Heather Boutell, FAAC®
Secretary, Vanderbilt University
Heather Boutell is the director of financial aid at Vanderbilt School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee. Boutell has worked in financial aid for 34 years, the last seven at Vanderbilt. The rest of her career was spent in Kentucky at Bellarmine University, the University of Louisville, and KHEAA. Heather has been active in professional organizations and served as the president of the Kentucky Association of Student Aid Administrators in 2004-05 and president of the Southern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators in 2008-09. She has served on the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) Board of Directors several times in appointed and elected positions. She has received the AASFAA (Alabama), KASFAA (Kentucky), and SASFAA Distinguished Service Awards, as well as the NASFAA Regional Leadership and Meritorious Achievement Awards, for her contributions to the profession. Heather earned her bachelor’s degree in music education from Kentucky Wesleyan College and her master’s degree in education, with a concentration in college student personnel services and college counseling, from the University of Louisville. She recently earned her Ed.D. at Lipscomb University. Heather, her husband Steve, and her cat, Crouton, reside in Lebanon, Tennessee. They have two adult sons who both live in Chicago. For fun, Heather loves reality TV competition shows — ask her about Survivor, Top Chef, or Amazing Race!