Committees

VASFAA Executive Committee 2026-2027

Renee Howard, UVM (President): president@vasfaavt.org
Vacant (President-Elect)
Matt DeSorgher, UVM (Past-President)
Nikki Fraser, CCV  (Treasurer): treasurer@vasfaavt.org
Vacant (Treasurer-Elect)
Janet Hinnes, UVM (Secretary): secretary@vasfaavt.org
Vacant (Associate Member Representative)

President: Presides over all meetings of the Association and the Executive Committee and performs other duties that pertain to leading VASFAA as President. They are also a member of all committees and is the official voting representative of VASFAA to any regional or national association.
President-Elect: In the temporary absence or disability of the President, this person shall have the powers and perform all duties and responsibilities of the President. If there is not a President-Elect in office, these functions are performed by the Past-President until election of a President-Elect.
Treasurer: Responsible for disbursement and receivables for VASFAA under policies approved by the Executive Committee and is responsible for keeping record of receipts and disbursements. The Treasurer should also be prepared to submit a financial report at each regular Association meeting. The Treasurer may be bonded at the expense of VASFAA, the amount to be designated by the Executive Committee.
Treasurer-Elect: Shall perform duties of the Treasurer in the event the Treasurer is unable to serve and performs duties as assigned by the President.
Secretary: Responsible for developing, distributing, and maintaining the non-financial records of the Association. This person also assumes responsibility for maintaining VASFAA's P&P Manual, administering the election of officers and any other voting requirements, and works closely with the President in planning VASFAA Business & Executive Meetings.
Associate Member Representative: Serves as the official representative and spokesperson of the associate members. This person serves as the voting member for all associate members and performs duties as assigned by the President. This individual serves and/or works closely with various committees to ensure associate members are incorporated and when possible, expand the membership. 

VASFAA Committees for 2026-2027

Website Committee

(Send web updates to web@vasfaavt.org)
Lynda Ossola, UVM (Committee Chair)

Website Committee: Responsible for the upkeep of the VASFAA website and monitoring the web email inbox for requests. Common updates include: yearly committee updates, meeting minutes, conference and event updates, and job board updates. This committee also works with the VASFAA website provider for updates to forms.

Membership Engagement Committee

Lisa Talbot, Sallie Mae (Chair)
Michael Griffith, CCV
LaNae Herrera, Saint Michael's College
Lynda Ossola, UVM
Kirstin Richardson, CCV
Jeani Stella-Devani, Vermont Law & Graduate School
Marianne Werner, Champlain College 

Membership Engagement Committee: Plans and executes membership engagement activities, including such things as training events, professional development activities, and other activities to keep VASFAA membership engaged, informed, and connected.

Government Relations Committee

Ryan Dulude, CCV (Committee Chair)

Government Relations Committee: Monitors and influences government financial aid activities; informs and educates our membership; and keeps the Vermont delegation aware of issues affecting our students and campuses.

Conference Committee

(contact at conference@vasfaavt.org)
Liz Studley, VSAC (co-chair)
Renee Howard, UVM (co-chair)
Chris Barry, VSAC
Alissa Carberry, UVM
Matt Couture, VSU
Carrie Harlow, VSAC
Michele Hastings, CCV
Jennifer Sommerman, CollegeAve
Ray Sykes, Citizens Bank
Jennifer Tosi, Norwich

Conference Committee: Plans the annual summer conference, which includes financial aid updates, trainings, and professional development opportunities. Monitors the conference email inbox and works closely with the Website Committee for conference page updates.

Constitution and Bylaws

Tanner Matchus, CCV (Committee Chair)

Matthew Desorgher, UVM
Ryan Dulude, CCV
Sarah Harris, Norwich
Jodi Sibley, Norwich

Bylaws Committee: Reviews both the bylaws and Association activities annually to confirm that the Association is acting with the bylaws. The committee also recommends changes to bylaws, as needed.

Strategic Planning Committee

Executive Committee members

Thank you to every individual member for your time and dedication to this organization, your own individual institutions, and every student you help each and every day.  Please email Tanner Matchus if you would like to become more involved with VASFAA.