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 2025-26.

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This Week's Movers & Shakers

Job Changes and Promotions

• March 9, 2026 – Alison Cagle, formerly training and quality control manager at the University of South Florida, is now the senior director of financial aid operations at Broward College.
• February 16, 2026 – Courtney Goodman, formally a lead financial aid advisor at University of Georgia, is now a financial aid coordinator at University of Georgia School of Medicine.
• February 9, 2026 – Anessa Scalf, formerly the student services specialist, is now the academic coordinator for TRIO/Mcnair Scholars Program at Southeast Missouri State University. 
• February 9, 2026 – Caleigh Carrothers, FAAC^®, formerly a financial aid advisor at Herzing University, is now the assistant director of financial aid eligibility, analysis, and operations at Ohio State University. 
• February 2, 2026 – Trisha Muka is now the director of financial aid at Rowan College at Burlington County. 
• January 15, 2026 – Melissa Allen, formerly the director of financial aid at SUNY Oneonta, is now the director of financial aid at Binghamton University. 
• January 14, 2026 – Robert Keever is now the scholarship coordinator at Southern Oregon University. 
• January 9, 2026 – Mia Martiney, FAAC^®, was promoted to associate director of compliance at Portland State University.
• January 5, 2026 – Sarah Freestone, FAAC^®, formerly the senior assistant director at Iowa State University, is now the director of financial aid at Drake University.
• January 5, 2026 – Tonya Richardson-Dean, FAAC^® is now the director of financial aid and scholarships at East Texas A&M University. 
• January 5, 2026 – Melissa Perry, FAAC^®, formerly the director of financial aid at Piedmont Technical College, is now the assistant vice president of financial aid at Newberry College.
• January 2, 2026 – Courtney Frank was promoted from financial aid coordinator to assistant director of financial aid at Chattanooga State Community College.
• January 1, 2026 – Daniel Matamoros, FAAC^®, is now the director of financial aid and scholarships at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. Daniel is also a previous participant in NASFAA’s DLP.
• January 1, 2026 – Luis Gonzalez was promoted from financial aid advisor to assistant director at the University of Houston Graduate School.
• January 1, 2026 – Annabel Diaz was promoted from senior associate director of financial aid to director of financial aid at Scripps College. 
• January 1, 2026 – Kassandra Casillas was promoted from assistant director of financial aid to associate director of financial aid at Scripps College.
• January 1, 2026 – Luis Castillo, was promoted from financial aid advisor to assistant director of financial aid at Scripps College.
• December 15, 2025 – Pedro Sanchez, FAAC^® is now the deputy director of student financial aid at the University of Memphis.
• December 15, 2025 – Tola Olushola, formerly the assistant director of financial aid NCAA compliance at the University of Houston, is now the director of financial aid at Houston Christian University. 
• December 5, 2025 - Kelly Ceccacci, formerly the associate director of financial aid for student services and recruitment at the Stevens Institute of Technology, is now the campus director of financial aid at the Florham Campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University. 
• December 1, 2025 – Nadia Howard, FAAC^®, was promoted from financial aid specialist to financial aid team lead at Campus.
• December 1, 2025 – Alyssa Moss was promoted from assistant director to director of financial aid at Chattanooga State Community College.
• November 17, 2025 – Connie Riley, is now the director of financial aid at Southeast Arkansas College.
• November 17, 2025 – Kenna Mcclure, was promoted from financial aid advisor to assistant director at Texas A&M University - Kingsville.
• November 17, 2025 – Joel Spiess was promoted from director of student scholarships to chief enrollment operations officer and executive director of student financial services at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
• November 14, 2025 – Nancy Medina was promoted from senior associate director of financial aid to director of financial aid at Pitzer College.
• November 10, 2025 - Anne Yeager, formerly the senior specialist of education debt management at AAMC, is now the medical school financial aid director at the University of Michigan Medical School.
• November 3, 2025 – Vicki Cheeseman, formerly the management and program analyst for Federal Student Aid, is now the assistant director of financial aid at Gallaudet University.
• November 3, 2025 – Jennifer Byrd, FAAC^®, formerly the financial aid director at Nashville State Community College, is now the senior director of state aid programs for the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC). 
• November 1, 2025 – Jason Mellen, formerly the director of enrollment operations at Presbyterian College, is now the director of higher education systems at College Aid Services. 
• October 30, 2025 – Michael Wernon is now the interim director of financial aid at Saint Michael's College.
• October 20, 2025 – Marie Johnson, FAAC^®, was promoted from director of student financial aid services to executive director of student financial aid services at University of Vermont.  
• October 16, 2025 – Kaitlin Lockett, was promoted from scholarship advisor to assistant director of financial aid at University of North Dakota. 
• October 13, 2025 – Dustie Sullivan, FAAC^®, was promoted from assistant director to associate director at the University of Idaho.
• October 1, 2025 – Michael Tocydlowski was promoted from director of financial aid to assistant vice president for admission and financial aid at Pitzer College.
• October 1, 2025 – Eric Wilson was promoted from assistant director of financial aid systems to associate director of financial aid systems at the University of Memphis. 
• October 1, 2025 – Carlos Gonzalez was promoted from financial aid coordinator to associate director of student financial aid and self-help at the University of Houston.
• September 26, 2025 – Alicia Keaton was promoted from interim associate vice president of enrollment planning and management to associate vice president of enrollment management at the University of Central Florida. 
• September 26, 2025 – Karemah Campbell-Manselle was promoted from interim director of financial aid to director of financial aid at the University of Central Florida. 
• September 22, 2025 – Carrie Gilchrist was promoted from senior financial aid outreach advisor to assistant director of financial aid compliance and training at Oakland University. 
• September 19, 2025 – Charles Baywood, FAAC^®, formerly a functional specialist at the University of Connecticut, is now the associate director of financial aid systems at CT State Community College.
• September 15, 2025 – Emily Baldwin, FAAC^®, was promoted from assistant director of federal work study program management to the school of medicine director of financial aid at University of Georgia. 
• September 15, 2025 – Lori Lewis, FAAC^®, formerly the senior associate director of operations and compliance at Duke University, is now the executive director of financial aid at Elon University.  
• September 8, 2025 – Mason White, formerly the director of financial aid and scholarships at Salisbury University, is now the director of financial aid and scholarships at the University of Virginia's College at Wise. 
• September 2, 2025 – Brian Blackburn, formerly the director of financial aid at the University of Mount Olive, is now the senior director of student financial services at Methodist University. 
• September 2, 2025 – Susan Ambridge was promoted from financial aid and scholarship specialist to manager of accounts and federal work study at Valencia College. 
• September 1, 2025 – Nate White was promoted from senior financial aid counselor to assistant director of financial aid at The George Washington University Law School.
• September 1, 2025 – Nancy Ferguson, FAAC^®, was promoted from director of student financial aid to executive director of student financial aid and scholarships at the University of Georgia. 
• September 1, 2025 – Sage Wyatt was promoted from student financial services specialist to student financial services coordinator at Frank Phillips College.
• August 29, 2025 – Nancy Beasley is now the student financial planning advisor at Fielding Graduate University.
• August 25, 2025 – Lajanis Allen, formerly the director of compliance and student services at Douglas J Aveda Institute, is now the director of institutional compliance at Baker College.
• August 18, 2025 – Carla Peters was promoted from financial aid coordinator to financial aid counselor at the University of Portland. 
• August 18, 2025 – Matthew Kirksey, FAAC^®, formerly the director of financial aid and scholarships at Stark State College, is now the director of financial aid at Central State University.
• August 18, 2025 – Traci Spagnoli-Rego, FAAC^®, formerly the assistant director of financial aid and federal funds management at Broward College, is now the financial aid manager for western campuses at Palm Beach State College. 
• August 18, 2025 – Alexander Jordan, FAAC^®, formerly the executive director of financial aid at Ashland University, is now the associate vice president for enrollment and director of financial aid at Kenyon College. 
• August 18, 2025 – Emily Osborn, FAAC^®, formerly the director of financial aid at Northwestern University, is now the senior director of financial aid at Western Governors University. 
• August 11, 2025 – Laura Meek, FAAC^®, formerly the director of financial aid at Columbus College of Art & Design, is now the director of student financial services at Marietta College.
• August 6, 2025 – Shannon Muraco, FAAC^®, was promoted from audit supervisor to audit manager at McClintock & Associates, P.C. 
• August 6, 2025 – Tara Torres, FAAC^®, formerly the associate director of scholarships and strategic initiatives at University of North Florida, is now the director of financial aid at Connors State College. 
• August 5, 2025 – Ruth Vega, formerly the verification coordinator at Prairie View A&M University, is now the financial aid advising program manager at the University of Houston. 
• August 4, 2025 – Nicholas Capodice, formerly the director of financial aid at Saint Elizabeth University, is now the director of financial aid at Rutgers University - Newark. 
• August 4, 2025 – ReAnne May, FAAC^®, formerly the assistant director of the financial aid processing center at Ivy Tech Community College, is now the director of financial aid at Rend Lake College.
• July 21, 2025 – Lakisha Sanders is now the assistant vice president of financial aid and student fiscal affairs at Morehouse School of Medicine. 
• July 21, 2025 – Deidre Strutz, FAAC^®, was promoted from associate director to director of financial aid at Nazareth University. 
• July 14, 2025 – Les Cintron, FAAC^®, was promoted from executive director of financial aid training and compliance to assistant vice president for financial aid compliance and processing at Ivy Tech Community College. 
• July 7, 2025 – Ethan Miller, FAAC^®, was promoted from operations coordinator to assistant director of operations at Southeast Missouri State University.
• July 1, 2025 – Rebecca Schreiber was promoted from director of admissions and financial aid to assistant dean of admissions and financial aid at Penn State Dickinson Law. 
• July 1, 2025 – Daniel Canelo was promoted from financial aid advisor to senior financial aid advisor at Reach University. 
• July 1, 2025 – Tina Maxwell was promoted from financial aid advisor to senior financial aid advisor at Reach University.
• July 1, 2025 – Matthew Akre, FAAC^®, was promoted from associate director of financial aid to senior associate director of financial aid at Wesleyan University. 
• July 1, 2025 – Wendi Owens, FAAC^®, was promoted from director of graduate and professional aid to senior director of financial assistance at the University of Miami.
• July 1, 2025 – Rachel Gordon is now the vice president of student financial aid services at American University of Antigua.

Retirements

• March 6, 2026 – Carol Swenson, currently the regional sales director at Ascendium Education Solutions, Inc., will retire in March after 44 years of working in financial aid. Carol also previously worked for Great Lakes Educational Loan Services, Brown College, Minnesota School of Business, and Argosy University. 
• March 1, 2026 – Tabatha Turner, currently the senior associate director at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, will retire in March after 36 years of working in financial aid. 
• January 9, 2026 – William Henderson, formerly a consultant for Financial Aid Services, retired in January after 44 years of working in financial aid. William also previously worked at UW Parkside, Firstar Bank, Carthage College, Great Lakes Educational Loan Services, Concordia University, and MATC. 
• January 9, 2026 – Patrick Moore, FAAC^®, currently the assistant vice president of financial aid and data governance at Scripps College, will retire in January after 37 years of working in financial aid. Patrick also worked at the University of Southern California and Sallie Mae. 
• January 5, 2026 - Sharon Pearl Picking, currently the federal program manager at Henry Ford College, will retire in January after 40 years of working in financial aid. 
• December 31, 2025 – Eddie Salazar, FAAC^®, currently the associate director at the University of New Mexico, will retire in December after 25 years of working in financial aid. 
• December 31, 2026 - Karen Krause, FAAC^®, currently the executive director of financial aid, scholarships and VA benefits certification at the University of Texas at Arlington, will retire in December after 43 years of working in financial aid. 
• December 31, 2025 – Denise Welch, currently the director of financial aid at Panola College, will retire in December after 29 years of working in financial aid. 
• December 17, 2025 – William Spiers, FAAC^®, currently the director of student financial services at Tallahassee State College, will retire in December after 42 years of working in financial aid. William also previously worked at Jacksonville University.
• October 15, 2025 – Anne Norris, currently the assistant director of financial aid at Toccoa Falls College, will retire in October after 44 years of working in financial aid. 
• September 12, 2025 – Josephine Cassar, formerly the executive director of financial assistance at St. Clair County Community College, will retire in September after 38 years of working in financial aid. 
• August 31, 2025 – Lisa Koretoff, currently the director of financial aid at Guilford Technical Community College, will retire in August after 38 years of working in financial aid. 
• July 31, 2025 – Steve Runion, currently the associate director of scholarships and operations at the University of South Florida, will retire in July after 37 years of working in financial aid.
• July 18, 2025 – Toby Dye, currently the director of financial aid at Nazareth University, will retire in July after 36 years of working in financial aid. Toby also previously worked at Rochester Institute of Technology. 
• July 1, 2025 – Catherine Boscher-Murphy, formerly the associate director of financial aid at Montclair State University, will retire in July after 44 years of working in financial aid.

Awards, Recognitions, and Others

• October 15, 2025 – Robin Walker, currently the director of graduate financial aid and compliance at Wilkes University, was elected as president of PASFAA (Pennsylvania).
• 2025 NASFAA Award Winners Recognized in Anaheim, CA

2024-25 Movers & Shakers