Helen Begins Year as NASFAA National Chair

On July 2, I accepted the gavel at the National Association of Student Aid Administrators’ (NASFAA) annual conference in San Diego, marking the beginning of my term as 2023-24 National Chair. NASFAA provides training and professional development to our members while also engaging in advocacy in the public policy space. NASFAA member institutions serve 9 out of 10 undergraduate students nationally, representing more than 22,000 financial aid administrators working at 3000+ colleges, universities, and career schools.  I am excited and grateful to have been elected by my peers to serve the financial aid profession and to advance the cause of college access and affordability in this role. I have spent the past year as Chair-Elect observing, supporting the prior Chair, presenting at numerous state and regional financial aid conferences, and selecting talented individuals representing the vast diversity of our profession to serve in leadership positions. Over the next year, I will provide leadership and direction to all of NASFAA’s activities, the Board of Directors, and all task forces and committees. My priorities include elevating the financial aid profession as we navigate an increasingly complex landscape; advocating for policy and funding to support greater college affordability; enriching community among aid professionals; amplifying our work to support diversity, equity, and inclusion; and promoting connections across the worlds of research, practice, and policymaking. My schedule will include travel to Washington, DC for meetings at NASFAA headquarters and for our annual leadership and legislative conference, as well as all to six regions (Western, Southwest, Rocky Mountain, Midwest, Eastern, and Southern) and up to ten states to present at their annual events. My Chair year will culminate with the 2024 NASFAA Annual Conference just down the road in Milwaukee—it’s a fun coincidence that the first Chair from Wisconsin will also preside over the first annual conference in Wisconsin. I owe sincere thanks to my outstanding team in the Office of Student Financial Aid for all of their support and hard work that makes it possible for me to devote the time and energy needed to serve in this role, and I am deeply grateful to the Division of Enrollment Management for supporting me in this work as well. Special thanks to Derek Kindle for encouraging me to accept the nomination to run for National Chair, to my leadership team for your reliability and excellence, and to Samantha Monson for managing my challenging calendar and helping me keep all those spinning plates in the air.