HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Credit Union Association praised the efforts of Gov. Edward Rendell in signing an Executive Order on April 29 establishing the Governor's Task Force for Working Families and creating the Office of Financial Education to focus on improving financial education and literacy skills to help working families in tight budget times. Gov. Rendell appointed State Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Philadelphia) and Secretary of Banking William Schenck as co-chairmen of the task force. Hilary Hunt was named director of the Office of Financial Education. Representing credit unions on the task force are Barb Fortney, CEO, LANCO FCU, Lancaster, and Mike Wishnow, svp, communications and marketing, PCUA. The task force is made up of more than 60 other members from the General Assembly, state government agencies, businesses, institutions, and community-based organizations that will work collaboratively towards helping working families. Task force members are charged by the Governor with identifying strategies and programs to build incomes and assets for working families, promoting financial education and literacy, and protecting working families from abuse financial services. The Office of Financial Education will be responsible for ensuring consumers in Pennsylvania have access to financial education programs and information, and will work across state agencies under the Governor's jurisdiction, to promote financial literacy in Pennsylvania. "We are pleased that the Governor recognized the need for promoting personal finance through the establishment of this task force," said PCUA President/CEO Jim McCormack. "Credit unions have a long history of helping working families in Pennsylvania, so we are pleased to be included on this task force to offer our experience and knowledge." -

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