Financial Education Pioneer, Best-Selling Author Jean Chatzky Headlined Virginia Credit Union’s 2026 Financial Success for Women Summits

Award-winning journalist and best-selling author Jean Chatzky delivered keynote addresses at Virginia Credit Union’s (VACU) Financial Success for Women Summits in Roanoke (Aug. 24) and Richmond (Aug. 26). Combined, 500 people participated in the fully booked events.

One of the foremost champions working to close the gender gap in personal finance and investing confidence, Chatzky is the founder of the financial media company HerMoney, a platform dedicated to providing personal finance advice to women. She was the longtime financial editor for NBC’s Today show.

“Jean brings a wealth of knowledge and a long history as a leading voice and pioneer in financial education and empowerment for women,” said Cherry Dale, VACU’s Senior Vice President for Financial Education. “At VACU, our mission is to help members achieve greater success, and we believe that begins with teaching people how to think about money management and personal finance in a positive way — a way that fosters careful consideration of how one spends, saves, borrows, and plans.”

“We also know that women face a distinct set of financial realities, including longer lifespans and more career interruptions,” noted Dale. “The summit is designed to educate, inspire, and help women walk away with a plan to address those realities, regardless of where a woman is in her life’s journey.”

VACU launched its in-person Financial Success for Women Summit in 2024, after hosting a series of successful virtual events for women that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. The summit has since earned national recognition, including the Doing Well By Doing Good Award from Mastercard®, the payments and technology giant, and honors from America’s Credit Unions and its Marketing, PR, and Business Development Council. The summits in Richmond and Roanoke included a full day of workshops, panels, and networking focused on financial wellness, empowerment, and leadership.

As part of the summit events, VACU was also proud to aid two nonprofits committed to supporting young children and their families: Little Hands, serving Greater Richmond, and Huddle Up Moms, serving Southwest Virginia. Each nonprofit received a $5,000 donation from the credit union to support their work, which includes providing families of newborns and toddlers with diapers, gently used clothing, essential supplies, and training and education.

Knowing that childcare, a missed work day, and transportation might prove to be obstacles for some interested in attending the summit, VACU worked closely with local nonprofits and community partners to identify women who needed financial assistance to attend the summits.

VACU has made financial education a focus of its service to members and its community engagement work. It was recently named Organization of the Year by the Institute for Financial Literacy, receiving the prestigious 2026 Excellence in Financial Literacy Education Award in recognition of its exceptional innovation, dedication, and commitment to financial education. Last year, VACU’s financial education programs reached more than 131,000 people across Virginia through partnerships with local schools and community organizations, in- person seminars, and its award-winning online resources.