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 2024-25.

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.

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This Week's Movers & Shakers

			*NEW* September 23, 2024 – Amanda Nicholson was promoted to financial aid coordinator at Trident Technical College.
			*NEW* September 9, 2024 – Dr. Melissa Vargas was promoted from assistant director of financial aid to director of financial aid at Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing.
			*NEW* August 26, 2024 – Christine Forgie, FAAC®, formerly the assistant director of financial aid at William Paterson University, is now the managing assistant director of financial aid at Ramapo College of New Jersey.
*NEW*  August 26, 2024 – Patricia Peterson is now the campus relationship director at SoFi.

Job Changes & Promotions

• September 23, 2024 – Melissa Connell was promoted from financial aid specialist to financial aid coordinator at Trident Technical College.
• September 22, 2024 – Englishe Trujillo, formerly an advisor at Nelnet, Inc., is now a financial aid counselor and program coordinator at California State University Long Beach.
• September 11, 2024 – Ayla Arviso was promoted from financial aid advisor to scholarship coordinator at California State University, Los Angeles.
• September 6, 2024 – Maria Sager was promoted from assistant vice president of financial aid to associate vice president of financial aid at the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. 
• September 1, 2024 – Dede Gonzales was promoted from director of financial aid to assistant vice president of financial aid and scholarships at Texas State University.
• September 1, 2024 – Grace Moylan was promoted from associate director of financial aid to director of financial aid at Adelphi University. 
• September 1, 2024 – Shannon Crossland was promoted from director of student financial services to associate vice president of compliance and director of student financial services at Frank Phillips College.
• August 26, 2024 – Amanda Cantú, was promoted from assistant director of financial aid to associate director of financial aid at the University of St. Thomas. 
• August 19, 2024 – Helen Faith, FAAC^®, formerly the director of student financial aid at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is now the associate vice provost for enrollment and student financial services at the University of Virginia. 
• August 18, 2024 – Jared Grabb was promoted from financial aid advisor to assistant director of financial assistance at Bradley University.
• August 9, 2024 – Andrew Rouhier is now the director of financial aid operations at the University of Dayton.
• August 5, 2024 - Crystal DeLong was promoted from regional manager of education finance to student lending national sales manager at Citizens.
•  August 2, 2024 – Rachel Mecca, FAAC^®, was promoted from financial aid counselor to assistant director of financial aid at Montclair State University.
• August 1, 2024 – Paris Charles was promoted from assistant director of financial aid for compliance and quality assurance to associate director of financial aid initiatives and student success at the University of San Francisco.
• August 1, 2024 – Linda Lopez was promoted from associate director of financial aid and scholarships to director of financial aid and scholarships at California State University, Los Angeles. 
• August 1, 2024 – Adam Kuykendall was promoted from financial aid coordinator to director of financial aid at Jackson State Community College.
• July 26, 2024 – Jason Call was promoted from associate director of operations to director of financial aid at Marshall University.
• July 22, 2024 – Mark Riggs is now the regional manager at Monogram, Personalized Student Loans.
• July 22, 2024 – Gustavo Sanchez was promoted from peer advisor supervisor to assistant director of training at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
• July 16, 2024 – Dr. Robert Hamilton, formerly the director of federal and state programs at Texas tech University, is now the executive director at Wayland Baptist University. 
• July 16, 2024 – Erin Anderson was promoted from financial aid coordinator to assistant director of financial aid at Kansas City Kansas Community College.
• July 12, 2024 – Traci Armes, FAAC^®, formerly the deputy director at the University of Texas at Austin, is now the assistant vice president for financial aid and scholarships at the University of South Florida.
• July 11, 2024 – Amber Truitt was promoted from financial aid counselor to assistant director of financial aid at Oklahoma Wesleyan University 
• July 8, 2024 – Dixie Shearer, formerly the program coordinator at West Virginia University, is now the director of financial aid at the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton.
• July 8, 2024 – Morgan McCombs, formerly the assistant registrar at Ivy Tech Community College, is now the associate director of financial aid at Butler University.
• July 1, 2024 – Jenny Garcia was promoted from associate director of compliance and training to senior associate director of compliance and audits at the University of San Francisco.
• July 1, 2024 – Richard Boruszewski, formerly the director of financial aid at UW Green Bay, is now the senior director of financial aid at Salt Lake Community College.
• July 1, 2024 – Ambra Reed was promoted from verification coordinator to assistant director at Western Nevada College.
• July 1, 2024 – Kaitlin Riner was promoted from financial aid assistant to financial aid coordinator at Carthage Technical Center.
• July 1, 2024 – Mia Myers, FAAC^®, was promoted to associate managing director at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
• July 1, 2024 – Yesenia Esposito was promoted from associate director to senior associate director at Columbia University.
• July 1, 2024 – Susan Stephenson, formerly the enrollment management executive director at Western Nebraska Community College, is now the higher education consultant senior manager at Eide Bailly LLP.
• July 1, 2024 - Jenn Toomey was promoted from assistant director of financial aid and financial wellness advisor to director of financial aid at Case Western Reserve University - School of Medicine.
• July 1, 2024 – Dr. Christina Tangalakis, FAAC^®, formerly the associate dean of financial aid at Glendale Community College, is now the interim director of financial aid at Wake Forest University.
• July 1, 2024 – Katie Conrad, FAAC^®, formerly the senior associate director of financial aid at Florida International University, is now the executive director of scholarships and financial aid at Georgia Institute of Technology.

Retirements

• October 11, 2024 – Kevin Bradshaw, currently the director of enrollment systems at DePaul University, will retire in October after 44 years of working in financial aid. Kevin started his career as a student employee at DePauw University.
• September 30, 2024 – MorraLee Keller, currently the senior director for strategic programming at the National College Attainment Network, will retire in September after 44 years of working in financial aid.
• August 30, 2024 – Howard Leslie, FAAC^®, currently the vice president of financial aid compliance at Berkley College, will retire in August after 48 years of working in financial aid.
• August 9, 2024 – Michael Bennett, formerly the associate vice president of financial assistance services at St. Petersburg College, retired in August after 44 years of working in financial aid. Michael is a former NASFAA National Chair, EASFAA President, and New Jersey (NJASFAA) President.
• July 12, 2024 – Steve Woodburn, formerly the assistant vice president for student financial services at Colorado Christian University, retired in July after 40 years of working in financial aid.
• July 1, 2024 - Billie Jo Hamilton, associate vice president of enrollment planning and management at the University of South Florida, has retired after 43 years working in financial aid.
• July 1, 2024 – Tami Gilbeaux, currently the assistant vice president of business development at Inceptia, will retire in July after 45 years of working in financial aid.

Awards, Recognitions, & Other

• September 20, 2024 – Kimberly Stubbs, currently the director of student financial aid at the University of Central Arkansas, received the 2024 Employee of the Year Award from the University of Central Arkansas Staff Senate.  
• August 16, 2024 – Timothy Sampson, currently the director of financial aid and scholarships at University of North Carolina at Pembroke, received the 2024 Erskine Bowles Staff Service Award. The award, given by the UNC Staff Assembly, recognizes Timothy’s commitment to service. 
• August 8, 2024 – Dr. Gregory Guzman, currently the vice president of financial aid services and government liaison at Hondros College of Nursing, co-authored a book, "Out of Pocket," about what parents and counselors need to know about paying for college. 
• July 1, 2024 – James Kellam was recently elected as the 2024-25 president of SCASFAA (South Carolina). James is also the South Carolina representative on the executive board of SASFAA. He is currently the associate vice president for student financial services at Converse University.  
• 2024 NASFAA Awards Announced in Milwaukee
• 2023-24 Movers & Shakers