Mission & Vision
To support research that promotes financial security for low-to-moderate income consumers.
To become a leading evidence-based organization that caters to the financial literacy and financial wellbeing concerns in our local community and nationwide.
Our Board
Monica Smiley
Board Chairman
Monica Smiley comes to The Institute of Consumer Money Management Board with a strong background in business and journalism. She is the editor and publisher of Enterprising Women, a magazine published for women business owners which reaches one million women entrepreneurs around the world. She is a highly regarded thought leader on the topic of women’s entrepreneurship.
Dr. Jeff Leiter
Board Director
Jeff Leiter is an organizational sociologist with substantial training and experience in research design and implementation. He earned his B.A. at Williams College in 1970 and his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan in 1977. Michigan is a world center for survey research. Starting with his dissertation research and continuing throughout his career, Jeff has added to his survey research training and expertise from Michigan expertise in such qualitative methods as depth interviewing and observation.
Dr. Diane Chen
Board Member
Dr. Diane Chen is the Founder and Executive Director of Institute of Consumer Money Management (ICMM), a nonprofit research-centered organization. Dr. Chen is also the Founder and served as Chief Executive Officer of Consumer Education Services Inc (CESI), a 501C3 credit counseling agency from 1998 to 2017. In the last two decades, she has lead CESI to become one of the top credit counseling agencies in US.
Lee Tate
Lee Tate
Mr. Tate retired from IBM Global Business Services as a consultant in 2014. He is a seasoned Senior Manager with extensive business process experience in the Financial Services Industry with special emphasis on financial systems and insurance systems.
Dr. Erin Krupa
Board Member
Dr. Erin Krupa received a B.S. in mathematics from Elon University in 2002. After, she earned a master’s degree from Wake Forest University in mathematics and then taught for four years at W.G. Enloe High School in Raleigh before returning to school to earn her Ph.D. in mathematics education at North Carolina State University (NCSU).
Dr. Tara Kenyon
Board Member
Dr. Tara Kenyon is the Founder and Managing Director of The Tara Kenyon Group, a US-based consulting practice specializing in data-driven decision-making and consumer behavior. She is a behavioral economist, author, speaker, and thought leader with expertise in quantitative risk and data analytics, financial risk modeling, business science, and strategic and capital planning.
Our Staff
Dr. Diane Chen
Executive Director
Dr. Diane Chen is the Founder and Executive Director of Institute of Consumer Money Management (ICMM), a nonprofit research-centered organization. Dr. Chen is also the Founder and served as Chief Executive Officer of Consumer Education Services Inc (CESI), a 501C3 credit counseling agency from 1998 to 2017. In the last two decades, she has lead CESI to become one of the top credit counseling agencies in US.
Dr. Rebecca Rayburn-Reeves
Senior Director
Dr. Rebecca Rayburn-Reeves is a Senior Director at the Institute of Consumer Money Management (ICMM) and founder of Tomorrow Me, LLC, a research consulting firm focused on enhancing financial, physical, and mental wellbeing across the lifespan. With over 20 years of experience in both academic and applied research, Dr. Rayburn-Reeves has expertise in learning, memory, behavioral flexibility, and choice architecture.
