Reflecting on the Past, Preparing for the Future

Submitted by Marvin Smith, Executive Director of Student Financial Services at IUPUI and 2018-2019 MASFAA President

This picture is from a MASFAA planning retreat held at IUPUI on July 31, 2018. I’m reflecting on some great work that has occurred over the past year by our volunteer organization—and is still occurring as we head toward our annual conference in Chicago October 6-9, 2019. 

As I look at the group I’m struck by how much change occurred over the past year. Some of the MASFAA leaders in our group have left the profession (Chandra Owen), left the region (Gena Boling), left for other career opportunities (Crystal Bruntz, Sara Beth Holman, Nick Prewett), changed schools (Laura Rogers, Emily Haynam, Heidi Carl, Alex DeLonis, Dick Battig), and even changed names (Marcus Szymanoski is now Marcus San Marino). That’s 11 changes, not even counting promotions for Michelle Trame, Nathan Lohr, Marcus San Marino, and maybe some folks I’m forgetting. Whew!

But we kept up with change because that’s what financial aid professionals are good at! I am so thankful for folks that stepped up and filled roles when asked. Roberta Johnson took over Advocacy and Legislative Affairs, Keyimani Alford and Chad Olson took on Delegate-at-Large roles, Dena Norris became Missouri state representative. Not to mention Sue Swisher is now in the past president role for the third time! We also had some late committee chair assignments. Ginny Washington agreed to co-chair the Access Committee; Stephanie Petsch and Jennifer Schroeder agreed to co-chair Summer Institute and Leadership Symposium.

Given all the changes that have occurred, our group of dedicated volunteers have accomplished so much. A few highlights…

• Stephanie Petsch and Jen Schroeder and an experienced group of outstanding faculty conducted a well-attended and well-received Summer Institute and Leadership Symposium at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI; special thanks to the state of Michigan for great attendance and Shashanta James for her work coordinating some logistics at her wonderful university. 
• Nick Prewett put together a strong ballot of volunteers and we held a successful election for our 2019-20. 
• Heidi Carl, Kathy Bialk, Kerry Gilbert, and Laura Rogers made sure our bills were paid, contracts reviewed and signed, and minutes and records were kept in order—no small task in a volunteer organization. 
• Nathan Lohr and Emily Haynam have helped deliver timely MASFAA communications via our website and various social media channels all year long. 
• Michelle Trame worked with membership chair Matthew Kearney to develop some membership change ideas to be discussed at the Chicago conference. 
• Keyimani Alford and Karla Weber put together an outstanding series of professional development webinars while overseeing our taskforce efforts; many of these taskforce leaders will be involved in Chicago conference interest sessions.
• Dick Battig helped coordinate a review of Michigan conference sites and the Board selected The Henry in Dearborn, Michigan for our 2020 conference location. In addition, Dick co-chaired a MASFAA strategic plan committee with Sara Beth Holman; a new MASFAA Strategic Plan will be rolled out at the Chicago conference. 
• Chad Olson worked with webmaster Nathan Lohr to enhance our online vendor support options; we are expecting strong vendor support at the Chicago conference. 
• Roberta Johnson and a team of MASFAA leaders helped put together a MASFAA Advocacy Toolkit (now available on the MASFAA website) that will be highlighted at the Chicago conference. 
• Jackie Kennedy-Fletcher and Derek Kindle have put together the first-ever Diversity and Inclusion statement to be adopted by MASFAA and will be discussing the potential implementation of NASFAA Diversity Toolkit initiatives for states and our region at the Chicago conference. 
• The state presidents continued to filter important MASFAA messages to our nine states and support MASFAA initiatives.
• Finally, Betsy Johnson, Susan Teerink, Sue Swisher, Amanda Fijal, and teams of MASFAA’s finest have put together an outstanding conference program, speakers, and activities that are sure to make the 2019 MASFAA Conference in Chicago an event folks will not want to miss!

This is just a short list of MASFAA activities this past year. I know I’ve left out some names and accomplishments, but I look forward to celebrating all that is MASFAA with my fellow Champions of Tomorrow at the Chicago conference. Register now at www.masfaaweb.org/conference.
 
Regards,
Marvin Smith
MASFAA President 2018-19 and Executive Director of Student Financial Services, IUPUI

Experiences from a New Board Member

Submitted by Jennifer Schroeder, Program Coordinator at Iowa State University and co-chair of the Summer Institute and Leadership Symposium Committee

Last month I had the privilege of attending my second MASFAA board meeting in Chicago; my first board meeting was prior to the annual conference last October in Minnesota.  I am currently co-chairing Summer Institute and Leadership Symposium with Stephanie Petsch.  This co-chair position is my first such position with MASFAA and, so far, has been challenging and very rewarding!

I have been involved at the state level in Iowa for the past decade and feel very comfortable there.  However, when I was asked to serve MASFAA, I was a little apprehensive.  I was humbled to be asked to serve our regional association, I was excited at the opportunity to meet more great colleagues from across the region, I was intrigued by the challenge, I was nervous about the scale of the responsibility and I was wondering if I would be able to do it.

Fast forward 6 months and we’re in the thick of planning Summer Institute and Leadership.  So far, this has been a great experience for many reasons.  I like the challenge of trying some new, I have a co-leader who I work well with, Marvin and board have been supportive and responsive to our questions, I’ve meet a wealth of new MASFAA folks and I’ve gotten an inside look at the operations of the MASFAA board.

MASFAA board meetings are full of great discussion, idea generation, networking and laughing.  The board worked hard all day, discussing what committees have been working on, addressing questions and concerns from each committee, sharing struggles and ideas from each state representative and planning for MASFAA’s future.  After working hard all day, the evening brought an opportunity to enjoy each other’s company and get to know one another over some Chicago deep dish.  The next morning, it was back to work finishing up remaining MASFAA business.

From my experience working on the MASFAA board, I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter what your title is, how long you’ve been in the profession or how shy you might be because MASFAA welcomes us all!  I’ve learned that there is an expansive network of financial aid professionals who are ready and willing to answer your questions and share their experiences with you as you fulfill your MASFAA board responsibilities.

I would encourage everyone to consider any offer to serve on a MASFAA committee, work on the MASFAA board or run for a MASFAA elected position.  While I was intimidated at first, I am glad I took a chance and said “yes” when Marvin asked me to serve MASFAA in this role!

On another note- we are planning a great Summer Institute and Leadership Symposium experience this summer at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo!  Make sure you watch the blog and website for details coming very soon!

My MASFAA Board Meeting Experience

Submitted by Alex DeLonis, Director of Financial Aid Processing at Ivy Tech Community College and MASFAA Delegate-at-Large

One of my favorite parts of being involved in MASFAA and serving on the Executive Board is attending the board meetings with my colleagues throughout the year.  Here are some of the highlights of my experience at the meeting held last week:

How Did You Get There?

This Board Meeting experience got started with a road trip with two of my favs President Marvin Smith and Executive Vice President Heidi Carl.  The 3 hour journey from Indianapolis to Lombard, Illinois was a wonderful opportunity for us to catch up.  Our meeting took place at the Westin Lombard which is also the site for the MASFAA 2019 Champions for Tomorrow conference in October.

What Were the Hot Topics?

We had a long agenda but our President Marvin Smith kept the meeting moving.  The agenda items that stood out to me were the strategic plan task force update, conference planning, financial updates, diversity and inclusion, summer institute, professional development, and hearing what issues our State Presidents were dealing with.  In my role as Delegate-at-Large I have the opportunity to work with the Conference Program, Local Arrangements, and Advocacy and Legislative Issues Committees, so it was a great opportunity to connect with them to hear about the great work they are doing.

What Did You Eat?

You can’t go to the Chicagoland area without eating deep dish pizza, right? And Reese’s Cups…Lot’s of Reese’s Cups. 

What Was the Area Like?

This is going to be an amazing place to have our conference!  The venue itself is spacious and easy to get to.  The location is a short drive from both O’Hare and Midway airports.  There is plenty to do in the area including great shopping and endless restaurant options!

How Did Nick Injure His Thumb?

After a long day’s work we had the opportunity to kick back with our colleagues and relax.  The competitive MASFAA members engaged in a few round of the card game Spot It.  For those who have not played it’s a game that requires being the quickest to find the matching symbol between two cards.  This is how our Past President Nick Prewett nearly lost his thumb.   In the end, I think the table won the game after Nick was forced to retire from Spot It to ice his injury.

  

When is the Next Meeting?

The next Board Meeting will take place in early June at Western Michigan University and will overlap with the Summer Institute and Leadership Symposium.  Heal up, Nick!  I’ll be sure to bring Spot It again!  

Updates from the Board

Good day MASFAA,

I hope that everyone is enjoying the start of spring and hopefully you have had the opportunity for some type of spring break.  Your executive committee is busy planning activities for the year.  Summer institute is scheduled for June 4^th – 8^th in lovely Columbus Ohio.  Information on registration should be out shortly.  Our program committee and local arrangements committees are busy at work planning our fall conference in Minneapolis Oct. 14-17.  I’ve seen a draft schedule and I’m excited about “Planting the seed for the future.”  

I also wanted to let the membership know about a change on the executive board.  Thomas Ratliff has resigned from his position as Past-President as he has separated from his employment at Indiana Wesleyan University.  I know I speak for all of MASFAA in thanking Thomas for his service to our organization.  His passion, dedication, and commitment to MASFAA was prevalent in all that he did.  I know we all wish him well as he sets out on a new adventure. 

As a result of his resignation, I have asked Sue Swisher to assume the duties of past-president and she has agreed.  We are thankful for her dedication and service to MASFAA. 

If there is anything the executive board or I can do for you, please let me know. 

Nick Prewett

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Hello MASFAA! I had the honor and privilege of representing MASFAA as the president-elect-in-training at the NASFAA Leadership Conference a couple weeks ago. As many of you may know, NASFAA coordinates an annual leadership conference every February with a variety of training tracks. My training track was Association Governance. Nearly all of the 9 MASFAA states had representation at this training track or one of the three other training tracks. I had a great time interacting with so many great MASFAA colleagues throughout the conference.

While I have been a state president in Indiana, this conference made me realize how long ago that really was (2001!). Let’s just say that I feel younger than I really am, but my hairline says something else. Here I am about 17 years later with three grown boys out of the house taking on a new role with MASFAA. I get to work with financial aid colleagues that don’t remember things like Y2K, FFELP, or a world before the financial aid application was FREE. That all said, interacting with new financial aid colleagues helps ignite my passion for our profession and my MASFAA colleagues. In DC I was able to visit with dear MASFAA friends and make some new friends that I hope will get involved in MASFAA efforts.  

I almost feel qualified to lead MASFAA—but I am so glad I’ve got some more time to plan. This conference made me realize I’ve got a lot of work to do between now and October when Nick Prewett will be passing me a gavel. By the way, I am predicting a great Minneapolis conference and a humorous, inspirational farewell speech from Nick. 

I was able to spend some quality time at the conference sitting next to Kathy Bialk, the newest Director of Financial Aid at the University of Iowa and our MASFAA treasurer-elect-in-training. Kathy and I took copious notes and often whispered at each other…”Is that in the P and P? Is that on the website? Who does our bonding? When is our audit?” Needless to say, we each have a lot of follow up planned.

On the final day of the conference I was able to visit three congressional offices with some of my Hoosier colleagues (Leo Hertling from Purdue and Alex DeLonis and Ben Burton from Ivy Tech). If you have never done a hill visit, I can tell you it never gets old—I think I’ve done about six separate hill visits now. Seeing Capitol Hill, Senate and House buildings, the Supreme Court—and then talking to our representatives is really a cool experience as we petition our government to invest in the students we serve.

Left to Right: Leo Hertling, Ben Burton, Alex DeLonis, Marvin Smith

In closing, I would like to sincerely thank MASFAA and the membership for sending me to Washington. It was a great time and I am thankful for the opportunity. I am inspired to serve the membership and hope I can ensure our organization continues to prosper.

Marvin Smith, Director of Student Financial Services, IUPUI and MASFAA President-Elect

MASFAA in MN

By: Katie Kraemer, Wisconsin Representative

Not even Mother Nature could prevent (after a few delays for some…) a meeting of MASFAA minds at the winter board meeting in Minnesota on February 12^th and 13^th!  The Executive Council gathered at the Marriott in downtown Minneapolis – site of 2018’s MASFAA Conference.  Members of the Program Committee met the day before the board meeting and worked hard to start developing an exciting, impactful, and informative conference.  Mark your calendars now for October 14-17^th as you will not want to miss it!

Executive Council discussed many topics, all centered around our members – how best to serve them, what added benefits MASFAA can provide, and most importantly, how to ensure they are getting the greatest value out of their membership!  Details were shared about Summer Institute, the MASFAA Leadership Conference, and the annual MASFAA Conference regarding content, goals, and costs.  Summer Institute and the leadership conference will be held concurrently, June 4-8, at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio.  Stay tuned for details regarding an updated format to the Leadership Conference, with new tracks being offered this year!   

The meeting resulted in many action items.  Some were immediate, like the list serve for members, which was resurrected mere hours after our meeting!  Other items will take more time and additional work.  One hot topic was the membership fee structure.  MASFAA is going to review and research the differences between individual and institutional memberships.  A task force will need to consider how our budget would be impacted by both models and what will best serve MASFAA and its schools.  The board meeting was also a wonderful opportunity for representatives from each state to share what is going on in their states and gain ideas from one another.

As someone who is newly involved in MASFAA and new to Executive Council, it was awesome to experience working with such a welcoming and ambitious group!  I cannot stress enough how much the Executive Council cares about the association and the needs of its members.  I encourage you all to get involved, whether it be joining a committee or running for a position.  Which brings me to my last reminder and plug – elections will take place soon.  Please take the time to vote!  And consider throwing your hat in the ring for a position when nominations occur next year!!  You will gain invaluable leadership experience and I promise it will be rewarding to serve your peers.

NASFAA 2017 Recap

NASFAA 2017 – San Diego

San Diego – what a beautiful place to hold NASFAA 2017.  The conference was a huge success, drawing close to 2,400 of our closest financial aid colleagues to discuss all things related to providing access and affordability to higher education.  The conference was held at the San Diego Convention center (middle of the photo above, just above Coronado Island).  A few themes emerged from the conference, with the hot topic of Year Round Pell, Are you doing it? How? Can I see your drawings of how you worked out the technical issues?  Arguably the one topic that caused a few standing ovations and a few tears was retirement of Jeff Baker. 

Now, what better way to recognize the retirement of the Director of Policy, than with a cake, with a copy of the DCL that announced his hire (of course, an FAA saved that).  That’s how the NASFAA board chose to celebrate Jeff’s last board visit. 

A common theme of the NASFAA conference was #Fight4FinAid, complete with a ralley led by Megan Coval.  President Trump’s budget proposal calls for significant reductions in financial aid, with NASFAA developing a tool to determine the impact on your campus.  I’d encourage you to calculate your number and share it with your campus adminstrators.  As Megan noted “budget cuts sting like a bee” hence the catchy web address.  https://www.nasfaa.org/bee

For those of you that haven’t attended a national conference, it is reminiscent of your state and regional conference, but on a grand scale.  I’ve found it easy to know if I’m in the hot topic session based on who is there and how full the room might be.  Many sessions are standing room only and push some serious firecode limits.  Sessions were so packed with info that some presenters dominated the discussion and didn’t share with their panel, so work out those logistics before you hit the big stage.  For those number gurus, 20% of NASFAA attendees were first timers and 20% were also from California.  I met a number of people through the conference app, which encouraged you to scan other people’s badges.  It’s hard not to sound like a pick-up cliché when you say, “Hi, I’m Nick from Missouri, mind if I scan your badge?” 

At the conclusion of the conference is the passing of the gavel.  Dr. Lisa Blazer passed leadership to Billie Jo Hamilton of the University of South Florida.  Billie Jo got her start in financial aid at Pittsburg State University as a FWS student and has had stops at KU Med, Mizzou, and Missouri State, meaning she has deep ties to MASFAA and MASFAP.  I am sure you will also notice a familiar face on the board, as the Past MASFAA President Lori Vedder moves on to the board as National Chair Elect. 

One of the things that makes me proud is the continued presence of MASFAA on the NASFAA Board of Directors.  For the 2017-18 year MASFAA will be represented by: Lori Vedder, Angela Johnson, Jackie Kennedy-Fletcher, Kim Jenerette, Doug Levy, Thomas Ratliff, and myself.  If you have questions or concerns about NASFAA, feel free to reach out to our MASFAA members, and remember they are here to listen and pass along any concerns you may have. 

Up next for your MASFAA board is the President Elect retreat at the end of July.  If you have any concerns or causes you would like your MASFAA leaders to undertake for the next year, please let any board member know. 

This post submitted by Nick Prewett, MASFAA President-Elect.

President-Elect Tour Blog

by Nick Prewett

One of the pleasures of serving as MASFAA President-elect is attending state conferences outside of my home association of MASFAP.  Meeting new individuals, making new connections, and learning from engaging speakers is important and what our profession is about.  Sharing ideas, learning how to navigate grey rules, and hopefully make connections for the future.  As President-elect, I have the opportunity to meet state leaders and to compare state organization and structure.   Thus far my travels have taken me to Indiana, Illinois, and lovely Brainerd, Mn.  For those curious, the flight from Minneapolis to Brainerd was 22 mins wheels up to wheels down and if you do not turn off your cell phone, you seem to get data the entire flight at 11,000 feet in the sky (or so someone told me).  

Attending a new conference brings me back to my early days as a financial aid professional.  At the time, I had no idea what being a financial aid professional meant, but I will always remember attending my first KASFAA conference in Topeka.  I admit this was prior to the social media days where you could keep up with colleagues around the country with a simple scan of your newsfeed.  I was amazed at how people seemed to know each other, specific family details, and exchange numerous long lost friend hugs.  I soon found that after a few conferences I transformed into one of those individuals.  My personal connections helped me with the transition from KASFAA/RMASFAA to MASFAP/MASFAA.  I truly believe connections around the country help me focus on my career as a financial aid professional. 

After years of working in financial aid, attending a new conference of any kind still gives me a bit of anxiety: Who will I know?  Where will I sit with at lunch?  Will anyone take me along with them to dinner? Will I end up alone in my room early at night?  Are people going to attend my session?

If you have ever had any of these feelings then you have been to a conference.  If you have overcome these feelings then you have conferenced.  If you met someone and followed up after the conference or at another conference, then you have done it well.   If you built a boat out of cardboard and beat Sarah Edward’s team in a pool boat race, while accidently hitting Lori Vedder in the shin with a paddle, then you have excelled. 

So on to these questions:

Who will I know?  Actually lots of people it turns out.  At ISFAA and ILASFAA I knew a fair number of the people there.  For Indiana I drove in, getting up at 5 am to be to Indy to present a credentialing session at 1pm.  Alex and Heidi welcomed me immediately upon arrival.  It was great getting to know the new leaders of ISFAA.  At ILASFAA due to a time commitment I flew, arriving at the hotel at 8:15 am.  Bill met me at the front desk and gave me a rundown of the day.  As I investigated the hotel layout, I continually bumped into people I knew.  Tim, an SI participant came up to me and said he had had great success using red solo cups to practice packaging.  (I guess people do pay attention) At MAFAA I arrived after dark to a sandwhich and sweet tea waiting in my room for me and quickly connected with Gale and Dick the next morning. 

Where will I sit for lunch?  This is always tricky, I often find the table game of where to sit and when to sit to be a challenge.  No one wants to be the first person or the last person through a buffet line.  At ISFAA I was encouraged to sit at the reserved tables up front, which takes the pressure off because I know many in the leadership.  At ILASFAA I found a number on the back of my name badge that told me where to sit so I could “network.”  As part of an ice breaker they distributed bouncy balls with random questions written on them.  We would toss it around the table and where your thumb landed, you had to answer that question.  (For the record, I would prefer a broken arm to a broken leg).  MAFAA did things just a bit different with most meals in a restaurant, it is always tough to pick a 4, 6, 8 or 10 top table to sit at.  For me, I just take a leap of faith and sit to meet someone new. 

Will anyone take me along for dinner?  Both ISFAA and ILASFAA had an evenings on your own.  At ISFAA on the first night Marvin took me out to dinner for ISFAA, he was an expert on Indy and took me to the places that I would find enjoyable (he chose wisely).  One the second night Alex took me in his lovely vanilla smelling car to a BBQ place in a fluffy snowstorm.  For ILASFAA a number of people checked in with me to ensure I had a ride and I ended up in the third row seating with Katie Cooper (a state president exchanger from WV) in Michelle Trame’s Ford Explorer.  (For the record, it is advisable to put the 3^rd row head rests up before sitting in the very back, else it feels like a medieval torture device for your back.) 

Will I end up in my room early?  One of my beliefs about any conference is that people should NEVER go to their room before the late nightly news.  While I get the idea that people need down time, just think that you have put time into getting somewhere to meet people and learn stuff and the last thing should be doing is watching Scandal in your room alone.  For me that is not how you conference.  ISFAA had an evening reception that turned into dinner out and the opportunity to make new friends.  MAFAA had a night of bingo (Howdy Gary my MAFAA bingo buddy!) and a night of glow in the dark golf that sadly was canceled due to the monsoon rains.  At ILASFAA there were minute to win it type game (my team won for the record), a dance floor and card games.  One new activity for a conference was the obsession of ILASFAA folks putting together puzzles, but at least people were socializing. 

Are people going to attend my session?  I think anyone presenting hopes that people show up.  At a conference, I always look at the schedule, find my time, and then see what I am up against.  Honestly, no one wants to go up against an Ask a Fed, a town hall, or NASFAA credentialing, but you take what you can get to expand your profession.  I always review the presentation schedules balancing content and presenter ability when I pick a session, the last thing you want is to be in a session with someone reading slides.  MAFAA had one session for me and based on a solid crowd in my room, I’m guessing I wasn’t up against a federal session.  At ISFAA I had one session + a credentialing and at ILASFAA I presented two sessions.  I thought the material flowed and the questions were good.  I hope people learned from what I had to say and I will be eagerly awaiting those follow-up email questions.  (tip-great way to add to your network is to send a thank you or follow-up questions).

On my tour around MASFAA I’ve completed 3 states of the 3 I’s, 3 M’s, and WOW roadshow.  Based on what I’ve seen thus far I am excited to report the future is bright for financial aid administrators in our region and I look forward to seeing new faces in the MASFAA leadership.   I consider financial aid a profession, so networking is part of that.  I challenge everyone to attend a conference and get out of your comfort zone, remember we all have that new kid in school feeling sometimes, let’s do all we can to welcome our fellow FAA’s.  

Update from the MASFAA President

Hello MASFAA!

This seems to be a season of change. Our government is poised to have a change of administration. It seems our esteemed federal colleague, Mr. Jeff Baker, Federal Student Aid Director of Policy, is contemplating retirement soon. And some of our MASFAA peers have also had either increased responsibilities at their respective institutions or have made shifts into other work areas recently. A few of these have necessitated the need for peers to step down from their 2016-2017 MASFAA duties to give appropriate time to address their changes. The recent departures that affect our MASFAA Board include:

            Debbie Schumm, Treasurer

            Sharron O’Brien, Minnesota Representative

            Mary Horgan, Donor Development Chair

I invite you all to join me in wishing the best for these valued peers as they address other needs this coming year. They will each be missed from their MASFAA roles this year. Yet, I am grateful that the following individuals have agreed to step in to fill their MASFAA duties to help ensure our association’s continued success for the 2016-2017 year:

            Val Meyers, Treasurer

            Brittany Tweed, Minnesota Representative

            Crystal Bruntz, Donor Development Chair (shifting over from being our Membership Chair)

            Melinda Middleton, filling Crystal’s Membership Chair role

On behalf of our great Board I want to welcome these four into their new roles!

I want to personally thank you for being a part of our regional association. Being a part of a professional organization has always been an outward expression of a business decision which recognizes that sharing best practices is helpful to all involved. Exchanging ideas, mutually debating issues and seeking common ground on resolutions to challenges are activities that are well served through connections made within such organizations as MASFAA. So for institutions of higher education, state association participation, regional activities and national engagement each have their place in strengthening members as professionals, giving us tools and insights that help us better perform our jobs. But associations like MASFAA can be so much more at a personal level. You get to meet and connect with people who share your work passions. If you invest in it personally, you get to make not only strong networking connections, but more importantly, lifetime friends.

May this year bring you rich life experiences and give opportunities for making new cherished memories along the way. And may you consider how your professional connections might become even stronger personal ones in the coming year. May both bring you great rewards and encouragement.

Thomas

Thomas Ratliff

MASFAA President

President's Welcome to 16-17

HELLO MASFAA!

We have started a new year and your 2016-2017 MASFAA Board welcomes you to jump in with us as we build upon our great history of serving peers and students within our nine great states.  Right now, today, we have opportunities for you to contribute and grow within your regional Financial Aid association.

If you are new to MASFAA, become an active participant.  Attend our Summer Institute or Leadership Symposium and you will grow.

If you are a seasoned professional, share your expertise and help us train.

If you want to help students, jump into our advocacy efforts.

If you have something to say, contribute to the MASFAA Blog.

If you are an associate member, please keep helping us succeed.  We need your insights, creativity, ideas and products so we can do our best.

If you are from around THE state of Ohio, please help with our 2017 Conference Local Arrangements.

If you can teach, develop a conference session.

If you’re technologically savvy and secretly want to go Wild, help us build our new website using Wild Apricot. (contact Jayme Jarrett)

If you have heart, join a MASFAA committee.

If you have vision, run for a MASFAA office.

If you have breath, Make Every Moment Count in all aspects of your life.  For yourself.  Your family.  Your friends.  Your work.  Your profession.

I encourage you to live abundantly in every aspect of your life, including your professional contributions.  Make Every Moment Count in everything, including MASFAA.

-          Thomas Ratliff, MASFAA President 2016-17

2017-18 Officer Nomination Form Available

While not intended to parallel the changes to the FAFSA timeline, it seems that having the MASFAA Officer Nomination Form available in October is doing just that.  This form is now available on the MASFAA website and will remain open until the end of January.  All we have done is extend the time for making nominations as the deadline for nominations is similar to what it has been in the past.  The board made this move so that the form would be available during its annual conference.  

The conference is (was!) an ideal time to identify and visit with potential nominees as well as garner publicity for the overall process.  Please take a few moments to encourage a colleague to run or consider running for a position yourself.  It is your duty as a member to submit nominations.  Nominations are currently being sought for President-Elect (3 year term), Vice President (2 year term) and two Delegate-at-Large positions (2 year term). 

Have someone to nominate?  Fill out the survey form here!  Questions?  Contact Nominations and Elections Chair (and current Past-President) Sue Swisher at swisher@sxu.edu 

MASFAA Election Results

First of all, I would like to thank each MASFAA member who chose to run for an elected office.  I would also like to thank every MASFAA member who exercised their right to vote in the recent election.  The ballots have been tallied and your newly elected officers for the 2016-17 year are as follows:

President-Elect:  Nick Prewett, Missouri

Secretary:  Jana Albrecht, Illinois

Treasurer-Elect:  Amanda Fijal, Illinois

Delegate-at-Large:  Triena Bodart, Wisconsin

Delegate-at-Large:  David Vikander, Minnesota

Congratulations and Best Wishes on your upcoming terms of service!

MASFAA Nominations & Elections Committee

MASFAA Ballot Closes Tonight!

Today is the final day to cast your vote in the MASFAA election.  Instructions on voting and a link to the ballot were provided to all current members via e-mail on March 29.  You will need to refer to that email in order to vote.  At 11:59 p.m. tonight the ballot on the 2016-17 officer election will close.  Please do your part as a MASFAA member by participating in the election process.  Vote!

MASFAA ELECTION OPENS TUESDAY

While we may have to wait until November to elect the next President of the United States, we will only need to wait one day to begin electing the next set of MASFAA officers.  This Tuesday, March 29, online voting will become available to all current MASFAA members.  The membership will have until 11:59 PM on Monday, April 11, to cast their ballots.  An e-mail will be sent to all current members this Tuesday with a link to the ballot.  If you do not receive this e-mail, you will want to check to make sure that your membership is current.

Members will be electing a President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer-Elect and two Delegates-At-Large during this election cycle.  These officers will begin their terms at the conclusion of this fall’s conference in Kansas City, Mo.  Please take a few moments in the next two weeks and exercise your right and duty as a MASFAA member by voting for our future leaders!

Nominations due THIS FRIDAY, January 29!

The Nominations and Elections Committee would like to remind fellow MASFAA members that nominations for the 2016-17 election cycle are due this Friday, January 29.  Nomination forms can be found on the MASFAA website.  The committee is currently seeking nominees for President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer-Elect and two Delegates-At-Large positions.  Members are reminded that while they can nominate others for a position, self-nominations are also welcome.  Questions regarding the nomination process and the upcoming election can be directed to Aaron Steffens, Nominations and Elections Chair at stefaa01@luther.edu.  Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Seeking Nominations

The MASFAA Nominations and Elections Committee is seeking officer nominations for the 2016-17 year.  Positions available include President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer-Elect and two Delegate At Large positions.  Please consider nominating yourself or fellow colleagues to serve MASFAA.  Additional details about each position and the Nominations and Elections form can be found on the MASFAA website at http://www.masfaaweb.org/docs/forms/pdf/2016-2017BoardNominationForm.pdf.

The nomination process is open until January 29.  Once nominations close, the Nominations and Elections Committee will assemble the ballot with the goal of having it posted by March 1^st.  Once the ballot is posted, current MASFAA members will have fourteen days to vote.

Questions regarding the process or any of the open positions can be directed to a member of the Nominations and Elections Committee.  Members include Kathy Bialk (WV), Sara Beth Holman (WI), Angela Johnson (OH), Buddy Mayfield (MO), Thomas Ratliff (IN), Rick Shipman (MI), Aaron Steffens (IA), Susan Swisher (IL), and David Vikander (MN).

We look forward to reviewing many nominations this year!

Happy Holidays!!

Aaron Steffens

MASFAA NEC Chair

The Ever-Changing Executive Council

As many of you may already know, Justin Chase Brown recently left his position at the University of Missouri to become the Financial Aid Director at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. While we wish Justin all the best in his new position, we are saddened by the fact that this move also takes him from the MASFAA region. Justin’s departure actually created two vacancies on the MASFAA board. The first was an immediate vacancy as chair of the Electronic Communications and Initiatives committee. Thankfully, Melissa Haberman has agreed to assume that role earlier than scheduled. Justin was also elected to assume the role of Vice President at the October board meeting. After careful review of our options, Association Governance recommended that the position be offered to Craig Slaughter. Craig had also run for the position of Vice President on the ballot earlier this year. Executive council recently convened and confirmed Craig’s nomination. Craig brings a wealth of experience to the MASFAA board having served as the association’s secretary and currently serving as the Web Services chair. In addition to serving MASFAA, Craig has just begun his second year as a Delegate on the NASFAA board. Please take a moment to wish both Craig and Melissa all the best in their new roles! Aaron Steffens MASFAA President

MASFAA Leader Spotlight: Val Meyers

Welcome to the continuance in a series of MASFAA Leader Spotlight posts. Throughout the year, we'll try to interview some of the leaders on the MASFAA Executive Council. Next up is Val Meyers.Val Meyers is Associate Director at Michigan State University and the 2014-2015 MASFAA Treasurer and Michigan representative.

How did you get started in financial aid?
I always get a laugh when I introduce myself at a conference or presentation by telling people that I spent about 10 years in retail before I came to MSU to do financial aid. I explain that in retail, even though I was a manager, I was paid too little for the responsibilities that I had, and I didn’t like disgruntled customers yelling at me. So that is why I came to financial aid! Most people appreciate the irony.

But in truth, it was meant to be. I am one of seven kids in my family, and was not only first generation, but the only one to finish an undergraduate degree, let alone a graduate degree. For me, financial aid was crucial to a life change that none of the rest of my siblings have experienced.

How did you first become involved in your state and regional associations?
I work with Rick Shipman who hired me into the financial aid office at Michigan State and has been a leader and mentor for me for my entire career. He has not only been supportive, but really sets an expectation that the senior management need to give back to the profession in some way. He also served in both MSFAA (Michigan) as well as MASFAA and was very supportive of my interest in doing the same.

I am also fortunate in that I have been able to be a part of the Big Ten Associate Directors group, and knowing that some of the same folks were active in MASFAA gave me a further incentive to volunteer. They are great people to work with and I knew I would enjoy seeing them more often, so that was a bonus.

What advice do you have for someone new to financial aid?
There is a role for you no matter your skillset. One of the joys of this profession is that there is a need for the public speaker, the detail-oriented processor, the political scientist compliance officer, and the supportive and nurturing counselor. I have been fortunate to find so many ways to help students and parents, and still stretch myself to learn new things and to grow.

What advice do you have for someone interested in becoming more involved in MASFAA?
Don’t start by running for office. Begin by volunteering for a committee. I started with MASFAA by running for secretary and then getting asked to begin immediately due to the current secretary leaving financial aid. It was very disorienting to be thrown into the mix, not knowing more than a couple of people on the board or the job that I was supposed to be doing. I imagine that beginning by working on a committee would be a much easier transition into then running for office.

I also think that beginning as a Delegate-at-Large is a good first step once you begin to run for elected office. It plugs you into several committees at the outset, which allows you to get to know the structure of the board and the committees.

What did you learn during your leadership term?
I tried to do too much. I was already Treasurer-Elect when I accepted the nomination to be president of my state association. I didn’t realize how much each position would demand from me. If I had it to do over again, I would only do one thing at a time.

What do you enjoy doing when you are outside the aid office?
Reading, writing novels, and indulging the whims of my three cats.

Any final thoughts?
Financial aid can be a job, a career, or a calling. Regardless of the reason you choose it, keep in mind that you are doing good work. We support students and families to reach for futures that they would not have without our help. When I have a challenging day, it helps me to remember that.

Notice of Executive Council Meeting June 2-3

This post is a notice that the MASFAA Executive Council has an upcoming meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana on June 2nd and 3rd to conduct association business. Members can contact leaders and representatives if you would like a concern to be addressed at the meeting.

MASFAA Leader Spotlight: Thomas Ratliff

Welcome to our second in a series of MASFAA Leader Spotlight posts (see our first post here). Throughout the year, we'll try to interview some of the leaders on the MASFAA Executive Council. Next up is MASFAA Delegate at Large, Thomas Ratliff. It's also important to note that Thomas was recently elected as President-Elect for the 2015-2016 MASFAA Executive Council. Thomas is Associate Vice President at Indiana Wesleyan University.

Could you briefly describe the route you took to becoming active in a MASFAA leadership role?

My activities in MASFAA actually started over 20 years ago in SASFAA. Early in my Financial Aid career a mentor encouraged me to invest in my profession to help my peers just as they (and he) had helped me. I agreed and was able to serve SWASFAA as a Conference Daily Newsletter Editor before I moved into the SWASFAA region. There I again engaged as a committee member, chair and eventually served as SWASFAA President. Contributing to MASFAA is very natural for me. I have been allowed to serve MASFAA’s Federal Issues Committee, Conference Program Committee and Professional Development Committee.

Why were you interested in a MASFAA leadership role?

I enjoy helping others succeed.  Helping lead MASFAA is a fulfilling way to make a difference.  In return, I always feel like I receive back as much as I give. 

What recommendations do you have for someone who is interested in holding a MASFAA elected position? Where should they get started? 

Considering the Delegate at Large role is a great beginning.  It offers you a chance to see the internal workings of the association, plus as a coordinator for multiple committees you become much more familiar with the specifics of committee work.

What advice do you have for someone who was just elected to a MASFAA leadership role? 

Read everything you receive from association members right away.  Jump into the conversations giving the best ideas and opinions you have to offer.  Remember you were entrusted to serve by your peers who elected you.  Serve them well with confidence.

What have you learned from your leadership role that you were not expecting? 

I didn’t realize going in that Delegates at Large help to coordinate the activities of multiple committees.  That was a welcomed surprise that has allowed me to become more engaged with MASFAA.  I really appreciate having that opportunity as part of my MASFAA Board experience.

What tips do you have for being an effective leader? 

Listen and care about your people.  Do whatever you can to help ensure their success and personal feelings of accomplishment. 

Any final thoughts? 

It is really great to get to know peers from around our region.  I sincerely recommend getting more involved with your regional association to contribute and grow personally.  MASFAA is worth your energy and time.