Background
Fitzgerald, Michael Lee was born on November 29, 1951 in Marshalltown, Iowa, United States. Son of James Martin and Clara Francis Fitzgerald.
administrator advocate politician State Treasurer
Fitzgerald, Michael Lee was born on November 29, 1951 in Marshalltown, Iowa, United States. Son of James Martin and Clara Francis Fitzgerald.
He graduated from Colo Community High School in 1970 and received his bachelor"s degree in business administration from the University of Iowa in 1974.
He is the longest-serving State Treasurer in the United States. Fitzgerald worked as a marketing analyst for Massey Ferguson in Des Moines for eight years before being elected State Treasurer of Iowa in 1982. As State Treasurer, Michael Fitzgerald acts as Iowa"s trustee and custodian of the three state pension funds, and invests billions of dollars of state operating funds.
He serves as administrator of Iowa"s 529 plans, College Savings Iowa and the Iowa Advisor 529 plan, which offer families an easy, tax-advantaged way to prepare for future college tuition and expenses.
These programs currently have more than four billion dollars in combined assets. When Treasurer Fitzgerald took office in 1983, unclaimed property was a little known program
In his first year as treasurer, he prioritized returning this money and began the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt, which has returned hundreds of millions of dollars since its founding. As the state"s banker, Fitzgerald oversees and administers the Invest in Iowa program, a series of auctions he created in 1983 as a way to invest state funds in Iowa financial institutions at competitive rates.
The Linked Investments for Tomorrow (LIFT) program, introduced in 1986, also provides capital to Iowa"s small business owners who wish to create or expand their business.
Treasurer Fitzgerald is committed to providing Iowans with unbiased financial information and education programs, and is an advocate of financial literacy at all ages. He has worked with Visa, the Iowa Student Aid Commission, the Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation, Money Smart Week and many more to provide financial literacy opportunities to Iowans. Treasurer Fitzgerald considered running for Governor of Iowa against Republican incumbent Terry Branstad in 2014 but decided against lieutenant
Member of American Society Public Administrator, Government Finance Officers Association, National Association Unclaimed Property Administrator (former president), National Association State Auditors, Comptrollers, and Treasurers, Midwest Treasurer's Association, National Association State Treasurers.
Married Janet Roewe; children: Ryan, Chris, Erin, Bridie.