Billy J. Hensley

About Billy J. Hensley

I believe financial education is not an intervention; it’s an essential component in the pursuit of opportunity for all. As President and CEO of the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE), I lead a talented, mission-driven team dedicated to strengthening the systems that make financial education effective, accessible, inclusive, and sustainable. By combining data-driven insight with human understanding, NEFE translates complex research into ideas that influence policy and inspire action.Rooted in my Appalachian heritage, which values fairness and egalitarianism, I see financial education as one of the essential tools that build agency, confidence, and opportunity. That perspective guides my belief that we can’t improve what we don’t measure, and we can’t measure what we don’t value. Our work focuses on advancing a national framework that positions financial education as an important cornerstone in the financial well-being ecosystem.At NEFE, our team champions rigorous research, evidence-informed policy, and cross-sector collaboration to ensure financial education is guided by data and centered on impact. Together, we connect knowledge with practice, research with real-world application, and data with purpose. Real impact happens when knowledge, systems, and people move in the same direction, and that’s what drives us every day. By aligning research, leadership, policy and partnership, we aim to elevate financial education as an essential tool for opportunity and an important catalyst for lasting financial well-being.

Experience

1. President and CEO

   National Endowment for Financial Education

   Jul 2018 — Present · Denver, CO, US

   A nationally respected nonprofit executive, researcher, and thought leader who has redefined how financial education is understood and delivered in the United States. As President and CEO of the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE), he has transformed the organization into the nation’s systems leader in financial education—one that advances equity, evidence, and collaboration to improve financial education access, quality and impact. Under his leadership, NEFE has evolved from a programmatic foundation to a national catalyst for change. He led the development of NEFE’s refined mission, vision, & core values and introduced the Personal Finance Ecosystem model, a framework widely recognized for mapping how research, policy, and practice interact to influence financial outcomes. He has strengthened NEFE\'s role as a trusted convener and elevated the field’s focus on evidence-based, inclusive and scalable strategies that create meaningful change.Key accomplishments and recognition under Hensley\'s leadership-Received William E. Odom Visionary Leadership Award from the Jump$tart Coalition in 2025-Named to the inaugural 50 Under 50 Alumni recognition program at Union Commonwealth University (2025)-Named nation\'s Best Financial Nonprofit for 2022 by Bankrate-Received the 2021 “Setting the Standard” Award from the AFCPE for distinction in best practices, diversity and inclusion-Expanded national consumer polling and research, including averaging 200+ media mentions per month-Participated in an international documentary on women and money ($avvy)-Increased social media engagement 81%, impressions 78%-Launched policy and advocacy endeavor to assure effective, high-quality K-12 financial education in every state-Redesigned all branding-Launched the Financial Education Innovation and Impact Summit; and-Research agenda nearing 1,700+ peer-reviewed cumulative citations.

Education

• Union Commonwealth University

  M.A., Education

  1999 — 2001

• Union Commonwealth University

  B.S., Psychology

  1994 — 1998

• University of Cincinnati

  Ph.D., Educational Studies

  2006 — 2009

Skills

• Workshop Facilitation
• Philanthropy
• Instructional Design
• Board Development
• Program Development
• Nonprofits
• Workforce Development
• University Teaching
• Research
• Research Design
• Qualitative Research
• Student Affairs
• Curriculum Design
• Program Management
• E-Learning
• Educational Research
• Teacher Training
• Staff Development
• Personnel Management
• Grants
• Higher Education
• Community Outreach
• Adult Education
• Curriculum Development
• Leadership Development
• College Teaching
• Public Speaking
• Non-Profit Administration
• Distance Learning
• Student Recruiting
• Admissions
• Fundraising
• Coaching
• Leadership
• Grant Writing
• Strategic Planning
• Data Analysis
• Academia
• Teaching
• Educational Leadership