These are the speakers available for NASFAA speaking engagements. Learn more about their session offerings and request a speaker through this form. Read our Tips for Hosting a NASFAA Representative. 

NASFAA Officers

Kristi Jovell, FAAC^®, National Chair

Kristi Jovell, FAAC®, is director of strategic financial aid initiatives at Johns Hopkins University. She has over two decades of experience in financial aid and enrollment management, with a proven track record of innovation, leadership, and strategic vision. Throughout her career, Kristi has worked extensively with both graduate and undergraduate populations, developing financial aid strategies that align with diverse student needs and institutional goals. Most recently, she served as assistant vice president of student financial services and enrollment at Middlebury College, where she spearheaded initiatives such as launching a comprehensive book support program for students with financial need and leading the institution’s transition to PowerFAIDS. Her career highlights also include serving as the current national chair of NASFAA and past president of EASFAA, as well as leadership roles at Suffolk University Law School and Champlain College. Kristi has served on NASFAA’s Board of Directors as EASFAA regional representative and representative-at-large, has held volunteer roles at the state, regional, and national level, and is a frequent conference and webinar presenter. 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 management and master's degree in education from Elmira College.

Session: Advancing in Financial Aid, Awarding Summer Federal Work Study, Basics of Academic Calendars, FAFSA Simplification Trivia, Managing Up: 10 Tips for Earning Your Seat at the Leadership Table,  NASFAA Spotlight, Professional Association Involvement: You CAN Do it! (And We Can Help), and The Light We Carry: Finding and Protecting Your Light

Helen Faith, FAAC^®, Past National Chair

Helen Faith, FAAC^®, is the associate vice provost for enrollment and student financial services at the University of Virginia. She has 24 years of financial aid and higher education experience and has previously worked at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, 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 has completed doctoral coursework 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 levels, 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.

Sessions: Advancing the Profession—Getting to Know NASFAA's New Toolkit , Care and Feeding of Yourself and Your Career, NASFAA Spotlight, Recognizing and Addressing Bias in the Student Aid Experience: A Research-Practice Conversation , Staying in Love with Financial Aid Even When It's Hard (And It's Usually Hard), Talk's Not Cheap: Improving Communication to Serve Students and Boost Efficiency, Using NASFAA Tools, and Why Weaponize When You Can Disarm? Building Alliances for Compliance(s)

Heidi Carl, National Chair-Elect

Heidi Carl is the assistant vice provost and executive director of the division 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 levels 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 as chair of the Career Path Awareness for Financial Aid Administrators Thought Force. Heidi is committed to the people in our profession and helping to make critical changes to elevate the recognition and training for the unique skill set that is necessary for financial aid professionals of the future.

Sessions: Building your skills as a Leader: Emotional Intelligence 101, NASFAA Spotlight, and Career Path Awareness for Financial Aid

NASFAA Staff

Karen McCarthy, Vice President of Public Policy and Federal Relations

Karen McCarthy serves as vice president of public policy and federal relations at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), where she leads the association’s federal advocacy strategy and public policy initiatives. As NASFAA’s chief lobbyist and primary liaison to Congress and the U.S. Department of Education, Karen plays a central role in shaping national financial aid policy and legislative efforts.

Karen has held multiple leadership roles within NASFAA, where she has overseen public policy development, regulatory analysis, research initiatives, and stakeholder engagement. Her work has been instrumental in advancing federal student aid policy, simplifying the FAFSA process, and ensuring effective communication between policymakers and practitioners.

Her background also includes direct institutional experience in financial aid administration at Boston University and Miami University of Ohio. With a strong foundation in student advising, regulatory compliance, and technical training, Karen brings a comprehensive understanding of both policy and practice to her work.

A native of Massachusetts, she holds a master’s degree from The Ohio State University and a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University.

Sessions: Advocacy and You, Inside the Beltway Update, The Federal Budget and Student Aid, and The New FAFSA: Where are We?

Rachel Rotunda, Director of Strategic Outreach and Partnerships

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.

Sessions: Advocacy and You, "I'm Just a Bill, and I'm Sitting Here on Capitol Hill": How a Bill Really Becomes a Law, Inside the Beltway Update, Prison Education Programs, and The Federal Budget and Student Aid

Dana Kelly, Vice President of Professional Development and Institutional Compliance

Dana currently serves as the vice president of professional development and institutional compliance for 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, and develops session content for NASFAA's national conference. 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. 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 the University of Phoenix in organizational management, and master's degree in public administration from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Sessions: Administrative Capability, Professional Judgment Best Practices, The New FAFSA: Where are We?, Top AskRegs Questions, and Using NASFAA Tools

Sheila Meiman, Prison Education Specialist

Sheila Meiman is an experienced advocate, practitioner, consultant, and analyst in the field of higher education in prison. She has expertise in a range of topics in her field, including STEM education, financial aid, program creation and expansion, student and academic support, data, transfer and direct-to-work credentials, and technology. She has over a dozen years of experience as a program administrator, managed a first-round Second Chance Pell site, and has served as a mathematics professor for both campus and system-impacted students. She currently serves as the Prison Education Specialist at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA).

Ms. Meiman holds a bachelor's degree from Carnegie Mellon University, as well as a master's degree in engineering from Purdue University. She also holds a master's certification in program/project management from American University. In their Vanguard Series, NJBIZ named Ms. Meiman one of the 2018 Leaders in Higher Education in New Jersey.

Sessions: Prison Education Programs

Nalia Medina, Assistant Director of Government Relations

Nalia Medina is the assistant director of government relations on NASFAA’s policy team. She assists with analysis of timely higher education legislation, contributes to NASFAA's government relations and advocacy efforts at both the federal and state levels, and helps enhance the advocacy capacity of NASFAA members. She brings experience in policy and advocacy through her previous role as an intern on Capitol Hill. She is a first-generation graduate from The George Washington University with a bachelor's degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration.

Sessions: Inside the Beltway Update, The Federal Budget and Student Aid, and Advocacy and You

Jill Desjean, Director of Policy Analysis

Jill Desjean is the director of policy analysis at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA). In her role, Jill manages the policy analysis team, interprets federal student aid legislation and regulations for NASFAA’s members, works with NASFAA’s members to develop policy recommendations, and provides feedback to policymakers on legislative and regulatory proposals. Prior to joining NASFAA in 2016, Jill enjoyed a 20-year career in financial aid administration, having held roles in the financial aid offices at Tufts University School of Medicine, MIT, Brandeis University, and the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts, as well as The New School in New York City. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the College of the Holy Cross. Jill joined NASFAA in 2016 and is based in the Washington, D.C. area.

Sessions: Inside the Beltway Update, Advocacy and You, and The New FAFSA: Where are We?

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