About The Center

Mark Fetters has served the University of Missouri–St. Louis since 2007, bringing extensive experience in university finance, administration, human resources, and program leadership. Over his tenure at UMSL, he has held a wide range of roles supporting academic, research, and administrative units, including Office Manager for the Public Policy Research Center; Accounting and HR Specialist; Accounting and Financial Analyst; and Finance and Business Manager supporting three Provosts. Most recently, he served as a Senior HR Partner.

Mark holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master of Accounting from UMSL’s Ed G. Smith College of Business. In 2025 he was appointed Director of the Center for Excellence in Financial Counseling, where he leads the Center’s engaged education initiatives, community partnerships, and applied research efforts. He has also played a longstanding role in coordinating UMSL’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, supporting financial empowerment efforts in the broader community.

Meghan Gardner McInnes brought more than fifteen years of experience as a financial counselor serving low and moderate income consumers to her leadership of CEFC. Her professional background included direct service delivery, extensive training and professional development for financial counselors, and multiple awards recognizing excellence in counseling and education.

An active leader within the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education (AFCPE), Meghan authored influential articles and chaired key organizational committees. She joined CEFC as its second director in 2022, where she made significant contributions to the Center’s educational mission, including the development and instruction of UMSL courses focused on consumer borrowing and financial counseling.

Vicki Jacobson devoted several decades of her career to advancing consumer protection, financial education, and financial counseling services for low and moderate income individuals experiencing financial distress. A pioneer in the field, she helped establish some of the earliest rigorous research and evaluation efforts focused on financial counseling program effectiveness.

In 1992, Vicki became the Educator for the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of St. Louis, serving as one of the first professionals in the industry dedicated specifically to consumer education and protection. She later developed and delivered education programs for major CCCS organizations nationwide, helping counselors better understand client needs and effective counseling approaches.

As the founding director of the Center for Excellence in Financial Counseling, Vicki led the development of the evidence based research and evaluation models that became central to CEFC’s national reputation. She retired from the Center in 2021.