Sessions & Speakers

Heidi Carl is the Executive Director of Financial Aid at Purdue University. She has 28 years of financial aid, admissions, and enrollment management experience and has previously worked at Wabash College and the University of Indianapolis. Heidi earned her bachelor’s degree in communications and her master’s degree in higher education administration from Western Michigan University. She has served in several elected and volunteer roles at the state, regional, and national level, and is a past president of the Midwest Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (MASFAA) and ISFAA (Indiana). She has served on NASFAA's Board of Directors as MASFAA regional representative and served as Chair of the Career Path Awareness for Financial Aid Administrators Thought Force. Heidi will become NASFAA Chair Elect in July 2024.

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 Western Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (WASFAA) and OASFAA (Oregon) . 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.

Kristi Jovell, FAAC®, is assistant vice president of student financial services and enrollment at Middlebury College. She has served as president of the Eastern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (EASFAA) and on NASFAA's Board of Directors as representative-at-large and regional representative. Kristi has been an active leader in professional association activities at the state, regional, and national levels. She has served NASFAA as a member of the Conference Program Task Force (Chair), Financial Affairs Committee, Pell Restoration Working Group, Awards Task Force, Nominations and Elections Committee, and as a conference and webinar presenter. The heart of her service to EASFAA has been through training, as the training and graduate/professional chair for multiple years and architect of EASFAA Leads and the Tuesdays@2 webinar series. Kristi has received Outstanding Volunteer and Committee of the Year awards from EASFAA and the NASFAA Regional Leadership Award. As a first-generation college student and Pell Grant recipient, Kristi is passionate about access to higher education and its ability to change the trajectory of students' lives. She earned her bachelor's degree in business administration/management and master's degree in education from Elmira College.

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 has served 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 is currently serving as the Associate Vice Chancellor For Enrollment Management & Academic Affairs. 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.