to equip youth, families, and communities – particularly those often excluded from traditional financial learning opportunities – with high-impact financial education that helps them develop a foundation of money management, confidence, and self-sufficiency. The South Carolina Financial Educators Council recognizes LaQuetta’s dynamism, collaboration, and capability to inspire change and looks forward to working with her toward accomplishing our shared vision.
Chicarra Jones
Creator and Lead Instructor, BankWork$
Chicarra Jones is a highly accomplished financial educator, advisor, and author with a mission to empower individuals and communities through financial literacy and wealth-building strategies. With over 15 years of experience in the banking industry, Jones has worked with some of the nation’s largest financial institutions – including Chase Bank and Wells Fargo, where she developed deep expertise in personal finance, credit management, and wealth planning.
A proud graduate of Central State University, where she pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and received a BBA, Chicarra later earned her MBA from Strayer University. She is also the author of Black Wealth Rising, a groundbreaking resource dedicated to promoting financial empowerment and closing the wealth gap in the Black community.
Jones’ passion for education began in the classroom, serving as a college professor for more than five years teaching business and finance courses. This experience strengthened her commitment to making financial education accessible and actionable for everyone, regardless of background or income level.
Chicarra is also the creator and lead instructor of the BankWork$ program, a transformative initiative that has successfully trained over 200 individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to secure careers in banking and finance. Through this program she has helped countless people gain financial stability and professional growth.
Combining academic expertise, real-world banking experience, and a passion for financial freedom, Chicarra Jones delivers workshops, advisory services, and educational resources that help individuals take control of their financial futures. Her work is rooted in the belief that financial literacy is not just knowledge – it’s power, and it’s the key to building generational wealth.
Renee Price
Certified Financial Education Instructor, Birmingham, AL
Renee Price, CFEI®, CPM, and President of Work Smart Solutions in Birmingham, AL, is a Financial Strategist and entrepreneur with a focus on helping small businesses and founders become financially, operationally, and compliance-ready for sustainable growth. A lifetime educator, she earned an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Lawson State Community College; and credentials as a Certified Project Manager (CPM) from Star Global College and Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI®) from the National Financial Educators Council. Price also is a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program and the Momentum Women’s Leadership program.
As founder of Work Smart and several other successful ventures, Renee has spent more than 10 years working with entrepreneurs to strengthen their financial foundations – from bookkeeping and tax strategy to operational systems that support long-term scalability and sustainability. In 2023 she was named one of the Top 40 Under 40 by the Birmingham Business Journal – Birmingham’s most prestigious honor for young achievers in business, civic and social accomplishments.
Renee’s small business support initiatives are grounded in the belief that access to capital alone is not enough. Many businesses fail to grow or sustain investment because they lack financial clarity, structure, and alignment. Her approach helps close that gap by preparing entrepreneurs to meet the expectations of lenders, investors, partners, and public-sector stakeholders.
Through her financial education pursuits, Renee supports economic empowerment by equipping individuals, families, and entrepreneurs with the tools, processes, and financial discipline they need to build strong, resilient financial foundations and contribute meaningfully to their communities. She is particularly passionate about supporting underserved business founders and emerging ecosystems where sustainable growth requires both opportunity and preparation.
Renee Price joins the AFEC Advisory Board with an objective to ensure that more Alabamans – especially women and small business owners – gain the financial confidence they need to thrive.
Craig Hill
Founder & CEO of SPENDiD
Craig Hill was selected to serve on the Alabama Financial Educators Council (AFEC) Advisory Board due to his leadership in the personal finance management sector and his commitment to improving financial wellness for Alabamians and beyond. His business and personal experience, academic achievements, and credentials place Advisory Board Member Craig Hill in powerful alignment with the objectives and vision of the AFEC’s parent organization, the National Financial Educators Council.
Advisory Board members are chosen according to stringent criteria for professionalism, integrity, and innovative approaches to financial wellness promotion. Hill’s entrepreneurial nature and professional background position him to make unique contributions to the organization’s mission. The Alabama Financial Educators Council anticipates a positive and mutually beneficial relationship with Craig Hill in the months and years to come.
Democratizing Financial Well-being: Craig Hill
With almost two decades of experience as a Chief Financial Officer in the steel industry and the entrepreneurial spirit to found SPENDiD, my journey has been one of continuous learning and leadership in financial management. This path has been further enriched by my academic background, holding a BS in Accounting and Business Administration from The University of Alabama, and solidified by professional certifications as a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA). These experiences and credentials have not only sharpened my financial acumen, but also instilled in me a profound passion for financial wellness and literacy.
My goal in joining the financial wellness cause is rooted in a desire to democratize financial literacy, making it accessible and understandable to individuals from all walks of life. This passion is driven by my firsthand observation of the transformative impact that informed financial decision-making can have on individuals and families. When we lift the fog, the way forward gets much clearer. My motivation stems from a belief that financial wellness should be a universally attainable goal, not just a privilege for the few.
Through SPENDiD and MyBudgetReport, I have pioneered tools that simplify the complex world of finance into actionable insights for everyday people. This unique position enables me to contribute a practical perspective to the financial wellness movement, merging technological innovation with financial education. My expertise in predictive cash flow analysis and budgeting-as-a-service tools exemplifies my commitment to creating solutions that foster financial independence and confidence.
It is with great honor that I embrace the opportunity to serve on the Alabama Financial Educators Council’s Advisory Board. I am eager to contribute to this vital cause, leveraging my expertise to enhance the financial literacy landscape. My commitment is to work tirelessly to empower as many people as possible with the knowledge and tools they need to achieve financial wellness, making a lasting impact on the financial health of individuals and families across the country.
Evelyn Magley
CEO of The Basketball League (TBL)
A philanthropist, visionary, and history-maker, Evelyn Magley is the first woman and first African American woman to own a professional men’s sports league in the United States – not just a team, but a whole league. As owner and CEO of The Basketball League (TBL), Magley leads a professional basketball organization that began operation in the U.S. in 2019 and has a stated mission to deliver a world-class entertainment experience to its communities, fans, and players. TBL provides players who, for one reason or another, do not participate in the NBA or G-League with opportunities to make a living playing the game they love on a professional basis.
Leading up to her current role, Magley has been an educator and dedicated community servant for decades. Qualified as a Music Educator and Music Therapist, she has a passion for making a positive impact on the lives of young people. In an accomplishment that illustrates this commitment, a $3.7 million Fine Arts Building was constructed to house and educate students in a music program that grew to an 89% participation rate under her tutelage in Bradenton, Florida.
Promoting Financial Education as a Key Life Skill: Evelyn Magley
A graduate of the University of Kansas, Evelyn Magley co-founded “Children with Purpose,” an inner-city ministry focused on mentoring children through the gospel, academic services, hot meals, and music. She also is the former Director of Community Engagement at the Brampton A’s of the National Basketball League (NBL) of Canada. As a liaison between the league and the city of Brampton, she scaled the forward-facing programming of the NBL, professional basketball teams, and nonprofit organizations within the community at large. Now she brings this expertise to bear on her TBL leadership efforts.
Under Magley’s leadership, TBL is dedicated to providing its host communities with professional basketball teams that offer an affordable, high-quality family entertainment experience. And the league’s community contributions go far beyond its professional-level basketball games that entertain local families. TBL supports local youth through school and group appearances, youth camps, clinics, and nonprofit organizations. The league also gives its players educational opportunities to learn from nationally acclaimed life skills classes – including training in financial literacy, health and wellness, nutrition, preventive medicine, and sports biomechanics.
Magley’s commitment to community service also has financial wellness as a large component. For example, she was the driving force behind the TBL Financial Literacy Campaign that kicked off in 2020 with the objective to train TBL teams, executives, and staff how to teach personal finance. More than 70 participants registered for the Certified Financial Education Instructor course as part of this initiative.
Magley’s position as owner and CEO of The Basketball League represents the culmination of her lifelong passion for sports and community involvement. Her participation in the Advisory Board is vital to the Florida Financial Educators Council’s efforts to promote financial wellness across Florida.
Tina Browning
Vice President, Banking, Effingham County, GA, CFEI®
Tina Browning is the owner of T.E.A. Financial, Regional Bank Officer, NFEC Certified Financial Education Instructor & Speaker. I have over 25 years of dedicated community leadership in the financial industry. Currently, I serve as Vice President, Banking Center Manager in the East Coast Region for a large financial institution.
Tina Browning came to Savannah, GA from the blue-grass state of Kentucky in 1992 with a business franchise relocation. As CEO of her company, her position as a successful businesswoman allowed her to partner with local businesses, individuals and community nonprofits as an advocate in helping them start and successfully run a small business. Tina ran her sales and service corporation serving Coastal Georgia and the Low Country for over 13 years. Tina has earned many Top Sales and Service Awards and has been recognized for her involvement in public speaking, mentorship of local business owners, and her service in many areas of philanthropic community involvement, including serving on the board of the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce and as Lt. Governor of Georgia District Optimist International at the state-level. Currently, Tina serves on numerous prestigious Board of Directors. For example, the Effingham Health Systems Board of Directors, American Hospital Association Board of Governance, Board Treasurer of the S.I.D.C. Inc. Savannah Interagency Diversity Committee and GROW Initiative GA. Inc. In 2005, Tina chose to use her financial expertise in small business and love for community to venture a new career path after having been recruited into the “Mega-Bank World”. There, Tina excelled quickly and mastered every area of banking leadership such as consumer and commercial lending, and small business banking. In 2012, Tina was promoted into branch management at a local community bank where she ultimately served as Assistant Vice President. Later, she spear-headed the merger and acquisition process of what would result in her banking home of Queensborough National Bank & Trust where she advanced her career as the Retail Operations Branch Manager. Her dedication gained her yet another promotion as the Q-Works Program Coordinator in 2016. This position allowed Tina to ddo what she loves the most, serving her business community in teaching financial literacy in all areas and levels of consumer and business banking finance. In July of 2017, Tina and her family moved to Effingham County where they currently reside. Tina’s roots come from a solid foundation of faith, family and a love for her family’s farm, where she grew up. She just celebrated 41 years of marriage to her “Superman”, Alvis, who is employed at Georgia Pacific. They have one son that earned his B.F.A. Degree in Sound Engineering from Savannah College of Art & Design. Tina enjoys serving her community as a Balloon Artist where she focuses on teaching kindness and the “Beatitudes” through the art of Ballooning as Ms. T & Stinger the Bee, “Bumble Bee Ballooning”. This calling encourages our youth and senior assisted living. Additionally, Tina enjoys global mission work, loves folklore storytelling.
Jervis Hough
Chief Compliance Officer / Chief Operating Officer, Blaylock Van
Jervis Hough brings more than two decades of experience in financial services to his role on the GFEC Advisory Board, with specialties in broker-dealer and registered investment advisory (RIA) compliance. His distinguished career has included being a compliance examiner for FINRA and serving executive roles at Merrill Lynch and IFS Securities, Inc. Currently he is COO, Chief Compliance Officer, and Senior Vice President at Blaylock Van LLC, a full-service investment banking and financial services firm.
Jervis Hough holds a Master of Science in Applied Economics (Finance and Real Estate concentration) and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Clemson University; is a Certified Securities Compliance Professional® (CSCP®); and maintains FINRA Series 7, 24, 53, 63, 79, and 99 registrations. He has served on several executive boards and committees, including the Industry Diversity Advisory Committee (IDAC) and RXMD; and currently sits on the Board of Directors of NextPlat (NASDAQ: NXPL) and the National African Americans in Insurance Association (NAAIA) Foundation.
As a GFEC Advisory Board member, Jervis has a stated goal of ensuring that high-quality financial literacy resources become accessible to every student in the state of Georgia, regardless of background or location. He feels committed to empowering Georgia youth with the fundamental financial knowledge that supports economic well-being across all the life stages. His belief that students must learn beyond classroom theory to grasp money management concepts they can apply to real-world decisions lies behind his efforts to make practical financial wellness resources available to all Georgians.
By employing collaborative frameworks and data‑driven best practices, Jervis Hough aims to design and deploy scalable, flexible financial wellness programs capable of being customized to diverse learning environments across Georgia and around the country.
Philip Herzberg
Lead Financial Advisor at Team Hewins
Philip Herzberg, CFP®, CDFA®, CTFA, AEP® is a lead financial advisor at Team Hewins, a wealth management firm with offices in South Florida and the San Francisco Bay Area. As a Certified Financial Planner® professional, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® practitioner, Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor, and Accredited Estate Planner® designee, Philip uses his expertise to help clients implement tax-efficient investment, retirement, and estate planning strategies.
A regular Journal of Financial Planning columnist, Herzberg has authored or contributed to over 60 peer-reviewed estate, tax, and financial planning articles. Philip has been cited as an authority in regional and national media publications, including the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, CNBC, AARP, Kiplinger, Financial Planning, Morningstar, MarketWatch, Barron’s, InvestmentNews, Financial Advisor Magazine, TheStreet, Miami Herald, and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Spreading the Financial Education Message Wide: Philip Herzberg
Herzberg has been a featured speaker for local and national professional organization audiences such as the Estate Planning Council, Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants (FICPA), Financial Planning Association (FPA), United Way, and the Jewish Community Foundation’s Professional Advisory Council (PAC). He currently serves as a CFP® Board Ambassador and is Chair of the Jewish Federation of Broward County’s Advisor Philanthropy Initiative (API). He also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Estate Planning Council of Boca Raton and Collaborative Family Law Institute.
He served as 2018-19 President of the Estate Planning Council of Greater Miami and is a Past President of the FPA of Florida and the FPA of Miami.
Herzberg’s strong background and expertise make him a highly-esteemed member of the Florida Financial Educators Council Advisory Board.