10 Questions With NASFAA’s New National Chair, Dan Mann!
By Brittany Hackett, Communications Staff
Meet Dan Mann, NASFAA’s 2015-16 National Chair!
Dan Mann is the director of student financial aid at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he leads an operation that administered over $755 million in financial aid awards last year. Prior to joining the University of Illinois in November 2004, Dan served as director of financial aid at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Over the course of his 35 year financial aid career, he has been active in state, regional, and national professional associations. He is a former MASFAA (Midwest) and ILASFAA (Illinois) President and has served on the NASFAA Board of Directors. He has been the recipient of several awards, including the ILASFAA Sustained Service Award and the MASFAA Allan W. Purdy Distinguished Service Award. He is past national chair for the Coalition of State University Aid Administrators (COSUAA) and is an active member of The College Board.
As he begins his tenure as 2015-16 National Chair, Dan took some time to discuss with Today’s News his goals for the next year and what inspires him as a financial aid professional.
TN: How long have you worked in financial aid and how did you get your start?
DM: I have worked in financial aid for 35 years and began as a graduate assistant in the student work and financial assistance office – later named the financial aid office – at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. My undergraduate degrees are in accounting and finance, and I was initially hired to reconcile the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant (now Pell Grant) Program expenditures and report that information to the Department of Education. This was before there were financial aid management systems and electronic spreadsheets/tools, so I spent a lot of time reviewing paper invoices, manually keying data into adding machines, completing carbon-paper reports, filling in bubbles on payment documents, and using the infamous BEOG Payment Wheel!
TN: What do you think is the biggest issue facing the federal programs right now?
DM: That common sense solutions and compromise are so difficult to achieve these days given the partisanship in Washington, D.C., and that decisions made with regard to the financial aid programs are often based on how they impact the budget rather than on sound policy rationale.
TN: What are your top three goals for your chairmanship of NASFAA?
DM:
- Consider ways to strengthen our profession
- Encourage financial aid administrators to be involved and engaged in NASFAA’s work.
- Celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of NASFAA and the Higher Education Act.
TN: Who has been the biggest professional influence for you over the years, and why?
DM: There have been many people who have influenced me during my career, including many financial aid colleagues who have retired, as well as some who continue to work and are leaders within our profession. My biggest influence has been my mom, who continues to work as a tax preparer and accountant. She has taught me the importance of values, honesty, integrity, hard work, and to always treat your clients with respect.
TN: What is the best professional advice you have been given?
DM: I have two pieces of advice that have served me well over my career: "Pay attention to the details" and "Don't sweat the small stuff.”
TN: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
DM: I love to travel and there are lots of places that I would like to go, but I think that a trip to Australia/New Zealand is at the top of my bucket list since I have never been south of the equator.
TN: You can have dinner with three celebrities, dead or alive. Who are they?
DM: Abraham Lincoln (I've always been interested in his life and presidency, plus we could talk about our home state of Illinois), Lucille Ball (she was such a pioneer in television and I still laugh when I watch reruns of her shows), and Princess Diana (I think her story is fascinating and admire the bond that she created with people around the world).
TN: If I weren't working in financial aid, I'd...
DM: Probably own or manage a restaurant. I like to cook and appreciate good food and great service!
TN: One personal fact that would surprise my coworkers:
DM: I treat myself to a massage every Tuesday evening!
TN: If you had a superpower, what would it be?
DM: To be invisible! I'm sure that there are times when each of us would like to be able to be the proverbial "fly on the wall."
Leave your welcome messages, comments, and congratulations to Mann in the comments section below!
Publication Date: 7/28/2015
Peg M | 7/28/2015 5:46:08 PM
Congratulations again Dan! It was great to see you at the conference! - Peg
Ginny B | 7/28/2015 3:30:25 PM
Dan - congratulation, my friend! Another outstanding NASFAA president from the Midwest! And,you learned well from your Mom - you exemplify all of those qualities you listed. Be blessed this year! Hope to see you soon. Ginny
Anna G | 7/28/2015 3:29:42 PM
Dan, best wishes to you - a great friend and colleague and a natural born leader!
Justin B | 7/28/2015 11:14:47 AM
Best of luck this year! I might have to start that Tuesday routine, I like the sound of that!
Ron D | 7/28/2015 10:34:20 AM
Dan, I too want to congratulate you and wish you the very best in this next year. It will go very fast - so remember to enjoy yourself and have fun. Representing NASFAA is a wonderful honor and privilege and I know without hesitation - you will be exceptional. I wish you the very best - be safe - take care of yourself - and Godspeed my friend.
Eileen O | 7/28/2015 9:26:07 AM
Congratulations, Dan! You will be a phenomenal NASFAA Chair! And yes, I am surprised about the Tuesday evening massages...but not surprised about being the owner of a restaurant. Best wishes!
Lisa H | 7/28/2015 9:18:29 AM
Dan, have a great year! I missed the BEOG wheel, but I did my share of bubbling. Wishing safe travels for your team this year. Enjoy the experience. You will be a great leader for our association.
Joseph S | 7/28/2015 8:52:35 AM
Dan, congratulations and indeed I can recall the early days in your attending NASFAA meetings, back when I was Chair from 1987-88. Hard to believe that long ago, but wonderful and happy memories. Keep up with that positive attitude and you will find that NASFAA's chairmanship is one of the highlights of one's professional career. I will see you in DC for the 50th!
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