Sessions & Speakers

Dave has been with the U.S. Department of Education for 16 years, first as a program reviewer with the Chicago/Denver School Participation Division and then as a Title IV subject matter expert with Federal Student Aid’s Policy Liaison and Implementation team. On that team, he later served as the director for the Experimental Sites Initiative and the Federal Student Aid Handbook, and then as the Deputy Director for the Policy Implementation and Oversight Directorate. Dave is currently the Acting Director for the Policy Development Group in the Office of Postsecondary Education. Prior to his federal service, Dave worked in corporate and school settings such as Career Education Corporation and Northwestern University’s undergraduate financial aid office.

Ashley Reich serves as the Deputy Under Secretary and Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education. As a higher education administrator for nearly two decades, Reich brings a wealth of experience from financial aid administration to institutional compliance in her role. As Deputy Under Secretary and Chief of Staff, she actively works to oversee half of the Department focused on postsecondary education, including the implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the return of education to the states, and the responsible stewardship of the nearly $1.7 trillion student loan portfolio. Within these initiatives, Reich focuses on promoting policies that result in equipping students with workforce-ready skills and lowering the cost of higher education for students and families. Before joining the Department of Education, Reich served as the Senior Vice President of University Compliance at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, where she oversaw University Compliance, Internal Audit, Government Affairs, Title IX and Clery Act compliance. Reich specialized in higher education administration during her studies at Liberty University, where she received a bachelor’s in religious studies, a master’s in management and leadership, and an education specialist degree in higher education administration. Ashley, her husband and 8-year-old son reside in Alexandria, VA.