Photo by Ralph Freso
Long before Kimberly Yee gained the trust of Arizona voters to become state treasurer in 2019, she learned about the trust and value of relationships from her family.
Yee shared a story about his grandfather. Grandfather understood that certain customers could not afford to pay him immediately to buy food at his grocery store on Buckeye Road and Seventh Avenue. It may take a week or three to resolve their bills.
“However, he developed a relationship with those people, so he remembered them by name and trusted them. … To students at Grand Canyon University Colangelo College of Business Lobby, we will be introducing the Tw Lewis Speaker Series. “Financial Leadership” As part of the talk, the store would not have been in business for 63 successful years.”
“And the family who had no funds gave him groceries, and they came back when they had the money and paid him back, that was what they owned family relationships. That was.”
Yee, the first Asian American to be elected to Arizona’s statewide office, stressed the importance of investing in Arizona’s Educational Savings Plan (AZ529). Planning has certain tax benefits.
When Yee took over the state’s treasurer, she said she asked the state legislature to move the plan to the Treasury Office.
Over the past 51 months, literature has been printed in Spanish and Navajo and promoted on social media. With that same range, she said the program has increased 57,200 new accounts, with 40% from out of state.
The funding could be applied to books, tuition fees and technology (computers), said Robert Bella, founder of Canyon Ventures, who presided over the discussion.
Also, if you don’t use all your money to the university, the law allows you to transfer funds to the family’s name or transfer up to $35,000 to your retirement fund, Roth IRA account.
YEE serves as Arizona’s Chief Banking and Investment Director and oversees Arizona’s $64.7 billion state budget and management of payments to schools, local governments and agencies.
And “We don’t hold that money as if we were sitting in an account,” said doubled 3,160 under her management since her management took over as state treasurer. Yee, who is keeping an eye on the million dollars, said.
She highlighted the importance of students who master savings, wise spending and financial literacy, a great manager.
The issue of financial literacy sticks to her as generations of families remain in welfare. She saw them collecting government subsidies without working.
After joining the Arizona Senate, Yee sought the necessary financial literacy courses from those seeking assistance.
Yee became the second woman to be elected majority leader in the Arizona Senate, and later, after Sandra Deio Connor, the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.
To reach that position, Yee took a firm stance as she moved from the state House to the state Senate.
She spoke of the elderly senator who once held the door for her, saying, “Welcome to the Senate, Kidodo.”
Yee said, “Thank you, Senator. If I call you an old man, how do you take it?”
A few years later, the same senator appointed Yee as the majority leader of the Arizona Senate.
Vera says Yee has the “creepy ability” to build trust and confidence in people, and she believes in her priorities, especially in building her own life around her family.
“God never disappointed me,” she said.
Yee’s term as state treasurer ends in 2026, and she wants to maintain the integrity of her office and ensure it runs smoothly.
And what will Yee’s future hold after her term expires?
“I love Arizona. I want to continue serving.”
You can contact Mark Gonzalez, a senior writer at GCU News (email protection)
***
Related content:
GCU News: Using the wisdom of mentors to give sports executive advice
GCU News: Christian Business Leader Lending Advice in TW Lewis Speaker Series
