Bill Maurer, dean of the University of California, Irvine School of Social Sciences, has been named by the Orange County United Way as chair of the Leadership Council for the organization’s United for Financial Security initiative, which delivers programs to ensure struggling Orange County families find financial security.

“I am excited to welcome Bill Maurer as the new Leadership Council Chair for the important work we do under the United for Financial Security initiative,” said Susan B. Parks, president and CEO of Orange County United Way. “With Bill’s extensive experience in the financial sector, he will surely make important contributions towards the initiative’s goal of helping the community find financial stability and independence.”

Maurer is also a professor of anthropology and law, and director of the Institute for Money, Technology and Financial Inclusion. With more than 28 years of experience at UC Irvine, he directs the largest academic unit on campus and has expertise in financial services for underserved communities and the intersection of financial services and technology. He has coordinated research in over 40 countries on how new payment technologies impact people’s well-being, which has been discussed in Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Marketplace, the Financial Times, and more.

Additionally, he is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for his work on banking cross-culturally, and the Filene Research Institute, which supports research on cooperative finance.

Maurer has shown a dedication to the betterment of the United States financial system with his research being supported by several grants, including the National Science Foundation, the Russell Sage Foundation, and more. He has worked as a consultant in the non-profit and philanthropic sectors. In Orange County, he has partnered with credit unions and community engagement organizations to make the process of financial services product design more inclusive.

“With financial security becoming a growing concern in our Orange County community, I’m honored to serve as Leadership Council Chair and provide strategic support to help carry this critical initiative forward,” said Maurer.

Current members of the United for Financial Security Leadership Council include:

• Shirin Behzadi, Shirin Behzadi, LLC
• Sarah Bowles, JP Morgan Chase & Co.
• Bill Butler, Kachinga
• Juan Carrillo, RevHub Orange County
• Gustavo Chamorro, Education Advance and Workforce Services
• Amber Cisneros, Orange County's Credit Union
• Hugh Conners, BMO Harris Bank and BMO Capital Markets BMO Financial Group
• Jesse Crete, California Community Colleges LAOCRC
• Laurie Dubchansky, CFP, Havaplan Financial
• Shirin Forootan, Forootan Law
• Loreen Gilbert, WealthWise Financial Services
• Gaurav Goel, Medtronic Heart Valve Division
• Adrian Griggs, Pacific Life Insurance Company
• Najib Haider, Bank of America
• Jarrod Ingle, PNC Financial Services Group
• Lacy Carma, County of Orange Public Administrator/Public Guardian
• Abigail Lovell, Experian
• Marco Lucero, Anaheim Workforce Development Board
• Robbin Narike Preciado, Members Trust Company
• Michael O’Mahoney, UPS West Region
• Mario Ortega, Abrazar, Inc.
• Margaret O’Sullivan, JP Morgan Chase & Co.
• Bill Pedigo, Prestige Sports and Entertainment
• Ben Phillips, Savoie Capital
• Richard Reisman, Orange County Business Journal
• Michaell Rose, CalOptima
• Lisa Sims, Bank of America
• Ryan Smith, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
• Marshall Solomon, Deloitte
• Laura Tarbox, Tarbox Family Office, Inc.
• An Tran, County of Orange Social Services Agency
• Erik Yost, Department of Housing & Urban Development

For more about the United for Financial Security initiative, please visit: https://www.unitedwayoc.org/how-we-are-doing-more/united-for-financial-security/.