The Future of Higher Ed Financial Aid & How the Trump Administration Will be Reshaping Student Loan Policy.
MAY 15-16, 2025
Hotel AKA
Old Town Alexandria, VA
The Future of Higher Ed Financial Aid & How the Trump Administration Will be Reshaping Student Loan Policy.
MAY 15-16, 2025
Hotel AKA
Old Town Alexandria, VA
Our Executive Speaking Faculty
Applications are now being reviewed from executives who wish to become members of our Executive Speaking Faculty. If you have extensive knowledge of education finance/student loans and would like to apply for a position on our speaking faculty, please complete our online JOIN OUR FACULTY application or contact:
Don Buford, Founder & CEO, iiBIG
Phone: 212-300-2521 | Email: donb@iibig.com
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Lindsey M Burke, Director, Center for Education Policy(Principal Author, Project 2025 – Department of Education Recommendations),
Heritage Foundation
As Director of the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation, Lindsey Burke oversees Heritage’s research and policy on issues pertaining to preschool, K-12, and higher education reform. Burke’s research has been presented at academic conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals including Social Science Quarterly, Educational Research and Evaluation, and the Journal of School Choice, and her commentary and op-eds have appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers. She is a frequent guest on radio and television shows and speaks on education reform issues across the country and internationally. She has published evaluations of education choice options for public policy foundations across the country and has done extensive work shaping and evaluating education savings accounts (ESAs).
In 2021, Burke was tapped to join Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin’s transition steering committee and was also appointed to serve on the Youngkin landing team for education. Burke was also appointed by Governor Youngkin to serve on the Board of Visitors for George Mason University. Her term runs from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2026.
Burke also serves as a fellow at EdChoice, the namesake foundation of Milton and Rose Friedman, on the national advisory board of Learn4Life, a network of public charter schools serving “opportunity youth,” on the board of the Educational Freedom Institute, on the advisory board of the Independent Women’s Forum’s Education Freedom Center, and as a Trustee of Choice Media.
In 2022, Burke was honored to receive The Heritage Foundation’s President’s Award for striving to build an enduring organization. In 2015, Burke won Heritage’s prestigious W. Glenn and Rita Ricardo Campbell Award in recognition of her work fighting for expanded education choice options. The award is given annually to a policy expert who has made “an outstanding contribution to the analysis and promotion of a free society.”
Burke holds a bachelor’s degree in Politics from Hollins University in Roanoke, VA, and a master of teaching degree in Foreign Language Education from the University of Virginia. She earned her PhD in Education Policy from George Mason University, where she examined the intersection of education choice and institutional theory.
CONFERENCE CHAIR:
A. Wayne Johnson, Former, COO, Federal Student Aid, Trump Department of Education [2017 to 2019]
Dr. Arthur Wayne Johnson is a public servant, accomplished businessman, veteran, student loan expert, and life-long Georgia native. From 2017 to 2019, Wayne was a senior official in President Trump’s Administration, serving as the Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer and Chief Operating Officer for the Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid. Overseeing the largest provider of student financial aid in the country, Wayne successfully led thousands of employees whose mission was to make college education accessible and affordable for millions of Americans. Prior to entering public service, Wayne amassed over 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur, senior executive, and CEO of multiple businesses, both domestic and international, in the consumer finance and customer service support industries. Wayne’s professional career has given him first-hand knowledge of how to make higher education more cost-effective, so students and their families receive an education that improves their long-term employment prospects without taking on crushing levels of debt. He knows how to run organizations efficiently and effectively, and wants to continue to bring this solutions-oriented approach to the federal government. Wayne is a U.S. Army veteran, an Eagle Scout, and a product of Georgia’s education system. He holds a PhD in Higher Education Leadership from Mercer University, a Masters of Business Administration from Emory University, and Bachelor of Arts from Mercer. He and his family have long called Macon, Georgia home.
SPEAKING FACULTY:
Dr. Jason Altmire, President & CEO, Career Education Colleges & Universities (CECU)Dr. Jason Altmire is the CEO of Career Education Colleges and Universities, the national association representing private postsecondary career schools. CECU has more than 1,100 campus and affiliate members throughout North America. In this role, Jason represents the nation’s career schools before Congress and the Biden Administration. He was previously a three-term U.S. Congressman, where he served as a member of the Higher Education Subcommittee and the House-Senate conference committee that negotiated the final language of the Higher Education Act last time it was enacted.
Nate Blanchard, Director, Financial Services, Western Governors University (WGU)
April Boyd, VP, Financial Aid, The College of Healthcare Professionals
Scott Buchanan, Executive Director, Student Loan Servicing Alliance
Scott Buchanan is the Executive Director of the Student Loan Servicing Alliance (SLSA), a trade association that represents more than 40 student loan servicers and their business partners in both federal and private student lending. Previously, Scott was Senior Vice President of Business Development and Government Affairs for CBE Companies, a global provider of outsourced call center and collection services. Scott has also been Principal Consultant at Merak Associates LLC, where he has advised and counseled clients including financial services and investment firms, institutions of higher education, and BPO companies on legislative, regulatory, and business development strategy. Before his consulting work, Scott served as Vice President of Business Development, Sales, and Marketing at Navient. In that role he ran corporate marketing, oversaw brand strategy, directed business development and the sales organizations, while advising the company on corporate strategy. Prior to Navient, he served as Vice President of Government Affairs and Services with Sallie Mae. In that role he worked with Members of Congress, government agencies, and other policymakers to inform discussion on higher education, financial services, and tax policy. He oversaw the state affairs interests of the company and had responsibility for lobbying and political compliance processes. Over the years he also worked at Sallie Mae in various management capacities, has past political campaign experience, and worked for Wachovia Corporation in Atlanta, GA. Scott holds a Bachelors in Political Science from Davidson College and a Masters in Public Policy from George Mason University. He currently resides in Alexandria, VA.
Brian Cox, VP Business Development, Goal Solutions/Launch Services
Brian Cox is a veteran of consumer financial services and lending having spent the last 20 years in business development and client management roles leading growth initiatives at technology platform and services start-ups focused on introducing various lending products into financial institutions across the country. Brian is relentlessly client-focused bringing together his passion for consumer finance, his comprehensive knowledge of full program lifecycle, and his creativity to address client needs and create successful partnerships. Brian has helped expand Goal Solution’s rapid growth in the market across multiple asset classes.
Kayvan Darouian, Director, Deutsche Bank
Kayvan Darouian joined Deutsche Bank in June 2012 and is the lead analyst covering consumer and esoteric ABS on the Securitization Research team. Before joining Deutsche Bank, Kayvan spent six years at a British bank working in securitization research and portfolio management. He received his BS in economics and biology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and his MBA at the Yale School of Management.
Shane Franciscovich, Director, Structured Finance Group, S&P Global
Shane Franciscovich is a Director in the Structured Finance group at S&P Global Ratings. Shane is the analytical lead for the surveillance of transactions backed primarily by student loans, unsecured and secured personal loans, credit cards and personal wireless device loans. Before joining S&P Global Ratings, Shane worked in structured finance at KPMG covering automotive, residential mortgage and commercial mortgage- backed securities in the U.S. and London. She joined S&P Global Ratings in 2003. Shane holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics with a concentration in economics and computer programming from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Master of Business Administration degree from Columbia University.
Andrew Gillen, Research Fellow, Center for Educational Freedom,The Cato Institute
Andrew Gillen is a research fellow at the Cato Institute’s Center for Educational Freedom. His research focuses on the economics of higher education, with an emphasis on federal and state policies related to financial aid, regulation, accreditation, financing, transparency, and accountability. Prior to joining Cato, he spent over a decade at nonprofit and philanthropic organizations researching and trying to improve higher education. He served in research roles for the Texas Public Policy Foundation, the American Institutes for Research, Education Sector, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity. He was also a program officer for the Charles G. Koch Foundation and served on the U.S. Department of Education’s Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Ohio University and a Ph.D. in economics from Florida State University.
Sharon Gold, Head of Capital Markets, College Ave Student Loans
Sharon Gold is the Head of Capital Markets at College Ave Student Loans, a private student loan fintech lending company. Sharon focuses on College Ave’s student loan securitizations, debt facilities, warehouse lines, loans sales and forward flow agreements. Prior to College Ave, Sharon spent over 20 years in the student loan business in senior level positions at investment banks and rating agencies. Sharon was a senior banker in the Fixed Income Division of Morgan Stanley where she worked on student loan ABS and municipal bond transactions for for-profit, state agency, and not-for-profit student loan lenders. Sharon was also the Head of Student Loan ABS Originations at ABN AMRO managing student loan securitizations and student loan financings through ABN’s ABCP conduits. At the rating agencies, Sharon was the Head of the Student Loan Ratings Group at Moody’s Investor Service. She also spent time at S&P Global developing and writing methodologies for the Structured Financed Group for all securitized asset types, including student loans. Sharon has a B.S. in Accounting from Syracuse University and is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of New York.
Emmanual Guillory, Senior Director, Governement Relations, American Council on Education (ACE)
Emmanual A. Guillory serves as the senior director of government relations at the American Council on Education (ACE). In this role, he manages an extensive portfolio of legislative and regulatory issues as a primary government relations resource for the broader higher education community to the United States Congress, the White House, the United States Department of Education, and other agencies as warranted. His portfolio includes a primary emphasis on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA), especially Title IV programs, and the budget and appropriations process. Other issues within his portfolio include accreditation, college costs, student aid, institutional accountability, institutional aid in Titles III and V of the HEA, oversight, privacy, technology, accessibility, and disability, among others. Previously, Guillory served as the director of student and institutional aid policy at the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, leading the private, nonprofit sector of higher education on policies such as student financial aid, institutional aid programs in Titles III and V of the HEA, and certain regulatory issues. Guillory also served as the director for public policy and government affairs at UNCF (United Negro College Fund, Inc.) for two years. He worked for a decade in the House of Representatives, most recently as a professional staff member on the Committee on Education and the Workforce. He was recognized as one of The Hill’s top lobbyists in Washington, DC in both 2020 and 2021 and as a top executive by Marquis Who’s Who. Guillory was a federal negotiator for the Department of Education in 2019 and 2022 and a former president of the Committee for Education Funding—the largest educational coalition in our country—in 2022. He has his own nonprofit organization through which he awards scholarships to students, and he serves as a lecturer with the Archer Fellowship Program in The University of Texas System. Guillory earned his bachelor of science in psychology from Texas A&M University, and he also serves on its leadership council through The Association of Former Students of Texas A&M University. He obtained his master of arts in college student personnel from Bowling Green State University (BGSU). He serves on BGSU’s Alumni Board of Directors and on the leadership council in its College of Education and Human Development. He is currently pursuing his doctorate of education in higher education management at the University of Pennsylvania.
Rich Haines, CEO, OneLogos
Mr. Haines has thirty years of financial services and technology experience and is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of OneLogos, an EdTech and enterprise software company. OneLogos offers technology solutions to all stakeholders in the financial aid market including lenders, financial institutions, schools, non-profits, foundations and community groups through the Red Kite (www.myredkite.com) platform. Red Kite is a digital ecosystem connecting students, parents and job seekers with money to pay for college and job training. Mr. Haines also serves as co-founder and managing director of Crucible, a not-for-profit company formed to transform future-leaning college and job training organizations. Prior to OneLogos he founded two successful start-up organizations, served as the head of operations for a private education lender and has held senior leadership positions with MBNA America and Bank of America in the U.S., Canada and Europe supporting mergers and acquisitions, credit, customer service, collections and technology. Mr. Haines graduated with a bachelor’s degree in International Politics and Finance from The Pennsylvania State University in State College, Pennsylvania.
Henry B. Howard, President & CEO, U.S. Education Finance Group
Henry B. Howard began his banking career in 1978 at Maryland National Bank in Baltimore, Maryland. Subsequently, he held officer or management level positions at National Bank of Washington, Student Loan Marketing Association (“Sallie Mae”), American Security Bank of Washington, Marine Midland Bank (Delaware), CenTrust Savings Bank in Miami and BAC International Credit Corporation in Miami. Henry founded U.S. Education Finance Group in 1999 (assets of $2.75 Billion as of 12/31/10). He has been continuously involved with education lending since 1981. Henry Howard has 30 years and $7 Billion of education loan origination and financing experience.
John Hupalo, Founder & CEO, Invite Education
John Hupalo is nationally recognized expert in education loan finance and college planning. He is the founder of MyCollegeCorner.com and Invite Education, a mission-driven company dedicated to empowering families with the information, tools and services needed to make more informed college decisions. His education-focused career spans more than 30 years as a Legislative Assistant on Capitol Hill, Managing Director on Wall Street, and Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of First Marblehead Corporation (NYSE:FMD). He was elected to the Bronxville School Board, chaired the NYU Stern School Alumni Association, established the Mainstream Foundation, served as a Trustee and Treasurer for the Carroll School and Treasurer for the Wellesley Village Church. John is currently a Fire Chief in the Point O’Woods Volunteer Fire Company and also serves on the Consistory of the Collegiate Corporation and the Board of the Marble Collegiate Church. He co-authored Plan and Finance Your Family’s College Dreams (Peterson’s, 2016). John has testified before Congress on private credit student loans. He has been a guest on more than 70 radio shows, appeared on Bloomberg Day Break and The Street with Gregg Greenberg, and has been published or quoted in the New York Times, the Fiscal Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Hill, Fox Business, and U.S. News and World Report. He is a contributor to The Hill and Bob Brook’s Prudent Money Radio show. John received his B.A. with Honors from Boston University and an MBA in Finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business.
Eric Hurwitz, Co-Chair, Financial Services Litigataion, Stradley, Ronon, Stevens & Young LLP
Eric Hurwitz is Co-Chair of Stradley Ronon’s Financial Services Litigation practice. Eric focuses his litigation practice on defending financial institutions from claims arising out of nearly every type of consumer and commercial financial product. He has extensive experience defending both single plaintiff and class action lawsuits against student lenders and servicers, banks, mortgage lenders and servicers, credit card companies, auto finance companies, debt collection companies and other financial services institutions. These include claims under the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), as well as state unfair trade practices laws. Eric has defended both private and federal student loan servicers for many years in both court and private arbitration proceedings nationwide. He also works with clients to respond to regulatory inquiries and develop best practices for litigation avoidance.
Amy Jones, Director, Education & Human Services Policy, Committee on Education & the Workforce
Mrs. Jones oversees all aspects of education and workforce development policy for Chairwoman Virginia Foxx of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Prior to assuming this role, Mrs. Jones specialized in higher education and student loan policy and other legal issues arising in education policy for the committee. Previously, she was an attorney at Dean Blakey, where she handled issues important to the higher education community and the student loan industry. Mrs. Jones also clerked at the Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education. Mrs. Jones received both her B.A. in political science and justice and her J.D. from American University.
Mark Kantrowitz, President, Cerebly, Inc.
Mark Kantrowitz is a nationally-recognized expert on student financial aid, scholarships, student loans, college savings plans and education tax benefits. His mission is to deliver practical information, advice and tools to students and their families so they can make informed decisions about planning and paying for college. Mark writes extensively about student financial aid policy. He has testified before Congress and federal/state agencies about student aid on several occasions. He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Student Financial Aid and the editorial advisory board of Bottom Line/Personal (a Boardroom, Inc. publication). He is also a member of the board of trustees of the Center for Excellence in Education. Mark previously served as a member of the board of directors of the National Scholarship Providers Association and he is currently Publisher of PrivateStudentLoans.guru, a web site that provides students with smart borrowing tips about private student loans. Mark has served previously as publisher of the Savingforcollege.com, Cappex, Edvisors, Fastweb and FinAid web sites. He has previously been employed at Just Research, the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Bitstream Inc. and the Planning Research Corporation. Mark is President of Cerebly, Inc. (formerly MK Consulting, Inc.), a consulting firm focused on computer science, artificial intelligence, and statistical and policy analysis. Mark is ABD on a PhD in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). He has Bachelor of Science degrees in mathematics and philosophy from MIT and a Master of Science degree in computer science from CMU. He is also an alumnus of the Research Science Institute program established by Admiral H. G. Rickover.
Christopher D Lambert, Principal, BCC Advisory
Christopher D. Lambert is a distinguished educational professional with over 28 years of higher education accreditation experience. Throughout his career Christopher has held key leadership positions, notably as the Associate Executive Director at the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), and as the Executive Director for the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET), both of which are recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as reliable authorities in the assessment of education quality. Christopher has served on hundreds of accreditation visits, trained thousands of postsecondary education leaders on best practices, and supported over ten thousand accrediting agency actions. For over a quarter century he has been a trusted advocate for the postsecondary career college sector, actively participating in legislative, regulatory, and policy discussions at the state and federal level, and having drafted testimony on Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act and as part of accrediting agency appearances before Congress and the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI). Christopher’s commitment to knowledge sharing and extensive working relationships within the higher education community reflect his dedication to fostering collaboration and promoting excellence in education. Christopher is a proud graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, having earned a Bachelor of Arts in History in 1995. In 2006, Christopher was awarded a Master of Education from The University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development.
Betsy Mayotte, President, The Institute of Student Loan Advisors (TISLA)
Betsy is the President and Founder of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors (TISLA). She has been working in the student loan industry doing compliance and advocacy work for over 20 years and has helped thousands of borrowers with their student loans. Betsy has served as a primary negotiator for several federal Title IV negotiated rulemaking sessions on topics such as the use of student loans at foreign schools, loan rehabilitation and borrower defense to repayment. In addition, Mayotte frequently conducts regulatory trainings for the higher education financing industry both in the United States and as far away as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. She is regularly quoted in the media on student loan issues including the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and the Boston Globe. She was recently featured in Money magazine as one of the top 50 influential Changemakers in America’s finances. Betsy was born and raised in Lowell, MA and currently lives in Plymouth, MA.
David McClintock, CPA, Managing Director, McClintock & Associates, P.S.
David McClintock is the Managing Director of McClintock & Associates, a nationally respected CPA firm exclusively focused on the higher education sector. Dave leads a team that supports proprietary and nonprofit institutions in navigating the complex landscape of audits (Title IV compliance, financial statements and Single). McClintock & Associates prides itself on providing year-round consulting, audit, and client accounting services tailored to the unique needs of schools. Under Dave’s leadership, the firm partners closely with institutions to ensure compliance and provide their leaders with peace of mind. In 2022, he participated in the U.S. Department of Education’s Negotiated Rulemaking for Institutional and Programmatic Eligibility Committee as auditor with experience auditing institutions that participate in Title IV.
Nikhil Mudgal, Founder & CEO, Lorien Finance
Mr. Nikhil Mudgal is the Founder and CEO at Lorien Finance, a cross-border fintech platform offering private student loans to international students pursuing higher education in the United States. Nikhil comes with more than 14 years of experience in the investment banking and lending industry, having worked across the U.S. and Europe with bulge bracket banks, including Goldman Sachs, Jefferies, and PNC. Nikhil’s core sector focus was financial services, and as a FIG investment banker, he advised financial institutions on a variety of transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, warehouse lending, follow-on offerings, equity and debt private placements, capital structure optimization, and formulating their capital planning strategy.
Ronald Page, Managing Director, Municipal Capital Markets Group
Ron Page is an experienced investment banker, with over 40 years of capital markets experience. He specialized in asset-backed finance, leading the student loan finance industry in creating the first student loan financings utilizing; asset backed commercial paper, tax-exempt auction rate notes, taxable auction rate notes, and net interest margin securities. Mr. Page earned a Masters in Public Administration (Policy Analysis) from the American University, Washington D.C. and a BS in Business Administration from the University of Colorado.
Charles Pruett III, Assistant Dean, Student Financial Aid, Georgetown Law Center
Charles Pruett is the Assistant Dean for Financial Aid at the Georgetown University Law Center and has been with the Financial Aid Office since 1997. The ever-evolving state of the economy ensures that the needs of Georgetown Law’s student body are constantly changing. He regularly works with students to increase their knowledge of financial planning and illuminate the nuances and pitfalls important to the lives of younger professionals. For over twenty years, Georgetown Law’s flagship financial program, “Life after Georgetown Law” has prepared thousands of graduating students to enter the “real world” as informed earners and consumers. Mr. Pruett earned both his B.A. and J.D. from The George Washington University.
Sasha Ramani, Senior Director, Corporate Strategy, MPOWER Financing
Sasha Ramani Senior Director of Corporate Strategy for MPOWER Financing, a public benefit corporation offering scholarships and no-cosigner loans to international students coming to the United States and Canada. Prior to that, Sasha worked as a Research Associate at Harvard University, studying how emerging technologies can unlock finance in developing markets. He has also worked as a Strategy Consultant at Deloitte Consulting, advising investment managers on business strategy, including fintech solutions and regulatory trends. Sasha began his career as an Actuarial Analyst at Manulife Financial and then worked as an Operations Officer at RBC Capital Markets. He obtained a Master of Public Policy (MPP) with a focus on Business and Government from Harvard University. Prior to that, Sasha completed an Honors Bachelor of Mathematics (BMath) at the University of Waterloo, where he studied Actuarial Science, Statistics, Operations Research, and Business Administration. He also earned an Honors Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from Wilfrid Laurier University, concentrating in Finance with a minor in Economics. Apart from these degrees, Sasha pursued further education at prestigious institutions including in the Master in Public Policy (MPP) program at the Harvard Kennedy School and took MBA courses at both the Harvard Business School and the MIT Sloan School of Management, specializing in Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies. Additionally, Sasha participated in a student exchange program at The University of Hong Kong, where he studied Economics and Finance.
Alex Ricci, President, National Council of Higher Education Resources (NCHER)
Scott M Shaw, President & CEO, Lincoln Technical Institute
Scott M. Shaw is the President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Shaw has served on our board of directors from 2001 to 2006 and since July 2015. Prior to taking this position, Mr. Shaw served as President and Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer and Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning and Business Development. Prior to joining Lincoln, Mr. Shaw was a partner at Stonington Partners, Inc., where he had been since 1994. As a partner at Stonington, Mr. Shaw was responsible for identifying, evaluating and acquiring companies and then assisting in the oversight of these companies through participation on the board of directors of acquired companies. In addition, Mr. Shaw worked closely with senior management to develop long-term strategic plans, to evaluate acquisitions and new investment opportunities, to assist with refinancing, and to execute on the final sale of the company either to the public or to another company. Mr. Shaw also served as a consultant to Merrill Lynch Capital Partners Inc., a private investment firm associated with Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., from 1994 through 2000. Mr. Shaw holds an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business and a B.A. from Duke University. His extensive financial and business management experience provides the board a unique perspective on the issues facing companies in our industry.
Keith Shoates, President & CEO, Student Freedom Initiative
Keith Shoates, President & CEO of the Student Freedom Initiative (SFI), is accountable to the Board of Directors for leading the development of culture, strategy, organization, plans, and strategic partnerships to achieve the SFI vision of reducing the wealth gap through the lens of education and its mission to provide freedom in professional and life choices for students attending participating institutions by increasing their social and economic mobility. Mr. Shoates leverages public-private partnerships and ideates with participating institutions, corporations, philanthropy, and others to develop innovative solutions and sustained transformational change. He enables the scaling of the program pillars (e.g., Alternative to Parent PLUS Loans, Internships and Certifications, Comprehensive Supports, and Institutional Transformation) to provide value to strategic partners and 60+ participating institutions across more than twenty-two (22) states. Before serving as SFI’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Shoates served as Chief Operating Officer and interim Executive Director responsible for launching the program at the initial nine (9) participating institutions across eight (8) states and leveraging the best practices learned from his implementation of the Chairman’s philanthropic gift to the graduates of Morehouse College. He created the core tenets (e.g., student-centered, evidence-based, collaborative, and holistic), program pillars, and initial strategic partnerships that provided the initial $260+ million to launch the organization. He integrated strategic planning, operations, corporate communications, and corporate initiatives in support of the Chairperson and CEO of Vista Equity Partners. Keith Shoates was project manager for Robert F. Smith’s transformational gift to the 400-member Morehouse Class of 2019, responsible for coordinating with the US Department of Education, Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, students, and parents to appropriately verify eligibility and subsequently transfer funds to satisfy Robert’s intent. Keith is a Retired Colonel (USAF), with 30+ years of experience leading multi-disciplinary teams within the federal government, private sector, and nonprofit sector, delivering integrated technical solutions to address challenging and dynamic customer needs. He led a team of subject matter experts in the provision of a secure, common virtual desktop for 60,000+ worldwide users across multiple federal agencies. As project manager, he led the planning, design, development, and deployment of a single $200M data center that consolidated multiple regional data centers supporting 10,000 worldwide users and missions of the highest national priority.
Brandon Smith, Director of Financial Aid, Columbia University-SIPA
With over 13 years of experience in admissions and financial aid, Brandon Smith has dedicated his career to improving access and equity in higher education. Brandon began his professional journey at the University of North Florida and later held roles at NYU and Columbia University, where he developed a deep understanding of strategic enrollment management, creative processes to address student needs, and innovative ways to improve access to higher education. Brandon served as Director of Financial Aid at Duke University before returning to Columbia as the Director of Financial Aid at the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). Brandon’s work is grounded in the belief that data-driven decision-making, thoughtful policy development, and collaborative learning communities are essential for advancing student success in the 21st century. He is committed to helping students navigate the increasingly complex landscape of higher education with clarity and confidence and his focus is on building systems that are both innovative and student-centered ones that connect individual potential to societal progress. Brandon believes that true educational transformation happens when policy, purpose, and opportunity align.
Laurel Taylor, CEO, Candidly
Laurel Taylor is the CEO and Founder of Candidly. Laurel previously led a global business unit at Google and holds her MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with an undergraduate degree from Texas State University. Laurel has experienced, first hand, the impact of missing out on two decades of compounding interest on wealth while paying down debt, between her and her highly educated mother. She is a subject matter expert on the interplay between the student debt, saving, and retirement savings crisis and has been a key contributor on The Hill, successfully advocating for transformative legislation such as the CARES Act and SECURE 2.0.
Lance Teinert, Co-Founder & CEO, RevlTek
Lance is a 30-year veteran of consumer and education finance, having worked in executive positions since 1995 when he became the founding student loan operations executive with LoanStar Education Loans. He has held senior and executive level positions with Cology, First Marblehead Corporation, Education Credit Management Corporation, and ReliaMax Holdings as well as co-founding FUTR Corporation. Lance not only brings executive experience, but also an entrepreneurial spirit, having founded or co-founded several successful ventures including a nationally recognized education finance consulting firm and private education entity that partnered with several investment banks to originate, service, and securitize federal and private education loans.
Gail Walker, Director, School Relations & Strategic Initiatives, Rhode Island Student Loan Authority (RISLA)
Gail works to create, nurture, manage and maintain a productive relationship with colleges and universities, ensuring they understand the value of and achieve maximize benefits from the use of RISLA’s Education Loans and other RISLA offerings. This position is critical in assuring customer satisfaction and retention through direct, day-to-day contact with customers (by phone and email) and through visits to these institutions. Gail presents financial literacy training to schools and community organizations. In addition, she is actively involved in understanding current issues and researching ways to help families access and complete a higher education. She works in conjunction with others at RISLA and in the higher education community to connect with and resolve issues that arise. She participates in state and national discussions on these issues. Gail is an active member of RIASFAA (past president), EASFAA, MASFAA and CAPFAA. Gail received her BS in Management from Rhode Island College.She received her MBA from Salve Regina University. Gail is currently an empty nester after her two children became “gainfully employed” after graduating from college.
Jack Wallace, Director, Yrefy
For over 43 years Jack has collaborated with clients and the financial community to develop funding sources to finance higher education for students and families around the U.S. As an investment banker, financial advisor, and corporate finance executive, he has completed over $13 billion in financing. During his career, he has served as Financial Advisor to the U.S. Department of Education under Presidents Reagan, Bush 41, and Clinton. Jack appeared on a Fox 5 TV News program on June 16, 2023, and predicted two weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court decision that that SCOTUS would strike down the Biden Administration’s Federal student loan Forgiveness Program before the end of the 2023 SCOTUS term. Since then, Jack has appeared on TV and radio shows around the country, including ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC News. He has been quoted on Bloomberg, in the Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, Newsweek, and in multiple USA Today and Wall Street Journal articles covering the proposed Biden Federal student loan forgiveness plans, refinancing Private student loans, as well as discussing the financial impact on millions of Americans with Federal student loans, and/or Private student loans, that went back into repayment in October 2023. During 2024, he has also appeared on various radio and TV shows and in countless news articles discussing the “issues” related to the U.S Department of Education’s launch of the new FAFSA form released on December 31, 2023, and then re-released on November 21, 2024. Throughout the first quarter of 2025 he has appeared in and on various media forums discussing the impact of the Trump Administration’s plan to shut down the U.S. Department of Education. Jack is a graduate of Fordham University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science (Public Administration). He is a lifetime member of the National Eagle Scout Association.
Stacie Whisonant, Founder & CEO, Pay Your Tuition Funds (PYT Funds)
Stacie Whisonant is the Founder and CEO of a FinTech startup called Pay Your Tuition Funds in Washington, D.C. PYT Funds focuses on providing students with the opportunity to utilize crowd-giving and alternative data to reduce the burden of student loan debt. By using a financial technology platform to help families meet the growing funding gap to pay for higher education, PYT Funds is considered a disruptor to the finance industry and an innovative solution to the country’s student loan crisis. Stacie is a chosen fellow of the prestigious Halcyon Incubator program in D.C with PYT Funds as a notable winner at the Partnership Fund of New York City FinTech Innovation Lab in 2015. Stacie has not always been battling the $1.2 trillion national student debt crisis. Native to Virginia, she has more than 13 years of experience in the finance and banking industries with a background in mortgages, structured settlements and annuities where she worked for the specialty finance company Stone Street Capital, and also for HSBC, the world’s largest international banking and financial services organization. Stacie received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Management from Longwood University, and is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc, where she continues her service to mankind through community service projects. Stacie is also a military veteran, having served eight years as a United States Army Reservist. Lastly, Stacie likes to spend her free time with family, traveling, keeping up on the latest technologies and playing UNO.
CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS
Continuing Education Credits (e.g. CLE, CPE, CME, etc.) may be available for iiBIG conference attendees. Upon request conference attendees will be provided with a “Certificate of Attendance” and a copy of the conference agenda, showing topics, length of sessions, and name(s) and professional affiliation(s) of presenter(s) for each session. Attendees wishing to apply for continuing education credits for attending this conference may submit this documentation to the relevant organization in his/her state when applying for such credits.