No sooner had Jared Pickens been named the 2012-2013 Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher in the Jindal School of Management at a September ceremony than he was tapped for another honor, winner of the 2013 Chairman Award from the Financial Planning Association of Dallas-Fort Worth.
The local chapter of the association recognized him at its annual gala on October 10 with the Chairman’s Award. The honor goes to an individual or group who has dedicated time and achieved outstanding results that further the efforts of the FPA.
“I chose Jared for this award based on his work with the FPA over the years and his commitment to financial planning,” Cliff Layfield, chairman of the chapter, said. “He has proven to be an advocate for financial literacy for students as well as the general public. His passion for the financial planning concept is seen by all. I am proud to have chosen him.”
A Certified Financial Planner™ practitioner, a certified retirement counselor and an accredited financial counselor, Pickens has been a member since 2004 of the Financial Planning Association, a leadership and advocacy organization that connects planning professionals and consumers.
He has helped organize and run two FPA Career Days and FPA Intern Appreciation events. He also has participated in the financial planning hotline during National Financial Planning Week and spoken on FPA panels regarding careers in financial planning.
At the Jindal School, besides teaching undergraduate and graduate classes in business finance and personal financial planning, Pickens directs JSOM’s undergraduate program in finance. He and his team are responsible for running the second-largest undergraduate finance program in Texas, one that serves 700 students.
and his wife, Kimberly
Calling Pickens an effective role model and impactful leader in the local financial-planning community, Dan Mauck, president of the local FPA chapter, said after the awards gala, “Jared has always brought incredible enthusiasm in his approach to the financial planning profession — as a student, as a practitioner, as an FPA member and now as an academician….Moreover, Jared’s soft heart toward helping people is evident not only in what he says, but also in what he does. Whether they be the clients of his past or his students of today, Jared makes sure they know he cares, and he goes to great lengths to instruct, support, and encourage them toward success.”
One of his passions, Pickens confirms, is to spread financial literacy to high school and college students. He also is avid about increasing public awareness about comprehensive financial planning. At the Jindal School, he created the UT Dallas Top Performer Competition, an annual online contest for high school students. It has attracted more than 400 contestants, who Pickens has helped teach about financial literacy and investing.
When he is not working on a doctorate in higher education, Pickens volunteers his time by giving financial literacy presentations to numerous student organizations, including the veterans’ center, Greek life and student clubs.
“Receiving this award from Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter of the Financial Planning Association is very special to me,” Pickens said. “This is an organization that has had a lot of influence on me as a student, financial planner and teacher, and I will be forever grateful to the chapter….The DFW FPA is a big help to our students entering the profession of comprehensive financial planning.”
