PBN 2020 Leaders & Achievers Awards
Margaret Brooks | President, Rhode Island Jump$tart Coalition
MARGARET BROOKS IS A GREAT American success story. She went from being a high school dropout and single teenage mother of two with no family safety net to earning a doctorate in economics from Brown University.
Given her background, Brooks is always intrigued about how to build a better life, she said.
“I was drawn to economics,” Brooks said. “I developed a passion about it and wanted an understanding of how we can make better lives for ourselves and how we as a society can make it easier for people to make money, manage money, and live healthy and productive lives.”
Today, Brooks is the president of both Rhode Island Jump$tart Coalition and the Rhode Island Council for Economic Education, and a professor at Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater, Mass. She has several professional recognitions, honors and awards to her credit. Brooks regularly helps other people take control of their finances in order to live a better life.
Brooks has grown her organizations exponentially in her tenure, and increased their exposure digitally. The coalition and the council are active on multiple social media platforms, and their Twitter accounts have the largest followings in their state networks.
“We use [social media] to effectively reach out to folks who use online resources, which is the cornerstone of what we do for financial literacy,” she said. “In today’s world, things are rapidly changing, and technology is a great way to communicate and share.”
She noted that the message of financial literacy is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic, noting many people are facing real financial challenges.
“I’m proud to be there and share the resources to help them get through and feel they have some control in this difficult time,” she said.
Brooks said she is most proud of her leadership that led Rhode Island Jump$tart Coalition to be recognized as the 2020 State Coalition of the Year.
“It’s really a great honor,” she said. “It … recognizes the value and work we do to make a difference.”
