Nan Morrison: A Dynamic Businesswoman and Catalyst for the Digital Transformation of the Council for Economic Education

From a search amongst women leaders in business who are flourishing as changemakers, we are excited to introduce a seasoned leader, builder, problem-solver, and change agent who brings a special blend of strategic and operational expertise to efforts in the private and non-profit sectors.

Nan J. Morrison, President and CEO of the Council for Economic Education (CEE), is acknowledged as a thought leader in the field and has been sought after and quoted by numerous publications, including the New York Times, CNBC, Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg; she has also spoken at the Milken Global Conference. Nan holds a B.S. in Applied Mathematics from Yale University (magna cum laude) and an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School, with second-year honors. She has completed seven triathlons.

Nan is a critical thinker who is skilled at cutting through complexity, assessing risk, making decisions and – most importantly – knowing how to get things done. She enjoys helping organizations grow and improve. Being a CEO combines these capabilities and passions – a wonderful match and adventure.

This inspiring leader has a solid background in technology from her work as a partner at BCG and Accenture, experience she has brought to her role leading the Council for Economic Education’s digital transformation. She is knowledgeable about how to use data and technology to meet customer needs and increase profitability. As a dependable relationship builder she has developed team-based collaborative cultures to maintain and motivate talent and build long-lasting relationships with a variety of stakeholders.

Council for Economic Education at a Glance

CEE is a renowned national organization that has trained teachers to teach economics and personal finance to K–12 students for over 70 years. Initially, they used books and workbooks to instruct instructors in economics in small workshops. They continue to teach educators today, but they also now include personal finance. Online options now have a significant role in how they provide teacher training, student programs and classroom lessons (EconEdLink.org), while they continue to offer robust in-person options where relevant. Since its founding they have also taken on an increasingly active advocacy role to increase state requirements for personal finance and economics in K-12 schools.

CEE’s mission is to provide personal financial and economic education to all K–12 children so they can make better decisions for themselves, their families, and their communities.

They carry out their mission by advocating for fair access to this education in every state, by giving teachers training and resources to improve their subject-matter expertise and self-confidence, and by offering high school student programs that encourage learning through competitions and career preparation.

Towards a Solid Path to Financial Stability and Economic Mobility

CEE is focused on equitable access to financial and economic education. Today, about half the states require personal finance or economics to be taught in high school, and in states where these subjects are not required to be taught, students from low and moderate-income communities have the least access to these subjects. It is crucial to teach this material in school since for a variety of reasons these students are less likely to gain an understanding of personal finance and the economy at home.

CEE’s Invest in Girls program is especially focused on introducing low- and moderate-income girls of color to the possibility of a career in financial services, which can provide a strong path to financial stability and economic mobility.

CEE’s Access Zone program has brought financial education to low emoderate income of communities and has dramatically increased the participation of black and Hispanic students in CEE’s National Personal Finance Challenge to nearly 40%.

Standing Ahead of the Competition

The primary characteristic that distinguishes CEE is its outstanding quality. Their teacher feedback surveys consistently receive favorable scores of 90% or higher, and all of the classes and professional development sessions are created and implemented by actual educators. Their advocacy efforts have had an impact on important states. Their student contests are unique.

CEE hires based on a person’s capability. Their diverse team is comprised of more than two-thirds women and two-thirds people of color, resulting in diverse opinions which tend to create stronger outcomes.

“CEE is unique in its commitment to excellence, adherence to our mission, and leadership through our values, which include trust, honesty, respect for the individual, teamwork, transparency, and inclusivity. We have constructed our Access Zone program to ensure equal access for all children, identified a scalable methodology for educator training that is sustainable and leverageable to reach many students, and built a coalition to get more standards to teach our courses in place” Nan notes.

Take on Women’s Entrepreneurship

Everyone has a choice about whether or not they wish to run something. If you are starting a business or considering a change in your existing environment, thinking about how things may be improved or altered is a useful perspective, and something I would urge everyone to undertake.

Hurdles on the Way

Although Nan has had many influential male mentors and supporters, she notes that, as a woman, she was frequently required to demonstrate something in order to advance to the next level, whereas men did so more rapidly based on their trajectory and ability.

Syncing with the Latest Advancements

Teachers and students are the organization’s primary customers and Nan and her team make it a point to consult them when making changes to what and how they educate. This feedback resulted in CEE in adding extra courses on cyber security to their risk-based curriculum standard. They can also quickly respond by posting new or updated lessons online, as they did for analysing COVID’s economic effects and to help children comprehend the true significance of market moves surrounding GameStop.

Achievements and Milestones Along the Way

CEE’s award-winning Financial Fitness for Life curriculum is not only popular with teachers but is often a go-to resource for researchers in the field. Their biennial Survey of the States, a focal point of their advocacy activity, is frequently cited and referred to as the authority on the state of financial and economic education in the US. Through their national network of affiliates, they reach over 40,000 K–12 teachers annually, who in turn reach over 4,000,000 students. CEE’s online teacher resource EconEdLink, has over 500,000 users annually.

Road Ahead

Nan is highly focused on scaling the key programs, with the overall theme of creating equitable access. CEE’s current plans include building on their successful advocacy initiative, growing their National Personal Finance Challenge and Invest in Girls programs, and continuing to leverage new technologies to reach every teacher and student in effective and relevant ways.

Giving Back to the Community

Nan has the good fortune to oversee a business that carries this out daily. She believes that giving back includes any action – no matter how small – that the recipient sees as beneficial. Simple acts like guiding an elderly person across the street or connecting someone to a job lead can have a big impact.

Nan’s Secret Formula of Success

Listen; keep moving ahead; be willing to make decisions even if they are not popular; speak up with your ideas; work smart and with care. Advocate for yourself and build meaningful relationships.