Nebraska State Treasurer John Murante this week has been elected as the 2022 National Chair of the State Financial Officers Foundation (SFOF). SFOF is a nationwide non-profit that works with state treasurers, state auditors, and other financial officers to educate the public about financial public policy. Murante’s term, which coincides with the 10th anniversary of the SFOF is one year and will begin in October.
In Murante’s first year as State Treasurer he put forward several legislative initiatives promoting Nebraskans’ access to higher education through innovative college savings incentives. Working with a bipartisan coalition of State Senators, the Unicameral passed landmark legislation creating the Meadowlark Program, in which all children born in Nebraska on or after January 1, 2020, are enrolled in the NEST529 college savings program at birth.
Under Murante’s leadership, contributions to the NEST529 college savings plan have rose dramatically and unclaimed property claims skyrocketed, paying the most claims in 2019 since 2013.
Murante also hosted the Smart Women Smart Money event in November of 2019, a unique initiative which drew hundreds of participants to the Omaha area to discuss financial literacy in both small and large group settings.
This past year, Murante helped lead the effort to pass legislation establishing financial literacy courses in Nebraska elementary and high school curriculum. In addition, working with the Nebraska Council on Economic Education, his office created and hosted a first of its kind financial wellness webinar series aimed at public employees.
“It is a great honor to be selected to this position. I want to thank my colleagues, made up of some of the foremost financial officers from around the country, for the confidence they have in me to steer this wonderful organization. SFOF is leading the way in creating fiscally responsible public policy, something that speaks to me as a former small business operator,” Murante said. “I look forward to bringing Nebraska commonsense and fiscal values to the SFOF as it continues to be at the forefront of fiscal policy making around the country.”
“Treasurer Murante has proven himself a bold leader and true public servant. His efforts to improve treasury services including NEST529, unclaimed property, and financial literacy alone has proven his leadership.
“His office has become the gold standard for bringing financial literacy issues and real solutions to the forefront,” said Derek Kreifels, President of the State Financial Officers Foundation.
