Before beginning volunteer work in 2023 in South Africa, Jeanne Hogarth (right) and Randy Butturini met with South Africa’s Anglican Archbishop Thabo Makgoba to discuss how they could be of service.
Jeanne Hogarth, ’79 MS, ’81 PhD, has spent her entire career working in the public and nonprofit sectors. Her talent resides in seeing the economy from the consumer perspective.
“The derivation of the word ‘economics’ translates from Greek to home accounting or home management,” Hogarth said. “Because that is what we consumer economists and scientists do – help people make a living and a life.”
Hogarth grew up in Avon Lake, Ohio. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in family and consumer sciences education from Bowling Green State University, she taught high school for seven years in Olmsted Falls, Ohio.
When she felt ready to advance her career, she chose graduate school at Ohio State. “It was the closest of the top three schools for consumer economics in the nation,” she said. And one consumer sciences course with the late Professor Emerita Jean Bowers changed everything.
“I blame it all on Jean Bowers, which shows that as an educator, you never know who you’re going to inspire among your students,” Hogarth said.
Switching to consumer sciences
Hogarth found her passion through Bowers’ course. So much so, she changed her career trajectory. Instead of pursuing family and consumer sciences education, she focused on family resource management, or family and consumer economics.
“There was a cloud of witnesses and supporters when I was in graduate school,” Hogarth said. “In addition to Professor Bowers inspiring me to make the shift from education to consumer economics, (Professor Emerita) Nancy M. Rudd, my thesis and dissertation advisor, was hugely instrumental in pushing me to work harder, so I could see what I was capable of.”
“Francille Firebaugh, who was (director of the School of Home Economics) while I was there, was also very influential, instrumental and supportive, putting me in touch with resources and guiding me toward assistantship positions. Because she comes from the field, it was a natural alliance to have her on my team.”
As a graduate student at Ohio State, Hogarth became involved in the University College unit. Undergraduate freshmen took general education requirements in the college before enrolling in their degree-granting colleges.
“As an advising assistant in (University College), I found a very important network,” Hogarth said. “(University College) was a broad community that did not just include people from your major. I found the benefit of being in a diverse community.”
After receiving both her master’s and PhD from Ohio State, Hogarth fused her old dream, teaching, with her new passion for consumer sciences. She was on the Cooperative Extension faculty in family and consumer economics at two land-grant universities: University of Illinois for one year, and then Cornell University for 13 years.
“Cornell is a really wonderful university, and Ithaca is an amazing town, but it’s small and hugely academic,” Hogarth said. It didn’t offer many opportunities for Randy Butturini, her husband.
Together, Hogarth and Butturini decided it was time for her to step outside of academia. She applied for a position at the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C., and he joined the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Hogarth and Butturini, who was trained as an engineer, make a two-career power couple. “I always like to say we both worked in consumer protection. He protects you from your appliances, and I protect you from your bank,” Hogarth said.
Facilitating consumer policy on the national level
Hogarth joined the Federal Reserve Board as a manager of consumer research. “I was the lone economist in a division of all attorneys,” she said. “When writing regulations, the attorneys would try to guess what was important to consumers. I would come in and say, ‘Have you thought about asking consumers directly? Let’s ask the person on the street.’”
Hogarth created and executed processes to amplify the voice of the consumer to better guide policy. She initiated primary and secondary research, focus groups, consumer surveys and consumer testing. She took the board into the 21st century by creating its first online, data-collection panels.
In recognition of her achievements, Hogarth was inducted into the college’s Alumni Society Hall of Fame in 2012. She was nominated by two former college leaders and her faculty supporters Francille Firebaugh and Ruth Deacon. “I had really important cheerleaders advocating for me,” Hogarth said.
In 2013, Hogarth became the vice president of policy in Washington, D.C., for the Chicago-based Center for Financial Services Innovation (now the Financial Health Network). She was a liaison to federal agencies, nonprofits and other key stakeholders to improve consumer financial health.
As part of the job, Hogarth managed the organization’s internship program. She considers hosting 60 interns as one of her proudest accomplishments while living in D.C. “I believe strongly in investing in young people at the start of their careers,” she said.
“I am proud we were able to open our doors to young men and women and expose them to opportunities they would not have had otherwise. I am still in touch with my very first intern — a lifelong friend.”
Retirement means a new business venture: consulting
In 2018, Hogarth started to think about retirement.
“In Washington, when you retire, you go into consulting,” Hogarth said. “It makes sense. You’ve built this huge network of contacts. You have a set of skills that is in high demand.”
Hogarth started her own research, analysis and consulting firm in Chattanooga, Tennessee — William L. Reed and Associates. The firm was dedicated to innovation in financial education, principle-based policies and consumer-centric product designs to improve consumer financial well-being.
Where does the William L. Reed name come from? Hint: It is not a family name. When Hogarth and Butturini bought their first home in upstate New York, the couple found a tombstone leaning against the house. “If I put in a new vegetable garden in my backyard, am I going to be digging up somebody?” Hogarth asked.
The tombstone turned out to be a personal collectible purchased by the previous owner from a deconsecrated cemetery. The name on the tombstone was William L. Reed.
Butturini suggested they use the tombstone as a driveway marker, and Hogarth reluctantly agreed. “We were forever and always ‘the tombstone on Route 89.’ You could not miss our house,” she said.
William L. Reed became an honorary member of Hogarth’s household. The couple even use it to make dinner reservations because the name was simple, clear and authoritative. What better way to name a start-up company?
“Who are the associates? Well, that would be me and any other assorted members of my household,” Hogarth said.
Hogarth added to her career until she reached 40 years of enhancing and protecting the lives of the domestic consumer. But she was not finished. It was time to take her efforts international.
Bringing light to South African high school seniors
Hogarth yearns to see the world. “One of my passions is to travel,” she said. “I still have a bucket list for all the places I want to go.”
About 10 years ago, she and Butturini went to South Africa for the first time. They were impressed by the hopeful energy they found in Cape Town and recognized the country’s potential. “South Africa is teeming with resources,” she said, “and not just natural resources, but people resources – young enthusiastic people who want to improve their culture and society.”
“My husband and I were looking for something to retire to, rather than retire from,” Hogarth said. “We both agreed South Africa had opportunities for us to explore.”
After researching the needs of the South African families and connecting through the faith community, Hogarth and Butturini focused on school-age children. Again, they wanted to uplift the next generation.
In March, they returned from their most recent trip to Africa. “The electric grid in South Africa is very fragile,” she said. “Every day, there are planned blackouts lasting up to four hours at a stretch.”
These blackouts tend to happen between the hours of six and 10 in the evening, which are prime study hours for students who are trying to prepare for high-stakes high school exit exams, called matriculation exams.
Students study by candlelight, which is both unsafe and inefficient. Hogarth and Butturini worked on a team to raise funds to provide solar-powered lights in students’ homes. Not only does the student benefit from the new light, so does their family.
“The funding for this project not only includes buying the lights, but also investing in the follow-up evaluation,” Hogarth said. “We want to know: ‘Did this work? How do we know it worked?’ They want to know they are making a difference.”
Now more than halfway to their fundraising goal, they hope to raise enough to purchase 3,600 lights for students across South Africa.
Hogarth continues to support young professionals
At home, Hogarth continues to give generously. The Hogarth Butturini Family Financial Services Fund for Public Service Internships gives students in the college and the John Glenn College of Public Affairs the opportunity to work in the public and nonprofit sectors.
Jeanne Hogarth has dedicated herself to others her entire career. Her advice for the next generation? “The most important investment you can make is in yourself,” she said. “If you spend time in education and training, it allows you to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. There is no substitute for investing in yourself.”
Read more stories about EHE Alumni Trailblazers.
