Brent Rempe, a Rochester, Minn. native, is a 2015 graduate of the Lerner College’s Master of Arts in Economics and Entrepreneurship for Educators (MAEEE) program whose career has evolved from the classroom to executive leadership in finance. Through MAEEE, Rempe discovered how economic education, financial literacy and entrepreneurship can drive meaningful community impact beyond traditional teaching roles. He reflects on the relationships, skills and purpose-driven mindset that shaped his path and continues to guide his work expanding financial opportunity for all.
What is your job title and name of school, district, or organization?
President & CEO, First Alliance Credit Union
What exciting news or accomplishments have you been a part of?
As a student in the MAEEE program, I never imagined that the concepts I was learning — financial literacy, entrepreneurship and economics — would eventually lead me into executive leadership. After my first summer, I realized I wanted to transition from education to finance. I was recruited by a credit union to lead its financial literacy programs, and over the next ten years I progressed from the classroom to the boardroom.
Today, I help lead First Alliance Credit Union’s work as an emerging Community Development Financial Institution. Some accomplishments I’m proud of include launching Southeast Minnesota’s first mobile credit union branch, expanding access to ITIN mortgage lending, building innovative “Impact CDs” to attract socially motivated deposits, strengthening partnerships with nonprofits, schools, and housing organizations, and helping our team share member stories in ways that honor dignity and possibility. These initiatives all tie back to what the MAEEE program strengthened in me: promoting financial well-being for all, designing people-centered solutions and leading with purpose.
Why is this news valuable to your colleagues or educators considering the MAEEE program?
It shows that the MAEEE program prepares students not only to teach, but to design solutions, engage communities and create systems that genuinely expand opportunity. The same learning principles we practiced as MAEEE students now guide how I approach community partnerships, financial well-being programs and inclusive product design. In short, MAEEE expands your career possibilities far beyond the classroom.
What did you learn through your MAEEE experience that you wouldn’t have learned anywhere else?
As a student, I learned how to make complex financial and economic concepts accessible, engaging and actionable. I also discovered how to translate classroom skills — like communication, curriculum design, and motivation — into leadership and organizational impact, lessons that were unique to the MAEEE experience.
Describe an important connection you have made through your graduate program (personal, professional, peers, mentors, professors, etc.)
I made lifelong friends in MAEEE — helped, admittedly, by my spirited and bubbly presence in class — and the relationships I built there pushed me to think differently and fully explore the intersection of education and finance. My connection with Professor Bonnie Meszaros was especially meaningful; when I later served on the board of the Oklahoma Council on Economic Education, her guidance and the programs she helped OCEE launch were invaluable. Guest lecturer Mary Suiter from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis also supported my work at OCEE, and Judy Austin’s leadership of the Delaware Bank at School program continues to inspire me — I even reached out to learn from her last year.
I’m still regularly in touch with several classmates, including Brent Norwood (after Delaware, we found ourselves studying simultaneously in different programs at the University of Oklahoma), fellow Minnesotan Jeremy Miller and Aaron Standish, who now works at a financial literacy solution serving credit unions. These relationships supported me through my career transition and continue to influence the way I approach leadership, strategy, economic empowerment and community partnership today.
What other opportunities has the MAEEE degree provided you?
The degree opened doors to leadership roles in financial literacy, community development, and ultimately the credit union executive table. It gave me the credibility to build programs that strengthen financial well-being, speak confidently about inclusive finance, and partner with nonprofits, schools and community groups to empower communities. It also connected me to peers and mentors who continue to inspire collaboration and innovation in my work.
If you were to describe your classmates in one word, what would that be?
Spirited!
Fill in this sentence: “The MAEEE graduate program helped me become…”
A more engaged and purposeful leader who blends education and finance to expand opportunity and design financial solutions that meet people where they are — turning learning into meaningful impact for individuals and organizations alike.
What piece(s) of advice would you give to current MAEEE students or prospective applicants?
Engage fully with your peers and professors, stay open to where the program might take you, and don’t be afraid to bring your whole, spirited self into the experience — you may discover passions and career paths you never imagined. Lean into your curiosity, ask questions, and embrace the skills you build along the way — communication, empathy, curriculum design and understanding how people learn — because they will serve you far beyond the classroom and become powerful tools for leadership.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
MAEEE helped me discover the intersection between education and financial empowerment — the place where teaching, community listening and mission-driven financial services come together. That foundation prepared me to help lead work that is improving access to financial services for immigrants, young people, rural communities and families needing a first or fresh start. It’s work I’m proud of, and it traces directly back to MAEEE.
Read more about Rempe’s work:
https://creditunions.com/features/brent-rempe-on-leadership/
https://creditunions.com/features/every-member-deserves-a-financial-oasis/
https://web.mncun.org/news/NewsArticleDisplay.aspx?articleid=12888
https://missionbrandsconsulting.com/portfolio/first-alliance-credit-union/