A Legacy of Impact: Dr. Julie Bunn
Since 2018, Dr. Bunn has steered MCEE to unprecedented growth. Under her leadership, the organization’s reach to K-12 educators expanded exponentially, with annual teacher workshop registrations growing from approximately 500 to over 5,600 in 2024.
A former state legislator herself, Dr. Bunn’s most notable legislative achievement was leading the coalition that successfully advocated for the 2023 bill making personal finance education a high school graduation requirement in Minnesota. Her work has secured vital public and private investments, positioning MCEE as a premier national leader in economic and financial literacy. Dr. Bunn remains in a transitional role through the end of June 2026 to ensure a seamless handoff. MCEE’s Board of Directors extends its thanks to Dr. Bunn for the indelible mark she has left on MCEE and on the landscape of economic and personal finance education in our state.
Welcoming Dr. Bill Bosshardt
Dr. Bill Bosshardt joined MCEE in late May 2026, bringing decades of experience as a nationally recognized expert in economic education. Most recently, he served as a tenured professor and Director of the Center for Economic Education at Florida Atlantic University, a role he held since 1995.
Dr. Bosshardt’s extensive credentials include: * National Leadership: Former President of the National Association of Economic Educators (NAEE) and a member of the American Economic Association’s Committee on Economic Education. * Curriculum Excellence: Recipient of the 2025 Bonnie T. Meszaros Curriculum Leadership Award for his success in developing K-12 economics curricula. * Academic Rigor: An accomplished researcher with numerous publications in the Journal of Economic Education and experience shaping national K-12 and postsecondary standards in personal finance and economics.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead the MCEE, which has historically been one of the strongest Councils in the country,” said Dr. Bosshardt. “Julie’s efforts have only added to that reputation.”
A Strategic Future with the University of Minnesota
Marking a return to a historic model, Dr. Bosshardt’s role is a joint appointment as both MCEE Executive Director and a Teaching Professor within the University of Minnesota’s Department of Applied Economics. This dual structure is intended to strengthen MCEE’s ties to the University, ensuring the organization remains at the forefront of evidence-based pedagogy and research.
To complement this new faculty-aligned leadership, MCEE has also recently appointed Ali Towle as Advancement Director to lead fundraising and strategic outreach.
About the Minnesota Council on Economic Education
MCEE is dedicated to equipping Minnesotans with the economic and financial literacy skills necessary to thrive in a global economy. Hosted at the University of Minnesota, MCEE provides essential resources, training, and support to K-12 educators across the state.
For more information regarding this transition, please contact: Brad Hutter Chair, Board of Directors, Minnesota Council on Economic Education (952) 224-7273 | [email protected]