ELECTION 2012 Special Edition Our Nominations & Elections Committee has put together a great slate of candidates for our open positions next year. Learn more about the candidates inside this issue. Further details about online voting are coming soon. 2012-13 SLATE OF CANDIDATES President-Elect Rachel Cavenaugh, Cape Fear CC Vice President Joel Trogdon, Randolph CC Tonja Suttles, Western Piedmont CC Nominations and Elections Rep Proprietary School Laurie Pluck, ITT Tech Nominations and Elections Rep Two Year Public Jason Johnson, Guilford Tech CC Victoria Lenderman, Forsyth Tech CC
Rachel Cavenaugh Cape Fear Community College President-Elect Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Rachel Cavenaugh, Assistant Director of Financial Aid & Veterans Services at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, North Carolina. I have been with Cape Fear 12 years in this position. I have served as Vice-President of NCASFAA, Chair of Budget/Finance Committee for 2 years, Chair of Professional Development for 2 years and Chair of Special Webinar raining for 1 year. I have served on the Program Committee for many years. I am President of NCACVA (N.C. Association of Coordinators of Veterans Affairs) for this year and last year. Linda Smiley, who hired me at Cape Fear told me from the start that she wanted me to be involved with NCASFAA as it was a great organization and it would help me in so many ways. As always, Linda was right. NCASFAA is a great organization to be a part of. There is always great training as well as friendship. I have made so many friends over the last 12 years. You always know that you can e-mail or pick up the phone and you will find help. I am running for President-Elect of NCASFAA for the 2012-13 year. It would be an honor to serve you the members of this great organization. I have been on the board for many years and know how hard they work for us. I am willing to work hard to continue what this organization stands for to help our profession. Behind every great President is a great organization. I would love to be President-Elect of this great organization. Thank you.
Joey Trogdan Randolph Community College Vice President Statement of Candidacy I am honored for the nomination to serve as the Vice President of NCASFAA. I began my professional career in 2002 at Mars Hill College as an Admissions Counselor. In 2003 I had the privilege of becoming an employee at the University of North Carolina Greensboro as a Financial Aid Counselor, joining NCASFAA in that same year. When I first joined NCASFAA, I was impressed with both the professionalism and passion that its members had. I attended several conferences, the Overview of Financial Aid seminars at CFNC, and various other workshops hosted around the State of North Carolina. All of these programs not only emphasized the rules and regulations of financial aid, but highlighted areas that helped serve students better. It was during this time that financial aid went from just my job to my career. It cemented in my mind that this is the field I want to be in as it truly allowed me to help change lives. In 2006, I became the Assistant Director of Financial Aid at Randolph Community College under the direction of Mr. Chad Williams. Since that time, I have been afforded the opportunity to help NCASFAA and others joining the financial aid profession, just as they have helped me. I would be honored to represent you as Vice President of NCASFAA and would accept all challenges that come with the position. Employment History: Admissions Counselor Mars Hill College Mars Hill, NC 2002-2003 Financial Aid Counselor UNC- Greensboro Greensboro, NC 2003 2006 Assistant Director of Financial Aid Randolph Community College Asheboro, NC 2006 Present Education B.S. - Mars Hill College Major: Computer Information Systems Minor: Business Administration Professional Accomplishments and Involvement: Elected and served as the 2-Year Public Sector representative for the North Carolina Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NCASFAA) from 2010-2012 Completed the RCC President s Education Leadership Academy in December of 2011 Elected and served as RCC Staff Association Vice President and President from 2009-2011 Served on the Spring 2009 NCASFAA conference committee Completed the UNCG Bryan School of Business Enrollment Services Leadership Development Institute in 2005 Completed the NCASFAA Leadership Symposium in 2005
Tonja Suttles Cape Fear Community College Vice President I would like to thank to the Nomination and Elections Committee for the opportunity to run for the office of Vice President. I am honored to accept the nomination. Financial aid is my passion. Some days are tough, but when I can help a student achieve their dreams, I remember I have the best job in the world. The first year in any job is the most daunting, especially in a job like financial aid where complex state and federal regulations can make administrating financial aid intimidating. As Vice President, I would work hard to make sure new financial aid counselors have the support and resources they need to succeed. I would like to help those in their first year on the job find the same love I have for financial aid. It would be my honor to serve our new members as their liaison to the Association. I also welcome the opportunity to assist the development of mentor relationships for new members. Your support in electing me to the vice-president position is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your consideration. It would be my pleasure to serve as NCASFAA s next Vice President. Financial Aid Employment Financial Aid Counselor Western Piedmont Community College November 2010 to present Financial Aid Technician Western Piedmont Community College July 2010 to November 2010 Financial Aid Weekend Assistant St. Andrews Presbyterian College July 2010 to September 2010 Admissions and Financial Aid Counselor for Non-Traditional Students St. Andrews Presbyterian College October 2008 to July 2010 Education: Bachelor of Arts, Business Administration and Political Science St. Andrews Presbyterian College, Laurinburg, NC, 2007 Professional Affiliations: NCASFAA Service to NCASFAA: 2011-2012 NCASFAA Board Member Fall and Spring Conference Co-Chair 2011 NCASFAA Fall Conference Session Moderator Spring 2011 NCASFAA Conference Committee Member Spring 2010 NCASFAA Conference Session Moderator
Laurie Pluck ITT Technical Institute Nominations and Elections Rep Proprietary Sector I am grateful for the nomination for Proprietary College Representative to the Nominations and Elections Committee. I have been a member of NCASFAA for nine years and I am excited about the opportunity to serve in a greater capacity. For over ten years I have worked in proprietary higher education. Following my graduation from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a Bachelor s Degree in Business, my career in Financial Aid began in 2001 at the Art Institute of Charlotte. While there, I served in the role of Financial Aid officer and progressed to Associate Director of Financial Aid. It was during my time at the Art Institute that I also earned my MBA from Argosy University in Business Management in 2008. In 2010, I moved to ITT Technical Institute Charlotte South Campus to take on the role of Director of Finance where I currently serve. Experience aside, we are all driven by one thing- the satisfaction of helping students achieve their educational goals. It would be an honor to have the opportunity to serve NCASFAA as we seek to assist students in North Carolina gain access to higher education. Laurie Pluck Director of Finance ITT Technical Institute Charlotte South
Victoria Lenderman Forsyth Technical Community College Nominations and Elections Rep Two-Year Public Sector I am honored by the nomination to serve as the Community Colleges representative on the Nominations and Elections Committee of NCASFAA. My financial aid career began in 1986 at a private college in Texas. After a foray into Admissions and then relocating to North Carolina, I started at Craven Community College as Financial Aid Director and joined NCASFAA in 1992. In 1997 after moving to High Point, I joined UNC Greensboro as Assistant Director for Loans. Recruited by the dark side, I worked for ELM Resources as Client Service Manager and Training Specialist for 9 years. In late 2010, I became the Loan Specialist at Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston-Salem. I attended my first NCASFAA conference less than a month after I started at Craven in 1993, and have been to many conferences and events since then. I have served on the Program Committee, chaired the State and High School Relations Committee, and served as Treasurer from 1998-2000, along with various other committee activities. I have also volunteered with other state organizations and SASFAA. I received my B.A. degree in Advertising from Michigan State University, and earned my M.B. A. from Texas Christian University. It would be a privilege to serve NCASFAA in this capacity and to encourage other members to give of their time and talents to support our organization. Thank you for this opportunity.
Jason Johnson Guilford Technical Community College Nominations and Elections Rep Two-Year Public Sector My name is Jason Johnson. I have been trying to find a way to serve my fellow financial aid administrators and I think being elected to the nomination committee is a good start. This would give me an opportunity to meet new people within the financial aid field while helping NCASFAA find qualified candidates for important roles. I am currently the Assistant Director of Financial Aid at Guilford Technical Community College. I have been serving in this capacity since January of 2010. Prior to that I was a Financial Aid Counselor at UNCG for a little over five years. The knowledge I gained while at UNCG gave me the opportunity to advance in financial aid. I have been in financial aid going on 8 years and expect to retire from it someday when I am even older and more grey. I have not been involved in much since I have been in financial aid other than trying to learn as much as I can so I can better help my institution, the tax payers and the students. I graduated from Appalachian State in 1997 with a bachelors in Communication. If elected I look forward to being the best election committee member I can be. Your Nominations & Elections Committee will send out instructions soon about on-line voting. JOIN US APRIL 15TH - 18th AT THE HOLIDAY INN SUNSPREE Wrightsville Beach!