GREEN BAY (NBC26) — UWGB Director of the Schwab Center for Financial Wellness, Dr. Preston Cherry, has become an influential leader in the world of finance in just his short time calling Green Bay home.
- Learn more about the story and the impact Dr. Preston Cherry is having on UW-Green Bay and its Center for Financial Wellness.
- Educator, wealth advisor, and author are three areas of focus for Dr. Cherry is sharing how people can achieve financial well-being.
- Cofrin School of Business students explain the role Dr. Cherry and the center play in the emerging field of finance for the community.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
"I believe strongly in mentorship," Dr. Preston Cherry, Director of the Schwab Center for Financial Wellness, said.
Dr. Cherry has only been in Green Bay for about five years.
"I always say I have a birth town, a hometown, and a live town," Dr. Cherry said. "My birth town is Kansas City, but I grew up in Houston, so I call myself a born-again Texan."
Dr. Cherry said that, growing up, his parents instilled financial wellness lessons in him and his sister.
After earning degrees from Prairie View A&M, a historically Black College and University (HBCU), and Texas Tech, Dr. Cherry embarked on the world of finance.
"Someone has done it for me. I want to impact someone else to inspire them to thrive in whatever they want to do," Dr. Cherry said.
Dr. Cherry hasn't wasted any time.
- He founded his own firm called Concurrent Wealth Management.
- Grew his branding on social media through YouTube and podcasting.
- He's also frequently featured in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, among other national media outlets.
When asked how he ended up in Green Bay, he said it was because of the opportunities to grow his impact in a variety of avenues.
Opportunities, he said, as an educator, wealth advisor, and author.
In Spring 2021, he was a leader in the birth of UW-Green Bay’s Schwab Center for Financial Wellness.
"How can we give more people permission to prosper with their life and money?" Dr. Cherry. "That's what it's all about."
Dean of the Cofrin School of Business, Mathew Dornbush, said the center is a reflection of the emerging industry of finance — offering financial planning services and education to students and the rest of the community.
"One of the things Dr. Cherry's really ingrained in my thinking is set goals and don't get greedy," Dornbush said. "If you want to get to (a set financial level) and then your returns get a little better, don't get greedy, remember where you're trying to go, keep steady, and live life at the same time."
"He does a lot to help out with all the financial planning students," Frank Haanen, a senior at UW-Green Bay, said.
Haanen said Dr. Cherry’s approach to applied learning makes a difference.
"It's cool to see what I do on my internship and how it leads to class and everything like that," Haanen said.
In 2024, Dr. Cherry released his first book, Wealth in the Key of Life.
"It was just the right time," Dr. Cherry said. "I was like, okay, now is the time to put all this wisdom in my head and heart, life experiences, professional experiences into a book that can help folks thrive in life."
The book, Dr. Cherry said, is rooted in aligning overall well-being with financial harmony.
"UW-Green Bay has been good to me, the community has been good to me and my wife, our newborn child was born here, so we will always have a connection to Green Bay," Dr. Cherry said.
Dr. Cherry said he plans to plant more seeds, expand his reach, and watch those avenues grow.
Click here for more information on financial education opportunities and where to find his book.
