NEW YORK - (Business Wire) Muriel F. “Mickie” Siebert, President of The Muriel F. Siebert Foundation and the first woman to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, was honored with the first Lifetime Achievement Award for Promoting Financial Literacy granted by the New Jersey Coalition for Financial Education on Wednesday, October 28 at Rutgers University. Known as “The First Woman of Finance,” Ms. Siebert, Chairwoman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Muriel Siebert & Co., Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Siebert Financial Corp. (Nasdaq: SIEB) is the originator of the Siebert Personal Finance Program: Taking Control of Your Financial Future, a curriculum that teaches personal financial literacy to young people and adults. The curriculum is currently in use at various high schools around the country and has been adapted for use by middle school students and adults. The New Jersey Coalition for Financial Education (NJCFE) further honored Ms. Siebert by naming the Lifetime Achievement Award after her. The presentation was made by Maryanne Evanko, President of the NJCFE at an event held in collaboration with The New Jersey Department of Education, Rutgers University and its New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) Office of Continuing Professional Education and T.E.E.M. Gateway and the Matheny School.
“I am deeply honored to be the first recipient and namesake of the New Jersey Coalition for Financial Education’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Promoting Financial Literacy, a cause to which I am thoroughly committed,” said Ms. Siebert. “I am grateful to all of those who worked with the Muriel F. Siebert Foundation to develop the Siebert Personal Finance Program. My dream is to see every student in America benefit from learning the program’s basic concepts of personal finance, so that they may make informed decisions crucial to their future financial well-being.”
Among her many other firsts, Ms. Siebert was the first woman appointed as Superintendent of Banks for New York State, responsible for the safety and soundness of all New York’s state-chartered financial institutions. She put her firm in a blind trust for five years in 1977 while she held this position.
Throughout her career, Ms. Siebert has been actively involved with a wide range of non-profit, civic and women’s organizations. To name only a few of her affiliations, she is currently on the boards of The New York State Business Council, the Greater New York Council of the Boy Scouts of America, Friars Club, the Guild Hall and the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Economic Club of New York, the Committee of 200 (an international organization of pre-eminent businesswomen), the International Women’s Forum and the New York Women’s Forum of which she was a founder and former president. She is a former appointee to the New York State Commission on Judicial Nomination and the National Women’s Business Council and was a member of Deloitte & Touche’s Council for the Advancement and Retention of Women.
Although she didn't finish college, she holds 18 honorary doctorate degrees and has received countless awards and honors throughout her career. Her most recent honors include the National Association of Women Business Owners First Signature Award for Lifetime Achievement as a pioneering womens’ business owner, acknowledgement from the Center for Educational Innovation-Public Education Association (CEI-PEA) for being a pioneer in the area of financial literacy and induction as a 2009 laureate into the U.S. Business Hall of Fame for outstanding contributions to free enterprise and to society. Ms. Siebert is a sought-after speaker on current financial matters and a frequent commentator on the major financial news networks.
In November 2002, Simon and Schuster published Ms. Siebert's autobiography, "Changing the Rules - Adventures of a Wall Street Maverick".
About The Muriel F. Siebert Foundation
In her autobiography, Ms. Siebert says that she “was taught that giving back is more than an obligation, it’s a privilege.” As Superintendent of Banks, she regulated check-cashers and other venues predominantly used by the poor who were afraid of or unknowledgeable about using banks. She learned that “those who can afford it least, pay the most” and she resolved to do something about it. To deliver on her commitment to “giving back” she established the Muriel F. Siebert Foundation whose key mandate today is to foster acceptance of the Siebert Personal Finance Program: Taking Control of Your Financial Future in every high school in the nation. The curriculum is now part of the required Economics course for seniors in many New York City high schools and is in test roll-out in Palm Beach and Miami/Dade Counties as well as other locations. It has received laudatory reviews from the Archdiocese of New York which has introduced it into their high schools. Discussions are underway with representatives of states, membership organizations and localities about introducing the program in their areas or for their members, and versions have been created for middle school children and adults. If you are interested in introducing the Siebert Personal Finance Program in your area or learning more, please e-mail John Janas at jjanas@siebertnet.com or June Jaffee at jjaffee@siebertnet.com. You may also phone them at 212-644-2400.
About Siebert Financial Corp.
Siebert Financial Corp. is a holding company that conducts all its operations through its wholly owned subsidiary, Muriel Siebert & Co., Inc. (“Siebert”), a member of the New York Stock Exchange. Siebert, Brandford, Shank, & Co., LLC, a separate affiliate of Siebert, specializes in municipal and other fixed income underwriting and financial advisory business. Siebert is based in New York City with additional retail branches in Boca Raton, Surfside, West Palm Beach and Naples, FL; Beverly Hills, CA and Jersey City, N.J.
Siebert does not provide investment, tax or legal advice. Statements in this press release concerning the Company’s business outlook or future economic performance, anticipated profitability, revenues, expenses or other financial items, together with other statements that are not historical facts, are “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined under the Federal Securities Laws. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated in such statements. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include, changes in general economic and market conditions, fluctuations in volume and prices of securities, changes and prospects for changes in interest rates and demand for brokerage and investment banking services, increases in competition within and without the discount brokerage business through broader service offerings or otherwise, competition from electronic discount brokerage firms offering greater discounts on commissions than Siebert, prevalence of a flat fee environment, decline in participation in equity or municipal finance underwriting, decreased ticket volume in the discount brokerage division, limited trading opportunities, increases in expenses, changes in net capital or other regulatory requirements. As a result of these and other factors, Siebert may experience material fluctuations in its operating results on a quarterly or annual basis, which could materially and adversely affect its business, financial condition, operating results, and stock price, as well as other risks detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in “forward-looking statements” are reasonable, it cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Accordingly, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such “forward-looking statements,” and the Company disclaims any obligation to update the information contained herein or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to such “forward-looking statements” to reflect future events or developments. An investment in Siebert involves various risks, including those mentioned above and those, which are detailed from time to time in Siebert’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Copies of the company’s SEC filings may be obtained by contacting the company or the SEC.
Rubenstein Associates—Public Relations
Laura Hynes-Keller, 212-843-8095
lhynes@rubenstein.com
