Financial Beginnings

Executive Director, Melody Thompson

Melody Thompson holds a MBA in Finance and Public Administration and a BS in Business Administration and Finance. Before co-founding Financial Beginnings in 2005, Melody worked as a Marketing Specialist and Liability Claims Representative for Farmer’s Insurance Group. Her previous professional experience includes working as a Registered Representative at World Financial Group, serving as a Customer Account Specialist for Volkswagen Credit Inc., and serving as Department Lead at Meier & Frank Collections Department. Melody also serves as a Board Member of the Oregon Jump$tart Coalition and was appointed to Board Chair in 2008. Her appointment to Board Chair stemmed, in part, from the role she played in reviving the Oregon chapter.” Additionally, in 2008 Melody was appointed by Peter Courtney, President of the Oregon State Legislature, to a state-level task force regarding fiscal literacy. The Task Force on Civics and Finance Education was asked to “study and make recommendations on how to increase and improve civics and financial education in kindergarten through grade 12 in public schools.” On two occasions Melody has presented to the state legislature regarding her work with the task force and in the financial education industry. Melody continues to work closely with State and Regional governments as well as local and national nonprofits who share a common mission of promoting financial literacy. In addition to her formal duties as Financial Beginnings’ Executive Director, Melody fields numerous inquiries from community groups and individuals throughout the country who wish to make an impact in the financial education industry.

Financial literacy and responsible financial management are deep-rooted passions for Melody. Click here to read more about the history and experiences that helped shape Financial Beginnings.

Sean Edwards, Board President

Sean Edwards is a native Oregonian and is active in the Portland community. He is currently a Corporate Banker with Bank of the West’s National Banking Division in Portland, focusing on upper-middle market and sponsor financed companies headquartered in Oregon, Idaho, and SW Washington. Sean began his finance career at Washington Mutual Bank (WaMu) in its Commercial Banking Division in Seattle. Following several years at WaMu, Sean continued his commercial banking career at Columbia Bank in Seattle in a business development role. In May 2007, Sean returned to Portland to join Bank of the West in his current position. Sean is currently the Chairman of the United Way Young Leaders Society in Portland, he is on the Board of Directors for CODA, Inc. and the Leadership Board for the YWCA of Greater Portland. Sean also volunteers through Banking on the Future – Operation Hope and Financial Beginnings, where he teaches financial literacy in the local public schools. Sean has a BS in Business Administration with a focus in Finance and a minor in Macro-Economic Policy from Oregon State University. In his spare time, Sean is an avid golfer, skier, biker, and fly-fisherman.

Clifton Molatore, Board Secretary

Clifton is currently a partner with the law firm Miller Nash. As a partner in Miller Nash's business department, Clifton focuses his practice on commercial financing, public financing, tribal financing, general business, mergers and acquisitions, and loan workouts and restructurings. Clifton is a member of the Oregon and California State Bars. Before joining Miller Nash, was an associate at O'Melveny & Myers LLP in Los Angeles, California. Clifton is the current chairman of the Financial Institutions/Commercial Finance Committee of the Oregon State Bar. Clifton received his bachelor's degree in arts and English from the University of Oregon. He received his law degree, Order of the Coif, from the University of Oregon School of Law, where he served as executive editor of the Oregon Law Review. Clifton enjoys fly fishing and golf.

Jim Hunt, Board Treasurer

Jim Hunt is currently the Chief Financial Officer of OnPoint Community Credit Union. He oversees the accounting and finance areas of Oregon’s largest credit union. Before joining OnPoint, he was a Senior Vice President in the Treasury group at Washington Mutual. He previously held positions as that company’s Senior Vice President, Financial Planning and Analysis and First Vice President, Corporate Development. Prior to that, Jim spent 14 years within the Finance division of Fleet Mortgage Group, a company that was acquired by and subsequently merged with Washington Mutual. Jim is also a CPA licensed in the state of Oregon and a CFA charterholder. In his spare time Jim enjoys reading and working in the yard. He and his family live in Portland.

Senator Rick Metsger

Senator Metsger started his professional career as a teacher at Sam Barlow High School in Gresham, Oregon and later served as an assistant basketball coach at his alma mater, Lewis & Clark College. He also served on the board of directors as vice-chairman of the Portland Teachers Credit Union—now known as OnPoint Community Credit Union. Metsger was first elected to the Oregon Senate in 1998 and was re-elected in 2002 and 2006. He has served as a legislative leader in the areas of transportation, early childhood development, career training and consumer protection.

Michael Parker

Michael has served the State of Oregon in a number of capacities for more than 18 years. In addition to his service to the State, Michael served his local community as a former member of the Salem/Keizer School Board. In his current position as Executive Director of the Oregon 529 College Savings Network, Michael is responsible for all aspects of the state’s 529 college savings operations, including investment oversight, portfolio construction, marketing, plan design, and budgeting. Michael has been working on the state’s 529 program since the law passed in 1999 and coordinated the launch of the state’s first plan in January 2001. In 2006, Michael developed and launched the State Treasurer’s Reading is an Investment program, a statewide elementary school literacy and financial education program. Michael is a graduate of the University of Oregon, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Communications. Michael lives in Salem with his wife and two daughters.

Tiffani Penson

Tiffani Penson is a native Oregonian and very involved in the community. She is currently divides her time at the City of Portland as the Bureau Support Manager for Mayor Sam Adams Summer Youth Connect Program and the Program Manager for Procurement Services Minority Evaluator Program. She specializes in building valuable internal and external community relationship, creating and executing programs to improve youth engagement, improving government processes and creating outreach opportunities for bureaus which combined leads to successful sustainable city programs. She also enjoys her outreach role for the City of Portland’s “Your Sustainable City” program which targets communities providing city information and available services for the public. She is a firm believer of the mission and message of financial literacy for all and has made Financial Beginnings an official partner of Mayor Adams Summer Youth Connect. In addition to her duties, she was presented the 2008 Youth Champion Award from City Council on behalf of the city for her youth engagement and participates yearly in the Portland Schools Foundation “Principal for a Day” Program. She is also a member of the Boise Elliott Elementary School Site Council where she is involved with community school activities. In her spare time, she enjoys her role as assistant basketball coach to the St. Andrews Nativity School 7th grade boys basketball team and her new role as a member of the National Delegate Election Citizen Involvement Committee.

Patrick Wolfe

Pat Wolfe is a Certified Public Accountant with over 35 years' experience in public accounting, corporate finance and accounting and personal financial planning and wealth management. Pat currently holds the position of Chief Financial Officer and Director of Finance and Accounting for Cricket Debt Counseling. Cricket Debt is one of the three largest providers of pre-bankruptcy credit counseling and education in financial literacy in the United States. Prior to this position he spent three years providing personal financial planning and wealth management services with Ameriprise Financial Services.

In addition to his work duties Pat currently serves on the Stewardship/Finance Council at Beaverton Christian Church. He also serves on the advisory board for the Oregon State University Business Roundtable. The business roundtable is an alumni group of OSU representing key business leaders in the Portland area. In addition, Pat has recently been nominated to serve on the board of directors of Financial Beginnings. Financial Beginnings provides volunteer instructors to teach the basics of financial literacy to high school students.

Pat and his wife, Helen just celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary. Helen is on the teaching staff at Faith Bible High School. They have been active members of Beaverton Christian Church since 1989. They have two married daughters and one grandson.

Karen Shea

Karen Shea is the Dean of Students at Hillsboro High School in Hillsboro, Oregon. She has ten years of teaching experience and has taught at Communications Arts High School in San Antonio, Texas and Miller Education Center in Hillsboro. Karen strongly believes in teaching financial literacy to all students and has worked with Financial Beginnings as a cooperating teacher for six years in her social studies, life skills, and personal finance classes. In 2010, Karen and Miller Education Center received an award from Financial Beginnings recognizing their efforts in providing financial education to at-risk students. In her new role at Hilhi, Karen hopes to continue to expand Financial Beginnings' impact on the lives of Oregon students and families. Karen has volunteer experience both locally and abroad with September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows and with non-profits in Mexico and Latin America. She has worked with many community organizations in the metro area including the Glenn & Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center to provide educational opportunities to youth. Karen enjoys traveling and reading in her spare time. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Secondary Education – Social Sciences from the University of Portland and a Master's degree in Curriculum & Instruction – Bilingual Education from Portland State University. She recently earned her administrative licensure through Concordia University in Portland.