October State & Regional Association Updates
By Maria Carrasco, NASFAA Staff Reporter
In this monthly round-up in Today's News, we would like to highlight what’s going on in your state and regional associations.
This month, we have the opportunity to hear from our colleagues in Georgia, Illinois, Virginia, Washington, the Western Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (WASFAA), the Southern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (SASFAA), and the Eastern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (EASFAA).
Sarah Baumhoff, president of GASFAA, shares that the association held its first virtual training webinar of the year on September 23 about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s impact on financial aid, with Alica Keaton from University of Central Florida leading the discussion for over one hundred GASFAA members.
Sarah adds that the association is looking forward to its fall training conference on October 28-29 at Mercer University, Atlanta Campus. GASFAA will be holding its first FAAC® workshop as part of this event. “In GASFAA we're better together and encourage everyone in our state to be involved in the state association,” she writes.
Chelley Jackson, president of ILASFAA (Illinois), shares that registration is now open for ILASFAA fall training workshops. The workshops will be held on November 7 at Elgin Community College and on November 17 at Rend Lake College, and will feature a comprehensive agenda. Some key topics include a high-level discussion on the implications of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and how private lenders are preparing for potential increases in private loan borrowing. Additionally, there will be a session on prioritizing mental health and wellness, with an emphasis on practical approaches to support mental health, fostering a supportive environment, and promoting self-care practices essential for sustaining productivity and emotional stability during difficult times.
Kelley Florian, the public relations committee chair of VASFAA (Virginia), shares that the association partnered with Robert Weinerman, director of training at Iron Bridge Resources, to deliver practical, implementation-ready training for aid professionals.
“Drawing on leadership experience at MIT and Babson and years of national training, Robert translates complex tax issues, verification challenges, and need analysis issues into clear guidance, walkthroughs, and skills members can use right away,” Kelley writes.
Through this collaboration, VASFAA is offering webinars focused on timely regulatory updates and advising strategies, with live Q&A and take-home resources, as well as annual conference sessions that serve both new professionals and seasoned leaders, emphasizing compliance, communication with families, and office efficiency, Kelley adds.
Those interested in similar programming for their members can contact Kelley for more information.
Molly Walsh, president of WFAA (Washington), shares that the association is looking forward to its 2025 WFAA Conference, "Wicked Problems, Bold Solutions," on October 22-24 in Tacoma, Washington. WFAA’s Conference Committee has been working hard to provide its membership with an awesome conference line-up featuring speakers from NASFAA and WASFAA, she adds.
Shellee Kilbride, president-elect of WASFAA, shares that the association's training committee has been hard at work, successfully hosting the first three sessions of the 2025 fall virtual training series, “Bend Don’t Break: Thriving Through Change.”
Shellee adds that conference season is also in full swing. Past President John Bender will represent WASFAA at both the IASFAA and WFAA conferences, while Shellee will be attending the NAFAA Conference.
Additionally, the Rebekah Hoppel Salcedo Leadership Development Program (RHS LDP) Committee is currently finalizing selections for this year’s participants. “The team is excited and eager to begin working with the next class of emerging leaders,” Shellee writes.
Joan Bailey, president of SASFAA, highlights the association’s podcast, “SASFAA’s Swoonpies and Money.” Launched at the annual SASFAA conference back in February and hosted by Bill Ayers and Michelle Hemmer, “SASFAA’s Swoonpies and Money” podcast travels to state, regional, and national conferences, finding SASFAA members to interview.
“The questions are very entertaining, the answers are equally amusing, and there’s always a surprise guest or two as well,” Joan writes.
Ken Ferreira, president of EASFAA, shares that the association has shared three video messages this month as part of its new strategic plan to amplify diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts. The first video recaps the September 2025 EASFAA Regional Council meeting. The second video captures EASFAA's Milestone Goals, which will be the focus of this year's council. The third video captures EASFAA's value proposition: EASFAA is where connection meets impact.
Check back next month to see what your colleagues are doing across the country, and check out your colleagues’ updates from previous months!
Publication Date: 10/14/2025
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