Patelco's Dangerfield named Financial Educator of the Year

DUBLIN, CA, UNITED STATES, April 17, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Patelco Credit Union Senior Financial Wellbeing Educator Veronica Dangerfield has been named 2025 Educator of the Year by The Institute for Financial Literacy’s EIFLE Awards, recognizing excellence in Effective and Actionable Financial Literacy Education. The EIFLE Awards annually honor individuals and programs for exceptional innovation, dedication and commitment to the field of financial literacy education.

Dangerfield created Patelco’s standout digital learning platform during the COVID era, featuring short, easy-to-understand financial literacy education videos and webinars addressing members’ everyday financial questions. The program has seen phenomenal engagement and growth, with 230 financial wellness workshops and webinars in 2024 that reached 7,500 live attendees, registrations grew 24 percent year over year and saw 181,000 social media engagements.

“Teaching is my passion, so I had to address how to make a class about finances fun,” Dangerfield said. “I have been asked why I teach financial literacy to people who have little money. Everything in life is a temporary situation. We all have a bright and successful financial future. Money is never a terminal problem.”

A 15-year Patelco employee and 30-year financial literacy education veteran, Dangerfield embodies the organization’s mission of financial education for all and its passion for helping people achieve financial well-being. She is a multi-national-award winner recognized for her unique approach that combines her vibrant personality as a professional comedienne and published poet with inspired and engaging programming and a passion for empowering underserved markets and youth. Many of her students are regular followers of her programming who have built their financial foundation over years under Dangerfield’s guidance.

Courses feature fundamentals around Patelco’s four pillars of financial wellbeing – spend, save, borrow and plan – as well as deep-dives around timely special interest areas such as women overcoming financial barriers, essential tax season updates, estate planning and fraud prevention.

Patelco’s full suite of financial education offerings are available to all members as part of its focus on accessible, valuable financial guidance combined with convenient services tailored to individual member needs. Many of the courses and offerings are free and available without membership.

Additional offerings include:
• A financial wellness library with how-to articles by member interest area, such as budgeting, college and retirement planning;
• The Small Talks for Big Change financial wellness podcast, covering financial trends and personal finance topics;
• Patelco Certified financial specialists for personalized planning and support;
• The Patelco At Work no-cost program for employers, bringing certified financial coaches to help educate their employees on lunch hours and in breakrooms;
• More resources through partnerships with BALANCE and Banzai offering free, dedicated financial wellness services and programs and financial literacy courses for kids, teens and young adults, respectively.

Patelco is anticipating over 500 financial education and community events for 2025. To learn more, visit www.patelco.org.

About the EIFLE Awards
The Institute for Financial Literacy, a leading national organization dedicated to promoting effective financial education and counseling, established the Excellence in Financial Literacy Education (EIFLE) Awards to celebrate individuals who are deeply committed to advancing financial education.

About Patelco Credit Union
Patelco Credit Union is a not-for-profit credit union committed to serving the financial health and well-being of its membership. With more than $9 billion in assets, Patelco empowers its 500,000 members to live their best financial lives by offering personalized solutions, advice and expertise. The company was founded in 1936 with $500 by Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company employees and is based in Dublin, Ca. For more information, visit https://www.patelco.org/.

Brian Davis
Patelco
+1 925-913-0041
press@patelco.org