NASFAA members are always moving ahead, whether enhancing their skills in their current roles, accepting promotions or job changes, or discovering new pathways as retirees. Below are a few colleagues who were honored with awards or recognitions, or made changes in their professional lives, in 2023-24.

Let NASFAA and your colleagues know about your career developments by completing the "Movers and Shakers" form. We'll review your submission and then post your update on this page and on NASFAA's social media accounts for all to see.

Submit your Update

Job Changes & Promotions

• *NEW* December 4, 2023 – Sarah Freestone, FAAC®, formerly the director of student financial aid at Grand View University, is now the senior assistant director at Iowa State University.
• November 16, 2023 - Marla Bush was promoted from director of financial aid to dean of student services and financial aid at University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana. 
• November 13, 2023 - Nicole Casey, formerly the assistant director, loans at the University of Nebraska Omaha, is now the assistant director of compliance at Kansas State University.
• November 9, 2023 - Jewel Williams was promoted from vice president of regulatory compliance to vice president of regulatory compliance and financial aid at Post University.
• November 6, 2023 - Chloe Sova, formerly the interim director of financial aid at Alma College, is now the assistant director of financial aid at Central Michigan University.
• *NEW* November 1, 2023 – Tricia Stouder was promoted from assistant director to senior assistant director at Iowa State University.
• November 1, 2023 - Phyllis Torry, formerly the director of financial aid at Rust College, is now the director of financial aid at Christian Brothers University. 
• November 1, 2023 - Edgar Martinez, formerly the compliance and training lead officer at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), is now the associate director of financial aid and scholarships office at California State University Channel Islands.
• October 30, 2023 - Deborah Rezene was promoted from director of financial aid to associate vice president of enrollment management at Multnomah University.
• October 27, 2023 - Garnet Tipton was promoted from associate director for graduate services to director for graduate services at Hanover College.
• October 23, 2023 – Anthony Naro was promoted from assistant director of graduate financial aid to associate director of graduate financial aid at Wilkes University.
• October 16, 2023 - Braulio Flores was promoted from financial aid counselor to project coordinator, client services at the University of Arizona.
• October 16, 2023 - Tamika Bybee was promoted from director of financial aid services to associate vice president of enrollment services at Howard Community College.
• October 10, 2023 - Stephanie Zeppenfelt was promoted from financial aid processor to director of scholarships & verification analyst at Wentworth Institute of Technology.
• October 2, 2023 - Justin Bohannon, FAAC®, formerly the assistant director of financial assistance services at St. Petersburg College, is now the associate director of graduate law and financial aid at Syracuse University.
• October 1, 2023 - Dustin Zimmerman was promoted from associate director of financial aid to director of financial aid at Carl Sandburg College.
• September 29, 2023 - Rodrick Andrews was promoted from director of admissions and financial aid to assistant vice president for admissions and financial aid at State University of New York at Oswego.
• September 25, 2023 - David Smedley, formerly the acting director, compliance and training at The New School, is now the acting/interim director, student financial services at Marietta College.
• September 25, 2023 - Deborah O´Dea, FAAC®, formerly the assistant director for compliance and operations at Portland State University, is now the director of financial aid at Pacific University.
• September 25, 2023 - Casey Lehmann was promoted from financial aid advisor to financial aid manager at Nicolet Area Technical College.
• September 25, 2023 - Gisselle Pacheco, formerly the senior financial aid specialist at Bergen Community College, is now the assistant director of financial aid at William Paterson University.
• September 25, 2023 – Emily Keiter, formerly the assistant director of compliance and communication at Emporia State University, is now the financial aid advisor at Washburn University of Topeka.
• September 22, 2023 – Amy Spence, FAAC^®, was promoted from associate director of financial aid to director of financial aid at Saint Mary of-the-Woods College.
• September 22, 2023 - Adeba Reza is now the assistant director of financial aid at Wesleyan University.
• September 11, 2023 - Mershawn Gayden, formerly the financial aid officer III at Wayne State University, is now the assistant director of financial aid at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor-Ross School of Business.
• September 11, 2023 – Jayme Jarrett, FAAC^®, formerly the associate director of financial aid at Ohio Northern University, is now the director of financial aid at Bluffton University.
• September 10, 2023 – Traci Wolff was promoted from senior tuition coordinator to scholarship analyst at the University of Maryland Global Campus.
• September 1, 2023 – Maggie Bowers was promoted from assistant director of customer service to associate director of customer service and financial literacy at the University of Memphis.
• September 1, 2023 – Brian Davidson was promoted from associate director of student financial aid and scholarships to deputy director of student financial aid and scholarships at the University of Memphis.
• September 1, 2023 – Melissa Traynom was promoted from senior coordinator of HOPE scholarships to assistant director of scholarships at the University of Memphis.
• September 1, 2023 – Cathy Nix was promoted from assistant director to associate director at Piedmont University.
• September 1, 2023 – Sarah Benton was promoted from financial aid compliance specialist to assistant director at Piedmont University.
• September 1, 2023 - Brian Drabik, FAAC^®, was promoted from senior associate director to director of financial aid at Northwestern University.
• September 1, 2023 - Tracy Rapp was promoted from senior director of financial aid to dean of student services at Haywood Community College.
• September 1, 2023 – Jill Towns, FAAC^®, was promoted from financial aid assistant director to financial aid director at Georgia Military College.
• September 1, 2023 - Jonathan Mador was promoted from senior director of student financial services to assistant vice president of student financial services at High Point University.
• August 21, 2023 – Kari Difonzo, formerly the director of student financial services at Wellesley College, is now the director of undergraduate financial aid at Yale University.
• August 21, 2023 – Becky Saunders was promoted from financial aid counselor to director of financial aid at Lake Erie College.
• August 21, 2023 – Douglas Wilson, formerly the associate director, financial aid compliance at Delaware State University, is now the director of financial aid at Kean University.
• August 21, 2023 - Keri Weber-Davies was promoted from assistant director for student employment to medical school financial aid director at the University of Michigan.
• August 13, 2023- Alicia Martinson was promoted from scholarship analyst to associate director of financial aid scholarships & state grants at the University of Maryland Global Campus.
• August 1, 2023 – Celina Moses was promoted from financial aid officer to assistant director of financial aid at Fort Scott Community College.
• August 1, 2023 – Keegan Davis, formerly the financial aid technician at Washtenaw Community College, is now the financial aid processing specialist at Eastern Michigan University.
• August 1, 2023 – Anna Johnson, formerly the associate director of financial aid, compliance at Grand Valley State University, is now the associate dean, financial aid at Wake Tech Community College.
• August 1, 2023 - Thomas Sparrow was promoted from loan coordinator to assistant director of student awards at Stanford University.
• August 1, 2023 - Veronica Decena was promoted from assistant director, scholarships & fiscal operations to director of fund management & analysis at Southern Methodist University.
• August 1, 2023 - Riley Cooper, FAAC^®, was promoted from senior assistant director, eligibility to associate director, need analysis at the University of Southern California.
• July 31, 2023 - Grace Moylan was promoted from associate director to senior associate director at Adelphi University.
• July 31, 2023 - Stacey Harris was promoted from lead financial aid specialist to director, student financial aid at the University of Oklahoma.
• July 31, 2023 - Tirzah Knight, formerly the senior analyst for student services at old Oklahoma Wesleyan University, is now the director of financial aid at Black Hills State University.
• July 24, 2023 – Terri LeGrand formerly the director of enrollment integrity and optimization at Wake Forest University, is now the senior functional consultant at Workday.
• July 24, 2023 - Emily Keiter was promoted from administrative specialist to assistant director of compliance and communication at Emporia State University.
• July 10, 2023 - Sophia McGee, formerly the coordinator, financial aid customer service at Houston Community College, is now the manager, financial aid services at San Jacinto College.
• July 10, 2023 - Alethia Shipman was promoted from associate director of financial aid to director of financial aid at George Mason University.
• July 10, 2023 - Bob Voytek, previously the director of student financial aid and veteran services at Coconino Community College, is now the director of business and educational partnerships in the office of economic mobility and social impact at Northern Arizona University.
• July 6, 2023 - Chad Olson, FAAC^®, was promoted from director of financial aid operations to director of student financial aid at Iowa State University.
• July 3, 2023 - Rebecca Gusler, formerly the director of operations, student financial services at University of the Arts, is now the director of financial aid compliance at Wentworth Institute of Technology.
• July 3, 2023 - Ciara Morrison, formerly the financial aid leader at Paul Mitchell Schools, is now a financial aid counselor at University of California San Diego.
• July 3, 2023 - Dustin Zimmerman, previously the financial assistance and veterans affairs coordinator at Illinois Central College, is now the associate director of financial aid at Carl Sandburg College.
• July 1, 2023 – Patrick Barnes was promoted from financial aid coordinator to financial aid counselor at the University of Portland.
• July 1, 2023 – Darla Hopper, FAAC^®, was promoted from associate vice president for financial aid/admissions to interim vice president of enrollment management at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.
• July 1, 2023 - Patrick Barnes was promoted from financial aid coordinator to financial aid counselor at the University of Portland.
• July 1, 2023 - Patrick Moore was promoted from director of financial aid to assistant vice president of financial aid & data governance at Scripps College.
• July 1, 2023 - Alex DeLonis, FAAC^®, was promoted from director of financial aid to associate dean for enrollment management - director of financial aid at Wabash College. Alex is a current member of NASFAA's Board of Directors and was a participant in the 2020-21 Diversity Leadership Program Class.

Retirements

• October 13, 2023 – James White, currently the dean of student financial services at Gonzaga University, will retire in October after 42 years of working in financial aid, including 4 years as a work-study student.
• September 18, 2023 – Carmen Colby, currently the director of financial aid at the University of Michigan Medical School, will retire in September after 42 years of working in financial aid.
• September 13, 2023 – Robert Shorb, currently the executive director/CEO at The Tuition Exchange, Inc., will retire on June 30, 2024 after 47 years of working in higher education administration.
• September 5, 2023 – Clara Capron, currently the assistant VP enrollment & student services, financial aid at Western Washington University, will retire in September after 41 years of working in financial aid. Clara also previously worked at Umpqua Community College and the University of Oregon.
• September 1, 2023 – Kathryn Chand, currently the senior assistant director at Adelphi University, will retire in September after 47 years of working in financial aid.
• August 31, 2023 – Donna Shelby, formerly the relationship manager at Citizens Student Lending, retired in August after 28 years working at Citizens Student Lending.
• August 16, 2023 – Cindy Small, currently the financial aid director at Montana State University Northern, will retire in August after 25 years of working in financial aid.
• July 14, 2023 – Robin Filippone, currently the director of financial aid at SUNY Erie Community College, will retire in July after 25 years of working in financial aid.
• July 1, 2023 – Sue Minzlaff, currently the director of student financial services center at the University o Wisconsin-Milwaukee, will retire in July after almost 38 years of working in financial aid.
• July 1, 2023 – Lisa Hopper, FAAC^®, currently the dean of student financial services at National Park College, will retire in July after 25 years of working in financial aid. Lisa plans to continue working as an independent consultant with Blue Icon Advisors.
• July 1, 2023 – Joe Myers, currently the executive director of financial aid at Motlow State Community College, will retire in July after 34 years in higher education and 24 years of working in financial aid.

Awards, Recognitions, & Other

• September 1, 2023 - Tonya Richardson-Dean, director of financial aid and veteran services at Trinity Valley Community College, was recently appointed to be a member of the Financial Aid Advisory Committee with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. She will serve on the board from September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2026.
• 2023 NASFAA Awards Announced in San Diego

2022-23 Movers & Shakers