Executive Team
Theodore R. Daniels
Founder and President
Theodore “Ted” R. Daniels is the founder and president of SFEPD, an award-winning nonprofit teaching financial literacy to people of all ages and backgrounds, with an emphasis on communities of color. In 1998, Daniels founded SFEPD to teach individuals, especially first-generation college students, critical financial skills they might not otherwise receive or learn too late. He is known as a global financial educator, author, and lecturer. A national leader in the financial literacy movement, Ted Daniels has 40 years of experience as a financial and investment advisor. He recently published a children’s book, Money Talks: Lessons for Kids About Saving, Spending, and Growing Money.”
Before SFEPD, Daniels worked at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development where he served in managerial capacities related to finance. He teaches financial education to diverse audiences, including college students, corporations, faith-based organizations, and nonprofit groups, to help people become economically empowered. Daniels and his team of financial educators have successfully trained over 600,000 people in personal finance skills and strategies. In 2017, Daniels pioneered the SFEPD Student Ambassador Program, which trains college students at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to teach their peers financial education. Through this innovative program, students develop leadership skills and serve as champions of financial literacy on their campuses. Daniels directs SFEPD’s Annual Financial Literacy Leadership Conference, where more than 200 educators, policymakers, and researchers convene to share financial literacy best practices.
Globally, Ted Daniels delivered a keynote address about U.S. financial literacy initiatives at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s (APEC) Conference in Beijing, playing a pivotal role in APEC’s first financial and economic literacy guidebook. He co-authored the book, Financial Literacy Education: Addressing Students, Business and Government Needs, which highlights groundbreaking financial literacy efforts in the United States and abroad. In the fall of 2020, Daniels led and moderated an acclaimed panel discussion on the topic of “Minority Investor Inclusion.” Daniels has published financial newsletters, a syndicated personal finance column, and produced a syndicated financial education TV series on PBS and cable systems nationwide. He is often interviewed for his financial expertise by the media. In 2022, the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) awarded Daniels its first Financial Education Impact Award for his achievements in advancing financial education and changing lives. In 2014, Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy bestowed the William E. Odom Visionary Leadership Award to Daniels for his leadership and strategic work in the financial literacy field.
Daniels serves on the board of the National Center for Children and Families, the Fort Valley State University Foundation board, the advisory board for the College of Business at South Carolina State University, and a member of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Investor Advisory Committee. He is an honorary member of Beta Gamma Sigma. Daniels has a B.S. from Fort Valley State University in Business Administration with concentrations in economics and accounting, and a Bachelor of Law degree from John Marshall Law School. He has served as a lecturer at Howard University’s School of Divinity and taught economics at American University.
Una Daniels-Edwards
Vice President, Program Management
As Vice President of SFEPD, Una oversees SFEPD’s day-to-day management and strategic program oversight. She is responsible for recruiting and credentialing instructors and workshop facilitators.
Una Daniels-Edwards has a strong commitment to financial literacy and uses her business expertise to ensure that SFEPD achieves its educational and professional development goals. When an individual needs help to find a financial literacy coach/program or to design and to coordinate financial literacy programs, Una has a solution and connects the appropriate expert to the request.
Una’s ability to provide impeccable service has spun the success of many SFEPD programs and services, including the Society’s widely acclaimed Mind Over Money Skills program. Una also makes sure the organization meets the compliance requirements of its grantors.
Prior to SFEPD, Una worked for a number of years in the corporate finance and investment services sector, where her responsibilities included investor relations, shareholder communications with retail investors, marketing, research, media relations, and client services.
Una is a graduate of the University of Maryland College Park with a degree in Business Administration.
Melissa Schnur
Director of Marketing & Events
As Director of Marketing & Events for SFEPD, Melissa oversees all aspects of the organization’s events, from branding, graphic design, and social media/marketing strategy for the webinar series Quarterly Talks with Ted, the annual financial literacy conference, and the SFEPD Academy for high school students. Melissa also serves as the webmaster for SFEPD and curates and designs the monthly Enews update.
Prior to joining SFEPD in early 2022, she served as the Program Manager for Marketing & External Relations for the School of Personal Financial Planning at Texas Tech University, where she was responsible for public relations, marketing, event planning, department scholarship coordinator and assistant director for the Financial Planning Academy.
With a robust background in nonprofit fundraising, marketing, and events, Melissa’s career path includes notable contributions to the Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trust, The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art, and Domestic Violence Intervention Services, Inc. (DVIS). She also served as the Editor of the Tulsa Jewish Review for the Jewish Federation of Tulsa.
Melissa Schnur holds a Bachelor of Arts in mass communications from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Her dedication to education, coupled with her multifaceted skill set, continues to make her a driving force in shaping impactful events and programs.
Kristen Burnell
Director of Strategic Partnerships
Kristen Burnell serves as the Director of Strategic Partnerships, where she assists with the development and cultivation of key relationships, supports fundraising initiatives, and oversees special projects. With a proven ability to transform vision into reality, Kristen brings deep expertise in financial literacy and secondary education to her role.
Kristen is a dynamic executive with more than a decade of experience bringing people and institutions together to raise awareness about the widespread lack of financial knowledge and advocate for action. She has managed and implemented numerous research projects, evaluations, events, and financial education projects that have elevated the field and impacted lives. Her ability to connect people and build bridges between sectors has helped foster a sense of community among those passionately promoting financial education.
Prior to joining SFEPD, Kristen served as executive director of the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center (GFLEC) at the George Washington University School of Business. During her 12-year tenure, she played a key role in establishing and growing the self-funded research center. She continues to advise GFLEC, which is now based at Stanford University.
At GFLEC, Kristen contributed to groundbreaking research documenting the financial illiteracy crisis, identifying underserved groups, and pinpointing knowledge gaps in the U.S. and globally. She also secured funding for transformative research, financial education evaluation studies, and initiatives promoting financial wellbeing initiatives.
Before finding her passion for promoting financial wellbeing, Kristen spent several years teaching social studies in New York City and Connecticut public high schools. Prior to teaching, she worked in development at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Kristen earned an M.A. in Social Studies Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and a B.A. in History from UC San Diego. Kristen has been a Big Brother Big Sister San Diego mentor since 2019 and volunteers for UC San Diego.
Felicia Joan Oppong, CFP®
Program Manager
As SFEPD’s Program Manager, Joan supports the planning and implementation of SFEPD’s key student-focused initiatives, including the Student Ambassador Program, Peer Financial Coaching, and the SFEPD Academy. She also assists in the development and administration of SFEPD’s Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) training program. Joan is committed to SFEPD’s mission of advancing financial literacy through meaningful outreach and engagement with students, financial educators, and underserved communities.
Joan is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) professional with broad experience in student advising, financial coaching, pension and mutual fund management, and the creation of comprehensive financial plans. She is passionate about guiding individuals and families toward financial wellness and stability.
Joan brings to SFEPD a strong academic foundation in financial planning and education. She holds a Master of Science in Personal Financial Planning and graduate certificates in Financial Health & Wellness and Charitable Financial Planning from Texas Tech University School of Financial Planning. Joan also holds an Executive MBA and a bachelor’s degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Ghana.
She volunteered as a financial coach with Knowledge Empowering You (KEY) and Red to Black® Peer Financial Coaching, further demonstrating her commitment to improving financial literacy and capability at the individual level.
Irene Albritton
Assistant Program Manager
As Assistant Program Manager, Irene supports the outreach and scheduling of the Mind Over Money Skills financial education seminars for colleges and universities associated with the Student Ambassador Program; ensures that Mind Over Money Skills workshops or seminars are held on campuses; coordinates SFEPD Financial Educators visits to colleges/university campuses; assists with outreach and scheduling of the Mind Over Money Skills financial education seminars for faith-based institutions, workplaces/businesses, and communities.
Irene is a versatile program manager with practical experience and proven results in organizing, training, grant and proposal writing, professional development, leadership, and financial empowerment through Investment Clubs. She co-wrote the book How to Start an Investment Club and held workshops, seminars, and retreats. She was featured in Black Enterprise magazine and headed the group’s Real Estate Investment Committee. She volunteered with the Moneywise Financial Empowerment Tour, featuring PBS’ Kelvin Boston.
Irene Albritton has over 20 years of introducing, encouraging, and implementing financial literacy to multigenerational groups on college/university campuses; government agencies; corporations; Smithsonian Institute African American Studies Center, The Road to Financial Success Lecture Series on Financial Planning; The Washington Women’s Investment Club, success featured in Black Enterprise, Money Magazine, the Washington Post, WETA In the Prime Episode on money management. Irene has spent a lifetime working with our communities to build generational wealth.
Prior to SFEPD, Irene worked at Howard University’s School of Business, Small Business Development Center, as a Certified NXLevel Instructor. She was also a Faculty Adjunct at the Graduate School, USDA. She worked in both the public and private sectors as a Training Director, Senior Analyst, Business Process Engineer, Proposal writer, and Grant Writer. She developed collateral for the Simon & Schuster Education Technology Group, established benchmarks, and wrote technical documents. Irene consistently tailored the process to customer needs and satisfaction.
Irene graduated from Leadership America and earned a B.A. degree in Sociology/Management from Trinity University in Washington, D.C.
Ginie Lynch
Senior Communications Advisor
As Senior Communications Advisor, Ginie assists with public relations outreach, media relations, and conveying SFEPD’s financial literacy messages and program information to external audiences. Ginie Lynch has a background in educational management, public and media relations, and communications.
Specifically, Ginie worked as a public relations executive, managing director of Salisbury University’s nonprofit civic engagement institute (PACE), a speechwriter/editor, and an international student services coordinator before joining SFEPD. Ginie financed her own higher education and strongly believes in SFEPD’s mission to help people, especially college students, achieve their long-term financial goals through financial literacy training. Ginie enjoys being a part of the SFEPD team of experts and educators committed to financial education for people of all ages and backgrounds.
In the field of educational advocacy, Ginie spearheaded strategic communications and community outreach for corporate, government, and nonprofit organizations. Earlier in her career, Ginie worked as a special assistant/speechwriter at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and as a business reporter for a Maryland newspaper where she honed her skills by writing news and feature articles.
Ginie is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BA in Latin American Studies and a master’s degree in Journalism and Public Affairs from American University. Ginie lived for four years in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where she attended an international high school. She currently serves as a member of the North Raleigh Civitan Club and on the board of the North Carolina Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Ethelbert Anum
Student Assistant
Ethelbert Anum is a driven student with a bachelor’s degree in Finance and Banking and is currently pursuing an MBA at Talladega College. Passionate about financial literacy, Ethelbert founded InvestwithBert, a social media platform that has reached over 400,000 people nationwide. His mission is clear and transformative: to demystify investing and dismantle the educational barriers that make financial markets intimidating, particularly for Black communities.
Through InvestwithBert, he inspires individuals to take control of their financial futures by making investing accessible, actionable, and relatable. He has held various impactful roles with SFEPD, including Student Ambassador, Academy Counselor, Financial Coach, and presenter at the annual conference. As a student assistant, he contributes to a wide array of projects and programs, consistently demonstrating a commitment to excellence. Ethelbert’s work reflects a deep belief in the transformative power of financial education to create lasting change and economic empowerment in underserved communities.