Treasurer Lemoine Commemorates Financial Literacy Day in Maine

April 8, 2008

(AUGUSTA) – State Treasurer David Lemoine today joined Governor Baldacci, Speaker Glenn Cummings, and Maine State Housing Director Dale McCormick at a press conference in the Hall of Flags at the State House to recognize Financial Literacy Day in Maine and Financial Literacy for Mainers Month.

Organized by the Portland-based Institute for Financial Literacy, the event showcased a number of organizations from around the state that are working to educate Maine people in the area of personal financial management.

“It’s a great honor to work with organizations such as the Institute for Financial Literacy to provide tools to Mainers to help them better manage their financial lives,” said Lemoine.

The Governor read a proclamation and praised the financial literacy efforts of the State Treasurer’s Office. “This is something that I feel strongly about,” said Governor Baldacci, “and I’d like to recognize the leadership of the Treasurer on this.”

The Council for Financial Literacy, chaired by the State Treasurer, recently awarded $50,000 in non-tax money to financial literacy programs in Maine. These limited public funds leveraged approximately $400,000 in existing private money for both proven programs and for new innovations in teaching financial literacy.

“Financial literacy is gaining widespread attention and support around the nation and here in Maine,” noted the Treasurer. “The strong support for the programs right here can be seen by the private resources and public action being applied to the challenge.”

For more information on the Treasurer’s financial literacy activities, visit www.maine.gov/treasurer/teachmefinlit or contact Kevin Thurston, director of special projects, at 624-7476 or at kevin.thurston@maine.gov.