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NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release: January 24, 2008

President George W. Bush shakes hands with Jack Kosakowski as he greets the members of the President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy Jan. 22, 2008, in the Oval Office.

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT’S KOSAKOWSKI APPOINTED TO PRESIDENT BUSH’S ADVISORY COUNCIL ON FINANCIAL LITERACY

Council’s goals include improving financial education efforts for youth in school.

Colorado Springs, Colo. – Jack E. Kosakowski, JA Worldwide (Junior Achievement) Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and President, Junior Achievement USA, has been appointed to serve on President Bush’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy. The formation of the Council was announced Tuesday by the President at the White House.

The Council’s mandate is “to help keep America competitive and assist the American people in understanding and addressing financial matters.” During his remarks, President Bush referenced the sub-prime mortgage crisis as an economic event exacerbated by the lack of financial education.

Council Members will work directly with U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to devise recommendations for President Bush around how to better educate Americans from all walks of life about matters pertaining to their finances and their future. Specifically, the Council’s duties include improving financial education efforts for youth in school and for adults in the workplace, and strengthening and coordinating public and private sector financial education programs.

Kosakowski noted, “Junior Achievement’s representation on the Council reinforces the importance of the work we do every day to give young people the tools to effectively manage their finances and help them participate fully and successfully in our economy. Junior Achievement is proud to be invited to contribute and have a voice in our nation’s financial literacy policy.”

The Council is comprised of representatives from the business world, faith-based organizations, and the non-profit sector. Its Members will serve a two-year term, and include:

Charles R. Schwab, of California, and upon appointment, Designate Chair; John Bryant, of California, and upon appointment, Designate Vice Chair; Theodore Beck, of Colorado; Theodore R. Daniels, of Maryland; Cutler Dawson, of Virginia; Robert F. Duvall, of New York; Tahira Hira, of Iowa; Sharon L. Lechter, of Arizona; Robert V. Lee III, of Florida; Laura Levine, of the District of Columbia; David Mancl, of Wisconsin; Don J. McGrath, of California; Janet Parker, of Alabama; Ignacio Salazar, of Michigan; Mary L. Schapiro, of the District of Columbia.

President Bush’s comments announcing the forming of the Council can be read in their entirety here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/01/20080122-7.html.

About Junior Achievement® (JA)

JA Worldwide is the world's largest organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated volunteer network, JA Worldwide provides in-school and after-school programs for students which focus on three key content areas: work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. Today, 139 individual area operations reach more than four million students in the United States, with an additional 4.3 million students served by operations in 114 other countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.ja.org.

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