AASFAA President: Conference Welcome

Josh Edwards serves the University of Arizona Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) counseling unit in a project manager capacity. He is responsible for training the processing team and assists with training the counseling unit and financial aid partners around campus. He develops and maintains business procedure guides for the processing team.  

He’s been with the U of A for over 6 years and has been a member of AASFAA for the same amount of time. Prior to 2018, he worked in financial aid positions in Colorado and has been working in financial aid for over a decade. 

He serves as AASFAA's president-elect and WASFAA's training co-chair for 2024-2025. "I’m fortunate for the professional opportunities AASFAA provides. I’ve found that Involvement in our wonderful state organization is a great way to connect with others and grow professionally.  I see great value in our state association and whether by attending AASFAA’s conference, volunteering, networking, or leading or attending a training, you will get to know your colleagues across the state and benefit personally and professionally from these connections."

Keynote Speaker

"Dr. Kris Wong Davis serves at the University of Arizona as the vice president for enrollment management and dean of admission. In this position, Wong Davis plays a critical role in the university’s strategic approach to enrollment planning, demographic shifts, access and affordability and the broader higher education market. By providing thought leadership and data-informed best practices, she collaborates across all aspects of the field, including marketing, enrollment, student success and outcomes.

Over the course of her career, Wong Davis has held several leadership positions at higher education institutions and boards across the country. She served as the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and Dean of Admission at Carnegie Mellon University and Purdue University.

Wong Davis also serves as the chair-elect of the Board of Trustees for the College Board. She is a native of Tucson and received her bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from th University of Arizona and her master's in elementary education and her doctorate in educational leadership from Northern Arizona University."

Presenting: Launching Success: A Project Management  Approach to  Financial Aid

"Matthew Rash is a Senior Coordinator, Financial Aid at the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine. Matthew obtained his bachelor's degree and first masters degree (Public Administration) from the University of Arizona and obtained his Master of Business Administration (project management emphasis) from Grand Canyon University.

Matthew has been in Financial Aid for 4 years now and is believes in making financial aid fun for everyone involved. Utilizing a combination of project management skills and a very active imagination, he is able to take financial aid from something most people would not want to even talk about to an unforgettable experience. "

Presenting: Scholarships 2.0: Compliance, Compassion, and AI

Presenting: Building Credit and Borrowing Wisely: A Practical Guide to Private Student Loans

"Dianne Fulmer is the Director, Relationship Management for Sallie Mae managing college and university accounts in Arizona and Colorado. Dianne has been working within the higher education community for over 25 years in a variety of roles, including, FATV/Ocelot, Edfund and USA Funds. Dianne is active in the Arizona Financial Aid Association where she has been the corporate business partner representative for the past 6 years. She is a native to Arizona."

Virtual | NASFAA : Inside the Beltway

"Nalia Medina is the Assistant Director of Government Relations on NASFAA’s policy team. She assists with analysis of timely higher education legislation, contributes to NASFAA's government relations and advocacy efforts at both the federal and state levels, and helps enhance the advocacy capacity of NASFAA members. She brings experience in policy and advocacy through her previous role as an intern on Capitol Hill. She is a first-generation graduate from The George Washington University with a bachelor's degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration."

Presenting: Conquering the Cosmic Voids of a Prison Education Program

"Juanita has worked in higher education for 15+ years in a variety of roles. She currently holds the position of Manager of Scholarships, Outreach and Prison Education in the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. Juanita earned her Associate of General Studies degree from Pima Community College and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Communications at Southern New Hampshire University.

She has played a vital role in establishing the Prison Education Program to incarcerated students at Pima Community College. 

Juanita is excited to share her knowledge of and the experience of working with a PEP with conference attendees."

Presenting: Conquering the Cosmic Voids of a Prison Education Program

"Alex has worked at Pima Community College for three years. Her current position is Prison Program Coordinator with Pima Community College’s Prison Program, serving incarcerated students at both the state and federal complexes in Tucson. Alex earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Lake Forest College and is currently working on her Masters of Social Work from Arizona State University - Tucson. 

As part of PCC’s prison programming, Alex has helped to implement the Experimental Second Chance Pell Grant program and is assisting with its transition to the offic"Alex has worked with the Pima Community College Prison Program for over four years. Her current position is Assistant Program Manager, serving incarcerated learners as part of the Prison Education Program. Alex earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Lake Forest College and is on track to graduate with her Masters of Social Work from Arizona State University - Tucson in May, 2026. 

As part of PCC’s prison programming, Alex helped to implement the Experimental Second Chance Pell Grant program and transition to the official Prison Education Program. Alex looks forward to sharing her experience in working with incarcerated learners."ial Prison Education Program. Alex looks forward to sharing her experience in working with incarcerated learners."

Presenting: Supporting Mixed-Status Students Through FAFSA: Practical Guidance for Financial Aid Offices

Presenting: Supporting Mixed-Status Students Through FAFSA: Practical Guidance for Financial Aid Offices

Presenting: Dungeons, Dragons, and Disbursements

"With a background spanning education, tech, and finance, Chantelle's fresh take on team building was inspired while helping career transitioners join new teams. Her love of D&D and storytelling blended with her passion for career development, and Skill Check Coaching was born. Chantelle is excited to help you bring out the unique and varied experiences of your team and discover how you can use games to level up your organization."

Presenting: Statewide FAFSA Updates: Driving FAFSA Completion in Arizona

"Julie Sainz serves as the Director of FAFSA and College Access Initiatives at the Arizona Board of Regents, where she spearheads statewide efforts and partnerships to increase FAFSA completion and expand college access initiatives within Arizona. With over 15 years of experience in higher education, she has held leadership roles in financial aid administration and student affairs across Arizona’s two- and four-year postsecondary institutions. Julie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Communications and a Master’s degree in Postsecondary and Higher Education from Arizona State University."

Presenting: Confessions of an Unreasonable Financial Aid Office

"Meghan McKenney has worked in higher education for 19 years with 17 years at the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) at the University of Arizona.  A Tucson native and first generation college graduate, she holds a Master of Education in Human Relations from Northern Arizona University and is deeply committed to supporting Arizona resident and first generation students.

Meghan currently serves as Senior Director for OSFA, overseeing all Counseling area operations including client services, title IV aid processing, and communications/literacy initiatives for Arizona students. Known as a collaborative student advocate, she works across campus to ensure exceptional student centered service.

Meghan lives in Tucson with her two very active children and firefighter husband and her family is dedicated to their faith, and anything Disney!"

Presenting: Confessions of an Unreasonable Financial Aid Office

"Heather Rosinbum has worked in higher education for over a decade, with seven years of experience in financial aid and a background in admissions recruitment at the University of Arizona. She currently serves on the Counseling team within the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) and is also a supervisor within the Processing Team unit. With 12 years of professional supervisory experience, Heather is passionate about student support, operational efficiency, and team development. She lives in Tucson, Arizona with her husband and two sons and is a dedicated New York Mets fan."

Presenting: Navajo Nation Scholarship & Financial Assistance Online Services

"Dommenque Yazzie is the Sr. Financial Aid Counselor at the Shiprock, New Mexico office for the Office of Navajo Nation Scholarship and Financial Assistance (ONNSFA), where she has served in this leadership role for the past three years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science from Utah Valley University.

She is a proud member of the Diné (Navajo) Nation, with ancestral roots in Northern Arizona. Her professional work with ONNSFA ignited her passion for student success and inspired her to continue her own higher education journey. She is currently a graduate student at Arizona State University, pursuing a Master of Education in Higher and Postsecondary Education.

Dommenque describes the ONNSFA program as an ally in higher education, reflecting her passion for supporting student success. The program provides financial aid to many Navajo students, encourages postsecondary enrollment and degree attainment, and helps reduce barriers to higher education."

Presenting: Navajo Nation Scholarship & Financial Assistance Online Services 

"Eltavisa Begay is a Senior Financial Aid Counselor with the Office of Navajo Nation Scholarship & Financial Assistance program (ONNSFA).  Eltavisa has been with ONNSFA going on 20 years.  Her first work experience was being a Federal Work Study student in the Financial Aid Office and continues working with financial aid today.  "

Presenting: The State of Repayment: What's New and Where We Go From Here

Presenting: Not Magic—Intentional: Designing Exceptional Financial Aid Service

Presenting: Processing to Strategy: Using AI and Automation to Transform Financial Aid into a Strategic Advantage

"Daniel Gonzales is an AI SaaS Applications Manager at Oracle, helping colleges and universities see data in new ways, discover insights, and unlock new possibilities for students and staff. He brings more than 20 years of experience in financial aid and student services, including campus leadership roles as a Director of Financial Aid and, later, Vice President of Student Services. Daniel has also held roles at CampusLogic and Ellucian, and he currently serves as an advisory board member at the University of Colorado Boulder."