Leadership Conference Speakers
Learn more about the speakers we had at the 2023 Leadership & Legislative Conference & Expo.
Featured Speaker
Melanie Storey, Federal Student Aid
Melanie Storey is the deputy director of Policy Implementation and Oversight (PIO). She joined Federal Student Aid (FSA) in March 2020 and joined PIO in September 2020. PIO serves as the principal office advising FSA on higher education policy to ensure that operations are considered in policy development and once enacted, that policy is implemented to meet intended goals. Prior to FSA, Melanie led a wide range of policy-focused activities related to higher education and student financial aid at the College Board. She contributed the College Board's major policy-related studies and reports about higher education, college affordability, and student aid. Prior to the College Board, Melanie served as the director of national initiatives at the American Council on Education. In that role, she provided strategic research and analytical support to ACE's government relations leadership team and served as the primary staff liaison for several blue-ribbon commissions including U.S. Secretary of Education Spellings' Commission on the Future of Higher Education.
Session Speakers
Allie Arcese, NASFAA
As NASFAA's Director of Communications, Allie oversees the production of Today's News, spearheads the association's media relations, and works closely with other NASFAA teams to carry out strategic communications efforts. Allie joined NASFAA in 2015 as a reporter and has since then served as senior reporter/audio content producer and as managing editor. A seasoned journalist with more than a decade of experience covering local and national education policy issues, Allie has also written for U.S. News & World Report and The Chronicle of Higher Education, and has had her work published in a number of other outlets. She's a proud UC Berkeley alumna residing in the Washington, D.C. area with her husband and children, Katerina (a human) and Lucy (a cat).
Daniel Barkowitz, FAAC®, University of Miami
Daniel is the assistant vice president of student financial assistance and employment at the University of Miami. While new to the Florida area, Daniel is not new to financial aid, having served nearly 30 years in institutions of higher education. Previous roles include director of financial aid at MIT, dean of financial aid/associate dean of student affairs for Columbia College and Columbia Engineering at Columbia University in the City of New York, director of operations and training for the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority, and assistant director of financial aid at Boston College. Daniel earned his bachelor's degree in history from Northeastern University and his master's degree in human resource education from Boston University. Daniel has led presentations on financial aid and college financing to many audiences (more than 500) ranging in size from two to 2,000. He has been interviewed for television, radio, and newspapers on the topic of financial aid. Daniel lives with his wife and two children in Orlando, and is a published poet, musical theater actor, and Tarot card collector.
Brad Barnett, MS, AFC®, CPFM, FAAC®, NASFAA National Chair, James Madison University
Brad is an accredited financial counselor and certified personal financial manager who works as the associate vice president for access and enrollment management/director of financial aid and scholarships at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. With over two decades of experience in the financial aid profession, Brad has been active in state, regional, and national financial aid associations as a presenter, committee member/chair, and elected officer. A past president of VASFAA and SASFAA, he has also served NASFAA in various roles, including treasurer, conference chair, Standards of Excellence (SOE) reviewer, SOE assessment leader, and a member of the Financial Affairs Committee. Brad has been honored for his work by receiving the VASFAA Lifetime Membership Award, VAFSAA Excellence Award, SASFAA Distinguished Service Award, and NASFAA Regional Leadership Award. In addition to his financial aid activities, Brad teaches personal finance courses (online and in person) at JMU and provides financial counseling services on a professional basis outside of his role with JMU.
Gena Boling, FAAC®, Cornell University
Gena is the director of the office of enrollment compliance & design at Cornell University where she serves as both the compliance lead for the Division of Enrollment, working closely with partners in the offices of admissions, financial aid and university registrar, and as the university's lead compliance officer for compliance with the Higher Education Act, more broadly working with multiple compliance partners across campus. Before stepping into her current role, Gena served as a financial aid administrator in the Midwest, focusing on the areas of Title IV compliance and technology solutions and regularly draws on her past life in student affairs to force everyone to do icebreakers and ensure student-friendly compliance initiatives. Gena is a Certified Financial Aid Administrator® and holds 17 NASFAA Credentials and enjoys brainstorming innovative ideas for navigating the compliance landscape in higher education.
Heather Boutell, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Heather is the director of financial aid at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee, a position she has held since January 2019. Heather has worked in financial aid for 30 years at various institutions and has been active in professional organizations throughout her career. She served on NASFAA's Board of Directors as the SASFAA regional representative, as a commission director, and a representative-at-large, and has served on numerous committees. She also served as president of SASFAA in 2008 and KASFAA (Kentucky) in 2004. She is the proud recipient of the NASFAA Regional Leadership Award (SASFAA), the SASFAA Distinguished Service Award, and the Herb Vescio Kentucky Distinguished Service Award. Heather is passionate about training, and has presented countless sessions at state, regional, and national conferences. She believes mentorship programs provide opportunities to allow aid professionals grow, and thanks all the people who believed in her and encouraged her to step up and volunteer. Heather is a proud mom to sons Jonah and Ben, and lives in Lebanon, Tennessee with her husband Steve.
Dr. Amy Cable, FAAC®, Louisiana Community and Technical College System
Amy Cable is currently the chief student affairs officer at the Louisiana Community and Technical College System. She has over 18 years of experience as a financial aid administrator and has worked collaboratively with financial aid professionals in varying capacities at the state, regional and national level. Amy has served on NASFAA's Board of Directors as the SWASFAA regional representative. She is a past president of LASFAA at the local level. She successfully implemented multiple financial aid initiatives that used state dollars to increase enrollment for adult students, and is currently working with the state financial aid association in the implementation of the MJ Foster Promise Scholarship. Throughout her career she co-authored "Developing Your Star Qualities: Preparing Yourself to Become the Director'' and presented on many financial aid and enrollment management topics, including default management and communication for a greater influence. Amy began her career in financial aid at the University of Memphis.
Christal Chatman, FAAC®, Montgomery County Community College
Christal Chatman is currently the director of financial aid at Montgomery County Community College in Pennsylvania and is a NASFAA Certified Financial Aid Administrator. She holds a doctorate in business administration and earned an MBA with a human resources concentration. Christal has 30 years of experience in for-profit and non-profit higher education administration within financial aid, student accounts, faculty, and as a satellite campus location leader overseeing admissions, academics, and student financial services. Christal has also served as Chair of a Staff Advisory Task Force whose purpose was to research and make recommendation to improve staff engagement and satisfaction. She has volunteered for NASFAA and Ellucian's Colleague Financial Aid Client Advisory Board.
Alex DeLonis, FAAC®, Wabash College
Alex DeLonis, FAAC®, currently serves as the director of financial aid at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana. He began his career in financial aid as a Federal Work-Study student at Harper College 15 years ago. From Harper, Alex went on to work for Oakton Community College and Ivy Tech Community College in financial aid before arriving at Wabash in 2019. He has served in various roles within ISFAA, MASFAA, and NASFAA. In his work with NASFAA, Alex has participated in the Advocacy Pipeline, FAFSA Simplification Implementation Working Group, and is an alumnus of the Diversity Leadership Program. Within his association volunteer work, Alex enjoys being a trainer on various financial aid topics and advocating for students and financial aid programs.
Mark Diestler, University of Oregon
Mark is currently the senior associate director of student financial aid and scholarships at the University of Oregon (UO). Prior to joining UO, Mark served as an institutional review specialist (AKA: "Program Reviewer") and eligibility analyst for the U.S. Department of Education. He has worked in the public and private non-profit sectors but is also very familiar with the proprietary sector. Mark has been very active in state, regional, and national associations, where he has served in a wide range of roles including serving as President of his state association. He started with the SOE program in 2016: "I enjoy learning from others and seeing different ways of doing things. Being involved helps me keep up-to-date on all areas related to Financial Aid, from regulations, to office operations and customer service."
Justin is president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. He serves as the primary voice of NASFAA and as the liaison between the association members, the U.S. Congress, federal agencies and the media. Most of Justin's career has been devoted to assisting disadvantaged populations achieve their educational goals and better their communities. Since 2002, Justin has been engaged in either administering, interpreting, communicating, or developing student financial aid policy. His prior experiences include working as a financial aid director, regulatory and policy analyst, and spokesperson. He has held senior positions overseeing government relations, communications, and policy work. Justin has testified in multiple Congressional hearings on student financial aid, college access, student loan policy, and the interplay between federal agencies and colleges and universities. He is frequently quoted in the press and has appeared on The Today Show on NBC, National Public Radio, APM's Marketplace, Fox Business News, CNBC, and C-SPAN, and is often quoted in national news outlets. Justin serves on several boards of directors that promote health and education. He earned his undergraduate from Brigham Young University and his MBA from Baker College. Justin lives in Fairfax, VA with his wife and three children.
Anthony Erwin, FAAC®, Blue Icon Advisors, LLC
Tony has more than 20 years of experience in student services and support, including financial aid, employment, billing, veteran affairs, immigration, enrollment management, and student affairs. As a Blue Icon consultant, Tony works directly with schools to identify and solve compliance and operational issues.
Prior to joining Blue Icon Advisors, Tony served as the vice president for enrollment management and student affairs at Merrimack College. Prior to Merrimack, Tony served as the associate vice president of enrollment and dean of student financial services at Northeastern University; associate director for student aid and finance at Stonehill College; and assistant director of financial aid at Berklee College of Music. Tony also worked as a school trainer for the U.S. Department of Education for 12 years.
Tony has been an active member of the financial aid community, serving as president of the Eastern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (EASFAA) and the Massachusetts Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (MASFAA). He has also participated in a variety of NASFAA committees and served as a regional representative on the NASFAA Board of Directors.
Tony graduated with a bachelor's degree in communication from Stonehill College and will soon complete his master's degree in leadership at Northeastern University. Tony has earned all 17 NASFAA professional credentials.
Helen Faith, FAAC®, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Helen Faith, FAAC®, is the director of student financial aid at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has 22 years of financial aid and higher education experience, and has previously worked at Lane Community College, the University of Western States, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland State University, and the University of California, Santa Cruz. She earned her bachelor's degree in literature at UC Santa Cruz and a master's degree in education: policy, foundations, and administration at Portland State University, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership and policy analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has served in a number of elected and volunteer roles at the state, regional, and national level, and is a past president of WASFAA and OASFAA. She has served on NASFAA's Board of Directors as WASFAA regional representative and representative-at-large. She has also participated in negotiated rulemaking with the U.S. Department of Education and has collaborated with several higher education associations on financial aid research and analysis projects. Helen is passionate about financial aid and higher education as critical engines for social change with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Rachel Gentry Rotunda, NASFAA
Rachel contributes to NASFAA's policy and advocacy efforts, representing the association before congressional members and staff and working to enhance the advocacy capacity of its members. Prior to joining NASFAA, Rachel worked in higher education policy analysis and research in Washington, D.C., and began her career in higher education as a high school college advisor assisting low-income and first-generation students through the college application and financial aid process.
Karen Hanley, Blue Icon Advisors, LLC
Karen has been in financial aid since 2001 and in that time has worked at a variety of institutions, including Northeastern University, George Mason University, and most recently at Georgetown University, where she was the director of university financial aid compliance. At Georgetown, she wrote the policy and procedures manual for both federal and institutional policies as well as developed and presented training materials for staff members as well as colleagues across campus. She successfully managed all financial aid audits for over five years with no findings. She has earned two NASFAA credentials in Cost of Attendance and Student Eligibility.
Luke Hoey, FAAC®, McClintock and Associates
Luke works extensively with postsecondary institutions on a full range of audit and business consulting services related to Title IV compliance. He has been with McClintock & Associates since 2013 and was named a manager in 2021, bringing valuable knowledge in calculating awards and packaging, cash management, Gainful Employment and the Clery Act. Before coming to McClintock, he worked within the financial services department at a four-year for-profit institution. As a member of NASFAA and PASFAA, he is a regular participant at Federal Student Aid-related conferences and trainings. In his personal time, Luke spends time with his family and is a certified foster/adoptive parent, and he enjoys playing the guitar and learning new instruments.
D. Ingram, UT Southwestern Medical Center
Danchees, fondly known as D., is the associate director of the office of student financial aid at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center located in Dallas. She brings over 10 years of financial aid knowledge and over 15 years of training and development experience. D. has served her state and regional associations as a presenter, committee member/chair, and elected officer; currently vice president of TASFAA. D. was honored to receive the TASFAA Trailblazer and SWASFAA Philo Brasher Emerging Leadership awards in 2019, in addition to the NASFAA Diversity Leadership Program class of 2019-20. She is excited to contribute on the national level to increase academic success, and ensure all voices are represented. "We must be intentional about diversity and inclusion — both across various institution types and underrepresented groups in our organizations and communities." she said.
Dr. Anthony Jones, University of Utah
Dr. Anthony Jones is the executive director of scholarships and financial aid at the University of Utah. Anthony has worked in the profession since 1991, including at institutions in Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina. He also worked for NASFAA providing training and regulatory assistance before serving more than 12 years at ED in FSA and OPE as a policy analyst. Anthony also worked for the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance leading their policy research efforts, including directing the 2011 Higher Education Regulations Study. Anthony served several terms on the editorial board for the Journal of Student Financial Aid. He has served on several committees in state and regional associations, including an elected position in TASFAA. He received NCASFAA's Award of Merit in 2014. Anthony earned his PhD in Higher Education at the University of Georgia.
Dana Kelly, NASFAA
Dana Kelly currently serves as the vice president of professional development and institutional compliance for the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA). In this role she oversees all products and services assigned to the Training and Regulatory Assistance and Certification and Credentialing departments, supervises DC-based and remote training staff, manages the annual Leadership & Legislative Conference & Expo, develops session content for NASFAA's national conference and oversees NASFAA's Meetings area. As a member of NASFAA's executive team, she is instrumental in ensuring NASFAA is working toward the vision, mission, and goals established by NASFAA's Board of Directors. Dana has over 29 years experience working within the financial aid community. Prior to working at NASFAA, she held positions at Nelnet Diversified Solutions as a national trainer, at Nelnet as a regional director, and at High Point University as the director of student financial planning. She holds a bachelor's degree in justice and policy studies from Guilford College, a master's degree from University of Phoenix in organizational management, and master's in public administration from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Chuck Knepfle, Portland State University
Chuck Knepfle serves as vice president for enrollment management at Portland State University. Knepfle manages the personnel, budgets, technology, and operations for undergraduate admissions, financial aid and scholarships, orientation, and other units to strategically lead the various aspects of enrollment management. Chuck served as both the associate vice president for enrollment management and the director of student financial aid at Clemson over nine years, and for ten years prior as the director of financial aid at Miami University. He served on the board of trustees for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, and served as national chair for the Higher Education Loan Coalition. He served for 15 years in NASFAA's Standards of Excellence peer review program, as well as on various NASFAA committees and task forces. He earned his bachelor's degree in systems analysis and his master's degree in management from Miami University, and his PhD from Clemson in educational leadership. His research focuses on college access and affordability.
Patti Kohler, FAAC®, Western Governors University
Patti Kohler is a higher education professional within the student financial aid industry. She currently serves as Vice President, Financial Aid at Western Governors University, a 4-year private, non-profit school, based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. Patti focuses on providing the financial means for students to achieve their academic goals, with special attention to reducing student loan indebtedness through responsible borrowing initiatives.
Dr. Kevin Kruger, NASPA
Dr. Kevin Kruger draws on more than 40 years of experience in higher education. Since 2012, he has served as president and CEO for NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. Prior to his role as president, he worked for 18 years as the associate executive director and served as the chief operating officer (COO) and chief financial officer (CFO) for NASPA. He has held a range of student affairs positions at Southern Methodist University and the University of Maryland. As NASPA president, Dr. Kruger represents student affairs at a variety of national forums and is a frequent contributor to higher education news stories on the college student experience. Dr. Kruger has published and presented nationally and globally on trends in higher education, student success, degree completion strategies for low-income/first-generation students, and change management and leadership in higher education. Dr. Kruger received his master's degree and Ph.D. in counseling and personnel services from the University of Maryland. He is the proud father of two children, one a recent college graduate and the other a college junior.
Wayne Kruger, St. Petersburg College
Wayne Kruger serves as executive director of financial assistance operations at St. Petersburg College and has worked as a financial aid administrator for the past 22 years. Wayne is a Past President of the Florida Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, Secretary of the Southern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, among numerous other roles. Wayne has done countless presentations for FASFAA, SASFAA, NASFAA, the College Board, NACAC, among others. He holds a master's degree in education, with a specialization in college student affairs from the University of South Florida.
Sara Lambie, FAAC®, Indiana University
Sara is currently the associate director of online student financial services for Indiana University. She has been in the industry since 2004, starting at Nelnet working in the world of FFELP loan origination, and following in various roles both in lending and financial aid at several types of institutions. The majority of her work, in both lending and student services, has focused on leadership, training, compliance, and documentation. She enjoys connecting the dots for employees, helping them understand the "why" for what they do and at the end of the day, providing exceptional customer service to our students. Sara currently holds nine NASFAA credentials and earned her FAAC® designation in 2020.
Beth Maglione, NASFAA
Beth is the executive vice president of NASFAA. She has worked for the association since 2008, and in the higher education space for more than two decades. She works closely with the President/CEO and NASFAA Board of Directors, and oversees multiple key functional areas at NASFAA, including communications and communities, web, membership services, operations and accounting. In prior positions she has served as a reporter, editor, public relations and media relations strategist and spokesperson, and corporate communications executive. She serves as an appointed board member to the National Association of College Admissions Counselors. Beth earned her undergraduate degree at the College of Charleston and a certificate in nonprofit leadership from Georgetown University; she lives in Washington, DC with her family.
Sharon Oliver, FAAC®, North Carolina Central University
Sharon is currently serving as the interim enrollment manager and assistant vice chancellor for scholarships and student aid. She has over 25 years of experience in financial aid. She is a former SASFAA and NCASFAA President and has served as a regional representative on the NASFAA Board of Directors. As a presenter at national, regional, and state conferences, Sharon stays connected and involved. Additionally, in 2021, she served as a presenter for the Department of Education Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Birds of a Feather.
Dr. Michela Perrone, MMP Associates
Dr. Michela Perrone founded MMP Associates in 1993 in order to support the successful development of nonprofit organizations, their boards, and chief executives. Michela's experience and expertise enable her to be an effective teacher and facilitator, as well as a troubleshooter, a diagnostician of management and governance problems, a team builder and a problem solver, a competent trainer of boards, and executive coach of CEOs.
Michela is a faculty member of Georgetown University's Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership, a senior associate of BoardSource, and a consultant and trainer for the Center for Nonprofit Advancement in Washington, D.C. She works with hundreds of board members, organizations, and chief executives annually to support their development and increase their effectiveness.
From 1978 until 1993, Michela was the president of the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Institute, a nonprofit corporation with headquarters in Washington, D.C. Under her leadership, the Kennedy Institute grew from a small school for children with intellectual disabilities — with 25 staff and a yearly budget of $400,000 — to a multi-faceted organization where, in over 50 locations, 300 staff serve nearly 1,000 children and adults with disabilities, with a budget of over $8 million. Michela trained hundreds of professionals in the United States and abroad in management skills and in the education of people with disabilities.
Between 1969 and 1978, Michela held positions of leadership for six educational and human service organizations in the United States and Europe. Throughout her career, she has consulted with hundreds of organizations in the United States, Europe, and Latin America.
A native of Italy, Michela holds Italian and American citizenship. She first came to the United States on a Fulbright Scholarship, and completed her undergraduate work at Macalester College and her graduate and doctoral work at the Union Institute and University. Michela speaks fluent Italian, English, Spanish, and French.
Nick Prewett, FAAC® - Director of Financial Aid, Stony Brook University
Nick has worked in financial aid at large, public Association of American Universities (AAU) institutions since 2003. He has earned all 17 NASFAA professional credentials and has been very involved in state, regional, and national financial aid associations, including the NASFAA Board of Directors and as the Midwest Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (MASFAA) president. He believes that through training, financial aid administrators he can help reduce barriers for students pursuing higher education. He has an Ed.D from the University of Kansas.
Dr. JoEllen Price, FAAC®, Houston Community College
Dr. JoEllen Price started her higher education career in 1988 and became a financial aid director in 1992. Dr. Price currently serves as the executive director of financial aid at Houston Community College. She has lead financial aid operations for five different institutions (public, private and proprietary) in four states over her 34 year career. Positions held include executive director of student financial programs overseeing student accounts and financial aid; assistant vice president of enrollment management overseeing admissions, financial aid, and marketing; interim director of institutional research; registrar; and vice president of operations for a full-service financial aid consulting company working with over 50 different institutions. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrator's and serves on multiple committees and task forces for TASFAA, SWASFAA and NASFAA. She completed all 16 NASFAA credentials in September of 2021 and is a NASFAA Certified Financial Aid Administrator. Dr. Price earned a bachelor's degree in business (1991), a master's degree in business administration (1997), a master's degree in information technology (2015), and completed her doctorate in education (2022).
Marvin Smith, FAAC®, University of California, Los Angeles
Marvin Smith has served the financial aid profession for more than 30 years and currently serves as the executive director of financial aid & scholarships at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He began his career at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, starting as a graduate student in the financial aid office. He served at Purdue University for nearly 20 years, served as a financial aid director at Ivy Tech Community College-Lafayette for four years, and served as executive director of student financial services at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) for eight years. Marvin has been highly involved in the financial aid profession at the state, regional, and national levels, as well as with the College Board and the Coalition of State University Aid Administrators (COSUAA, the organization of large public university aid directors). Marvin is the past president of MASFAA and past national chair of COSUAA. He earned his bachelor's degree and master's degree from Purdue University.
Mary recently retired as the director of financial aid at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. She has been working in financial aid in Montana and Nebraska for 30 years. Prior to coming to UNK she was the director of financial aid and also an admissions counselor at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana.
Mary currently serves on the NASFAA Leadership Symposium task force. She recently finished a term on the NASFAA Finance Committee and chaired the NASFAA Administrative Capability task force. Previously, she served as a representative-at-large on the NASFAA Board of Directors and as chair of the NASFAA Ethics Commission. She worked on the task force that updated NASFAA's Statement of Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct. She is the proud recipient of NASFAA's Meritorious Achievement Award.
In her state and region, Mary has served on two occasions as the president of the Nebraska Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. She was the president of the Rocky Mountain Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (RMASFAA) in 2004. Over her career, Mary has presented at state, regional, and national conferences on a number of financial aid and higher education topics.
Mary has a bachelor's degree from Iowa State University and a master's degree from the University of Nebraska.
Dr. Christina Tangalakis, FAAC®, Glendale Community College
Christina is currently the associate dean of financial aid at Glendale Community College in Glendale, California. Previously, she was director of financial aid at the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, associate director at the University of Southern California, assistant director at Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology, and a financial aid counselor at Central Washington University. Affordability, access, and diversity are the issues central to her daily work and professional interests. In December 2018, Christina was named one of the six members of the inaugural class of NASFAA's Diversity Leadership Program.
As a member of the LGBTQ community with Latinx heritage, Christina explains that diversity is more than just a passing phase — it is a way of life, an aspiration, and a motivation for creating change. Christina is currently a member of the advisory council for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and sits on the board of directors of the Foundation for the AIDS Monument. In the future, Christina wants to continue to advocate for marginalized populations' college access and affordability, and to mentor a new generation of financial aid leaders who will be ready to shape the industry's future.
Brent Tener, Vanderbilt University
Brent is currently the director of student financial aid and scholarships at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. He has over 30 years of experience as a financial aid administrator and has worked with financial aid professionals across the country while serving in varying capacities in state, regional, and national associations. Brent has served on NASFAA's Board of Directors as the SASFAA regional representative, commission director, and representative-at-large. He is a past president of TASFAA at the state level and SASFAA at the regional level, and was one of the main architects of Vanderbilt's current progressive need-based financial aid program, Opportunity Vanderbilt. He was honored with the NASFAA Regional Leadership Award (SASFAA) in 2010 and the SASFAA Distinguished Service Award in 2013. Brent started his financial aid career at Wichita State University.
Celena Tulloss, FAAC®, University of Tennessee
Celena Tulloss, FAAC®, serves as the director of the office of financial aid and scholarships at the University of Tennessee. She has over 20 years experience in financial aid, having served in community action scholarship programming, as the executive director of financial aid at Lincoln Memorial University, and in progressively responsible roles at Tennessee since 2008. Celena is actively involved in leading professional organizations dedicated to the advancement of student financial aid, through training and advocacy. She has served in many roles, including the President of the Tennessee Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (TASFAA), where she was awarded their highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award. Celena serves as the current past-president of the Southern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (SASFAA). Celena has also served NASFAA as a member of the Rapid Response Network, the conference local arrangements committee, and a conference presenter.
Samantha Veeder, University of Rochester
Sam is the associate dean of college enrollment and director of financial aid at University of Rochester, a private institution and top-tier research university with total enrollment of approximately 6,000 undergraduates and nearly 3,500 graduate students and total administered financial aid of over $350 million. Sam has over 29 years of experience in the financial aid profession, previously serving as director of financial aid at Syracuse University, Nazareth College, Hobart & William Smith Colleges and Keuka College and as a senior consultant at Scannell & Kurz, Inc. Over the years, she has been active in state, regional, and national professional organizations. She has served as Treasurer of both NYSFAAA and EASFAA, President of EASFAA, Rep-at-Large for NASFAA, and member of the College Board Board of Trustees and National CSS Assembly (among other volunteer roles). Sam is the recipient of the NYSFAAA Sister Bernadine Hayes and Rusty Hopkins Service Award, the NYSFAAA Region III Service Award, and the EASFAA Leadership Award. Sam is a frequent presenter at financial aid nights, workshops and conferences particularly on technology, financial aid, and enrollment management topics. Sam is a graduate of Ithaca College with a bachelor's degree in health services administration and Nazareth College with a master's degree in management.
Publication Date: 2/3/2023
