Opening Keynote Speaker - Wednesday, July 5 - 12:45 pm

Robert B. Reich

Robert B. Reich, one of the nation's leading thinkers about work and the economy, is a University Professor at Brandeis University, and Professor of Social and Economic Policy at Brandeis's Heller Graduate School.

Before joining Brandeis, he served as the nation's 22nd secretary of labor during President Bill Clinton's first term and directed Clinton's economic transition team at the start of the administration. Under Reich's leadership, the Labor Department moved forward on several path-breaking initiatives to build the skills of American workers, cracked down on unsafe worksites and on fraudulent purveyors of pensions and health insurance, and began a national initiative to abolish sweatshops. As secretary he also oversaw the enactment of the Retirement Protection Act, and the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the first increase in the minimum wage since 1989.

Professor Reich's is the author of 10 books including The Work of Nations, which has been translated into 22 languages, the best-seller Locked in the Cabinet, published by Alfred Knopf, and The Future of Success, which in 2002 was ranked by BusinessWeek magazine as the #2 best-selling business book. His latest book Reason describes what America can do to achieve both high growth and widespread prosperity. He has written more than 200 articles on the global economy, the changing nature of work and the centrality of human capital. He is a consultant to many governments and corporations.

Reich's commentaries are heard weekly on public radio by nearly five million people, and his columns appear regularly in The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and other major national newspapers. He is co-founder of and contributing editor for The American Prospect magazine.

Annual Business Meeting and General Session

This combined session begins with NASFAA's Annual Business meeting including presentation of selected NASFAA awards. It will continue with a General Session.

Luncheon Speaker - Friday, July 7- 12:00 pm

Dr. Bertice Berry

No one defies stereotypes, generalizations or clichés more than Dr. Bertice Berry. Growing up poor in Wilmington, Delaware, the sixth of seven children, Bertice Berrywas told by a high school teacher that she was "not college material." Fortunately, there was another teacher who believed that she was destined for more. Bertrice Berry applied to several schools without any idea how she would pay the tuition if she were accepted. The day her application arrived at Jacksonville University in Florida, a wealthy benefactor called the admissions department looking for a potential student "who could swim if they had the right backing, and might sink without it."

Bertice Berry not only graduated magna cum laude from Jacksonville where she was awarded the President's Cup for leadership, she subsequently earned a Ph.D. in Sociology from Kent State University at the age of 26. Dr. Berry taught sociology and statistics at Kent, and demonstrated that she knew a few things about humor, as well. She became one of the most popular teachers at the university.
Dr. Berry left Kent to become an award-winning entertainer, lecturer, and comedienne. From 1991 through 1994 she won the coveted national Comedian of the Year Award, and was also named Campus Lecturer of the Year and Campus Entertainer of the Year.

Dr. Berry was the host and co-executive producer of her own nationally syndicated talk show, The Bertice Berry Show,. She has been featured on numerous other television programs, including appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, and BET Live with Tavis Smiley.

Dr. Bertice Berry is the best-selling author of the inspirational memoir, I'm On My Way, But Your Foot Is On My Head, and the hilarious bestsellers Sckraight From the Ghetto and the sequel You STILL Ghetto. Her first work of fiction, Redemption Song (2000), is a best seller and has been praised by critics for its ability to entertain, inspire, and educate. Dr. Berry followed Redemption Song with another bestseller, The Haunting of Hip Hop. Her other works include Jim & Louella's Homemade Heart-fix Remedy and When Love Calls.

Closing Breakfast - Saturday, July 8 - 9:00 am

Department of Education Update

Jeff Baker, Director, Policy Liaison and Implementation, U.S. Department of Education
Jeff Baker is no stranger to financial aid no to NASFAA. He has been a student aid professional for more than 30 years, starting at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee and including almost 20 years at San Francisco State University. Prior to entering the field of financial aid, Jeff was a public school teacher in the Port Washington Wisconsin public schools. For the past 12 years Jeff has been employed at the Department of Education where he is currently the Director of the Policy Liaison and Implementation Staff for Federal Student Aid. In that capacity he advises senior FSA management on all statutory, regulatory, and policy matters that relate to the Title IV Federal student aid programs.

Jeff holds a B.S. in Management from Northeastern University, an M.S. in Education from the University of Wisconsin and has done postgraduate work in higher education administration at the University of Southern California.

Throughout his financial aid career, Jeff has been an active member of NASFAA serving as a committee chair, trainer and twice as a Commission Director. He is a past member of the WASFAA Executive Council and a Past President of the California association.

Jeff is the recipient of numerous awards, including NASFAA's Meritorious Achievement Award and Regional and State Leadership Award. He has been honored by WASFAA with their Creative Leadership Award and Lifetime Membership Award and is the recipient of a Distinguished Service Award, President's Award and Lifetime Membership Award from the California association. Jeff is also the recipient of a Distinguished Service Award from The College Board.

David Bergeron, Director, Policy and Budget Development Staff, U.S. Department of Education
David Bergeron is currently the Director of the Policy and Budget Development Staff for the Office of Postsecondary Education in the United States Department of Education. In this position, David is responsible for the program budget for the Federal postsecondary education programs administered by the Office of Postsecondary Education and Federal Student Aid exceeds $24 billion in fiscal year 2006 and generates more than $77 billion in student financial aid. David is also responsible for legislative, regulatory and other policies affecting the Department's postsecondary education programs including Federal Student Aid. In this capacity he has led key policy groups working on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, researched market-based approaches to loan subsidies under the guaranteed loan programs, and approving program regulations and other policy guidelines. Prior to joining the Department, David received his bachelor's of arts in political science and sociology from the University of Rhode Island and worked for a bank in consumer loans.

Dan Madzelan, Director, Forecasting and Policy Analysis Staff, U.S. Department of Education
Dan Madzelan began his Federal career with the Office of Education in 1978. He is currently the Director of the Forecasting and Policy Analysis Staff in the Office of Postsecondary Education, where he works on a variety of program and policy issues, including the development of the Department's annual budget request for the student financial aid and other programs administered by OPE. He has responsibility for long-term postsecondary education studies that help guide Federal policy as well as short-term studies of national importance on postsecondary education issues.

Mr. Madzelan provides a consultation link between OPE and the advocacy groups and constituencies at interest for national student aid policy. He has served as the Federal negotiator in each of the last three rounds of Negotiated Rulemaking for the student financial aid programs. He also helps prepare the Department's responses to Congressional inquiries related to proposed legislation and the oversight function of the Department of Education. .

In these roles, Mr. Madzelan has gained and demonstrated a broad knowledge of families' financing of higher education in general, and the Federal student financial assistance programs in particular.

Prior to joining the Department, Mr. Madzelan held his second-best job: an electric submersible dewatering pump mechanic employed by Flygt Corporation of Norwalk, Connecticut.

Closing Speaker

Dr. A. Dallas Martin, Jr., President, NASFAA

A. Dallas Martin is President of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA). He is responsible for management of NASFAA's Washington, D.C. office, and also supervises the fiscal affairs of the Association. As President of NASFAA, Dr. Martin serves as the primary liaison between NASFAA and its membership, and the United States Congress, the Executive Branch, and the U.S. Department of Education, as well as other governmental agencies. He is often called upon to prepare testimony and provide policy statements on legislative issues affecting higher education and student assistance. He also is the official representative of NASFAA with all other postsecondary education associations.

Prior to joining the staff of NASFAA, Dr. Martin served as Director of Program Planning and Administration for the Division of Student Assistance Programs with the American College Testing (ACT) Program. He joined ACT after serving for a number of years as a college and university administrator and educator. Dr. Martin was Associate Dean of Student Services at the University of Northern Colorado from 1972 to 1974, after having served as Associate Director of Student Financial Aid and as an Assistant Professor of College Student Personnel. Dr. Martin began his career in the financial aid profession as Director of Financial Aid and Admissions from 1969 to 1971 at Aims Community College.

Dr. Martin received a B.A. in Drama from Colorado State College in 1965. He later received an M.A. in Psychology, Counseling and Guidance in 1969 and an Education Specialist Degree in Student Financial Aid in 1970 from Colorado State College. He went on to receive a Ph.D. in College Student Personnel Administration in 1971 from the University of Northern Colorado.