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May 19, 2020<\/p>\n
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Theresa Kong Kee, Gloryana Akapo named 2020 LifeSmarts State Coordinators of the Year<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Contact: National Consumers League \u2013 Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242\u00a0or Taun Sterling, tauns@nclnet.org, (202)\u00a0207-2832<\/p>\n Washington, DC\u2014LifeSmarts, a national teen consumer literacy and scholarship program, has named two Hawaii government officials its 2020 Coordinators of the Year: Theresa Kong Kee, Investor Education Specialist, and Gloryana Akapo, Securities Multi-Media Education Specialist with the Office of the Securities Commissioner, both with the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. Kong Kee has served as Hawaii State LifeSmarts Coordinator for 7 years; Akapo joined her as co-coordinator two years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n LifeSmarts, a consumer education competition that challenges teens in grades 9-12 about personal finance, health and safety, the environment, technology, and consumer rights and responsibilities, is a program of the National Consumers League (NCL). LifeSmarts is coordinated by NCL at the national level and by volunteers who serve as State Coordinators across the country.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWorking together, Theresa and Gloryana run a very successful and competitive LifeSmarts program for students and educators in Hawaii,\u201d said LifeSmarts Program Director Lisa Hertzberg. \u201cThey have developed a state LifeSmarts website that includes many resources for educators. They actively promote LifeSmarts through social media to provide resources to their coaches, and they have continued to be especially active during the pandemic.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n LifeSmarts State Coordinators implement the national consumer education program at the local level, bringing to bear their knowledge of best practices for students and educators in their state. State Coordinators promote the program, advise educators, and run online and live state competitions to advance consumer education for the students in their states.<\/span><\/p>\n Staff within the Office of the Securities Commissioner in the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs has served in the State Coordinator role since 2013.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cTheresa and Gloryana work so hard for their state, and it shows; Hawaii\u2019s LifeSmarts program is truly exceptional, when it comes to administration, partnerships, and\u2014most importantly\u2014student participation and success,\u201d said Hertzberg. \u201cThe Hawaii LifeSmarts program is robust, and student teams have done very well at the national level. Hawaii is also home to the second largest Junior Varsity (middle school) program in the nation. We are thrilled to honor them this year and congratulate them for a job very well done.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n ###<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n