Ellie Kay

BIO:

America’s Family Financial Expert® and America’s Military Family Expert ™

Ellie Kay is the best-selling author of fifteen books and a frequent media guest on CNBC, ABC’s Nightline, MSNBC, Neil Cavuto and Fox News. She is the founder and CEO of Heroes at Home 501(c)(3), dedicated to bringing financial literacy education to military members around the world. Ellie is also a gifted keynote speaker, presenting to standing ovation crowds of over 10,000 people. She has over 2000 media interviews to her credit as well as 1000+ speeches.
Her most recent books are Lean Body, Fat Wallet, The Sixty Minute Money Workout, Living Rich for Less. Her book Heroes at Home has touched the lives of nearly one million military families. Ellie is also an adventure seeker and enjoys riding in an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet, skydiving, bungee jumping, hydrofoil racing, ziplining and mechanical bull riding. Despite her professional success, Ellie says her greatest role is being a wife to her test pilot husband and mom to their seven children. She currently serves as a Presidential Appointee to the Selective Service Committee, a Congressional appointee to the 25th Congressional District’s All Academies Admissions Panel and on Military Family Advisory Network as a Advisory Board member in Washington DC. She is President of the Shop Talk Toastmasters Club, the West Point Parents Club of Southern California and the Air Force Academy Parents Club.

Visit her web sites at www.elliekay.com and www.heroesathome.org . Career Highlights:

Television
Ellie has been a regular expert on ABC “Good Money” as well as Fox and Friends. She’s guested multiple times on the international show, Fox News top rated “Neil Cavuto.” Ellie’s diverse abilities include the writing of a four-hour video product for “Life Today.” It showcased Ellie’s abilities as a platform speaker, on location reporter, interviewer and talk show host. She was featured as the financial expert on episodes of the reality TV series called Simplify Your Life. A few of Ellie’s many television appearances include:

• Nightline
• Fox Network Show, Fox and Friends
• ABC News, Money Matters
• Good Day, New York
• MSNBC National Midday News
• The Neil Cavuto Show
• Host of Savings Tips With Ellie Kay in Northern New York and Canada
• Life Today
• Good Morning America affiliates including “Good Morning, Texas!”
• CNN The Flip Side
• Inside Edition
• Stuart Varney Show (Fox)
• Fox News Prime Time
• 50 SMT/RMTs

Radio
As a veteran of over 1200 media interviews, Ellie is equally comfortable with live radio, call-ins or taped broadcasts. She is a national commentator and has appeared as a repeat guest on international radio including:

 Janet Parshall’s America
 National Public Radio affiliates

 Focus on the Family – Financial commentator and interviews

 Family Life Today with Dennis Rainey and Bob Lepine

 Midday Connection
 Commentary for national radio shows “Money Watch” and “Money Matters”

Print Media

Books
In addition to contributions to a dozen compilation books, she has authored the following ten book titles:
 Lean Bodies, Fat Wallets (Thomas Nelson, 2014)
 The Sixty Minute Money Workout (Waterbrook/Random House, 2010)
 The Little Book of Big Savings (Waterbrook/Random House, 2009)
 Living Rich for Less (Waterbrook/Random House, 2009)
 A Tip A Day With Ellie Kay (Moody Publishers, 2008)
 Half Price Living (Moody Publishers, 2007) –Best Seller list March 2007
 Debt Diet (Bethany House Publishers, 2005)
 Sunshine for Moms (co-authored with Carol Kent) – (Zondervan 2005)
 A Woman’s Guide to Family Finances (Bethany House Publishers, 2004)
 The New Bride Guide (Bethany House Publishers, January, 2003)
 Heroes At Home – (Bethany House Publishers, 2002 – revised 2008, 2012)
 Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees—Teaching Kids The Value of A Buck (Bethany House Publishers, 2002)
 How To Save Money Every Day – (Bethany House Publishers, 2001)  Shop, Save and Share – (Bethany House Publishers, 1998 – revised 2006)

Columns
 Life Beautiful – Financial Columnist 2007-2014
 Military Spouse Magazine – Columnist for 2005-2014
 Military Money, Financial Columnist for 2003-2014 issues
 CinCHouse.com – Columnist 2006-2008
 CBN.com – Financial columnist 2006-2008
 Today’s Christian Woman – Columnist for 2005/2007
 Marriage Partnership – Contributing Writer 2003-2006
 Focus on Your Child Newsletters (3 ages groups), 2003-2006 issues
 HomeLife-Financial columnist for 2003/2004 issues
 Focus on Your Child Website – E-learning Module for Parents (Financial)
 Shine Magazine –Financial Columnist

Magazine work includes:

 USA TODAY
 New York Times
 Redbook
 Reader’s Digest
 Family Circle
 First For Women
 Wall Street Journal
 Women’s Day Magazine
 Focus on the Family Magazine
 Home Life Magazine
 Woman’s World
 The New York Daily News
 Marriage Partnership Magazine
 Bottom Line Personals

Consumer Education and/or Spokesperson (partial list)
 Operation Homefront – SMT – Personal appearance and tour
 Fisher House – SMT – Personal appearance and tour
 WellPoint – Blue Cross/Blue Shield – RMT, Podcast, Blogger tour
 TaxAct – RMT – Blogger Tour
 USAA – Media and print work
 IALC – Foundation for Financial Education
 Wal-Mart – Columnist/Consumer Educator for their web site. Multiple Satellite Media Tours, podcast, mommy blogger tour
 Follett Bookstores – Back to School RMT, Blogger Tour
 Proctor & Gamble – Dawn pump dishwashing soap/ Bounty paper towels – SMTs
 Kraft Foods – Oscar Mayer – Satellite Media Tour
 Progressive Auto Insurance – Satellite Media Tour
 GMAC – Consultation for new product – SMT
 OnStar – Consultation for new insurance product – SMT
 Washington Mutual – Credit Education spokesperson and website columnist
 Visa Providian – desk side interviews with editors, online education, Q&A with Ellie Kay and the “Ellie Kay – Providian Sweepstakes” – providing education on FICO scores and monthly tips to save money and pay down credit card debt.
 Entertainment.com – Satellite Media Tour
 MasterCard – Satellite Media Tour
 EhealthInsurance.com – Satellite Media Tour – Education on HSAs
 Sprint – Holiday SMT, Blogger tour
 USAA (live events, consumer education)
 Upromise (multiple SMTs, live event in NYC, multiple regional events)
 TaxAct (RMT, blogging, national media)
 Sears (SMT)
 American Express (multiple SMTs, live events, local events and media)

Speaking (partial list)
 Women’s Expo – Antelope Valley Fairgrounds 2016
 Congressional Women’s Events 2013-2016
 DigitalMilEx – 2015, 2016
 FinCON – 2015
 Toastmaster International Convention 2015 and Various District Events 2016-2017
 Heroes at Home World Tour – USAF – 2014/2017
 Heroes at Home World Tour – USAA – 2013/2017
 Heroes at Home World Tour – USMC – 2013/2015
 NSW – Navy Seal Resiliency Conferences – 2013-2015
 Heroes at Home World Tour – USMC – 2013/2014
 USMC – First Lady’s Book Initiative – Six Events – USMC locations worldwide – 2013-2014
 Yellow Ribbon Program – Six Keynotes – Various National Locations – 2013/14
 Launch Conference – Nashville, TX – Feb 2013
 Florida Writers Conference – Featured Keynote – Feb, 2014 – Tampa, FL
 PWOC Pacific Coast Region Conference Keynote Nov, 2013, Hawaii
 Loma Linda Women’s Conference Keynote -2012
 San Diego Women’s Conference Keynote -2012
 Yellow Ribbon –Department of Defense – Multiple Keynotes/Cities 2011-2012
 Keynote 2009 – Ready to Win Conferences – Arena events and Cruise
 Corporate Speaker – Walmart, Visa Providian, Premier Designs, USAA
 USAFE European 14 Day “Heroes at Home” Tour – Keynote Speaker for events in Germany, England and Italy – Fall 2007
 China – Keynote Speaker – LDI Corporation Beijing, China – Spring 2007
 Premier 2006 Rally Keynote – 8,000
 “Hearts at Home” 2005 conferences – keynote – 6,000 (national) and 3,000 (regionals)
 Replaced Laura Bush at NBG (National Guard Bureau—Air and Army) at 2005 annual convention
 Replaced Barbara Bush at “Military Spouse of the Year” awards 2003 sponsored by the NCOA
 AWSA Golden Scroll Banquet Keynote – 2006 – Honoring the top publishers and editors
 Guest speaker for military awards banquets, conferences and retreat center
 Faculty member at Mount Hermon, Florida, Glorieta, and Sandy Cove Writer’s Conferences
 Featured Keynote at Mountain Top Conferences for 2003/2004
 Has shared speaking platform with Dr. Gary Chapman, Josh McDowell, Liz Curtis Higgs, Dr. Kevin Leman and Dennis Rainey

Education and Awards
 Toastmasters International Accredited Speaker – 2015 (top 1% of 4 million worldwide speakers)
 Toastmasters International Finals – Winner – Evaluation Contest (Las Vegas, 2014)
 Military Spouse Award – 2013 – United States Marine Corps
 First Lady of the Marine Corps Reading List – 2013/14
 Ellie’s book, Heroes at Home, was a finalist in the 2003 Gold Medallion Book Awards.
 Ellie is a 1993 graduate of Colorado Christian University with a B.A., Management of Human

Resources
 Awarded an honorary incentive ride in an F15E Strike Eagle by Air Force – 2011
 In 1999 she received the Army’s highest civilian medal, the Dr. Mary E. Walker Award for outstanding dedication to improving the quality of life for soldiers and their families. She is the first Air Force spouse to be decorated with this medal, which required a four-star General’s waiver.
 With over 20,000 volunteer hours to her credit, she is the recipient of dozens of local volunteer awards.

Board of Directors
 Selective Service Board – Appointed by Govenor of CA and President of the United States 2016
 Military Family Advisory Network – Board of Advisors – Washington DC – 2015-16
 United States Air Force Academy Association Of Graduates Parent Advisory Council- 2015-2016
 25th Congressional All Academies Admission Panel – Board Member – 2015-16
 West Point Society of Los Angeles – Board of Directors – Los Angeles – 2015-16
 Women of Purpose – 501(c)(3) – Board of Directors – San Diego, CA – 2014-2016
 West Point Parents Club of Los Angeles – President – 2015-16
 United States Air Force Academy Parents Club – President – Los Angeles – 2014-2015
 Toastmasters Shop Talk Club – President – 2015-16
 Toastmasters Area Director – District 33, Division A, Area A-1 – Director – 2015-16
 Heroes at Home Events – 501(c)(3) – Chairman of the Board – 2013-2016

Family

Despite a rigorous schedule, Ellie maintains her family as highest priority. She is married to Bob Kay, a test pilot with over 25 years experience and retired USAF. The Kay’s have seven children, including three military sons.