[Oasfaa] SWASFAA Board meeting

[Schmerer, Mendy M. (HSC)]

Happy Friday, everyone!  The SWASFAA Board held its third meeting of the 2014 year, so I thought it would be appropriate to send a summary.  And you know that saying about good intentions?  I've intended to do this for our first and second meetings, but...

If you are interested in more details about any of the SWASFAA activities or reports, please contact me directly.

President's Report

o   Oklahoma's own Andrew Hammontree, SWASFAA President, certainly keeps busy with the business of SWASFAA, but also serving NASFAA as one of our region's representatives.  At the NASFAA level, in the meetings he attends and the discussions he participates in, he contributes SWASFAA's voice in charting NASFAA's policies and member benefits.

o   Joe Pettibon, of Texas, was serving as SWASFAA President Elect, but in late July had to resign his position with the Board.  After intense discussion among the Board members following his announcement, the motion was made, and approved, that Andrew would serve as SWASFAA President for a second term, and Lisa Hopper, of Arkansas, would remain as Past-President for a second term.  Personally, while I don't envy Andrew's workload, I am excited about what he can accomplish with having a second year to set-and achieve-goals for the Association and its members.  Andrew, thank you for your willingness to continuing to serve!

Past President's Report

o   Lisa Hopper serves as SWASFAA's other representative at NASFAA meetings.  She also travels to the NASFAA Board meetings and serves on committees that, like Andrew, help shape NASFAA's direction.  While the President serves NASFAA in the affectionately referred to "peanut gallery" as the observer, the Past President is the voting member on the NASFAA Board.

Treasurer's Report

o   The Treasurer reported on SWASFAA's stable financial health and a modest growth in investments.


Membership

o   SWASFAA membership has increased from this time last year, but if you still need to renew your membership status and/or pay your membership dues, please go here<http://www.swasfaa.org/docs/toc_memberservices.html>.


Nominations and Elections Committee

o   A slate of officer candidates was presented to the Board and approved.  Voting commenced and has since closed.  The votes are tallied, but the results are currently locked in the same vault as the recipe for Coca-Cola and the Colonel's 11 herbs and spices.  We will be able to announce the new Board members at the annual conference in November.

State Reports

o   Each of the 5 states' Presidents and Delegates (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas, and of course, Oklahoma) offer reports on the activities within their respective states.  Given the busy time of year in our profession, this tends to be a slow time for associations, so the reports were all brief.


Archives

o   The Archives Committee worked with SWASFAA's web hosting company over the summer and now over 700 pictures are loaded onto a new photo gallery.  Visit the SWASFAA home page<http://www.swasfaa.org/index.html> and click on "Visit the SWASFAA Photo Gallery" link to peruse them.


Awards and Recognition Committee

o   Lisa Hopper<mailto:lhopper at npcc.edu> is collecting names for years of service awards and retirees, so please contact her if you haven't submitted your name yet.


Training

o   SWASFAA presented its first webinar on May 29 as a panel discussion on PJ Best Practices.  I hope you were able to attend.  I know Andrew wants to offer several more in the future, so please let me know what topic you would be interested in hearing, and/or if you would like to suggest the name of a presenter, and I can present that to the Board.  Sadly (for us), Scott DeBoard, who has a lengthy history of working as an aid administrator in Oklahoma, and has been with OCAP the last 2 ½ years, and has served OASFAA and SWASFAA well in several capacities over the years, announced his resignation.  He has accepted a new position, and while he will still be in higher education, he will not be in financial aid any longer.  Scott, congratulations and thank you for your service over the years, and I know we all wish you well in this new venture!  You will be missed!


Electronic Initiatives Committee

o   Has worked hard to make sure the registration for all events and membership renewal goes smoothly.  Also, if you have yet to read the blog, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter, find those here<http://www.swasfaa.org/index.html>.

Conference and Events

o   Find the conference mini-site here<http://www.swasfaa.org/docs/conferences/site/index.html> for details and registration information!

o   As there are several of us who keep posting about the SWASFAA conference and related events, I think you are all aware by now that the SWASFAA conference is being held at Harrah's New Orleans November 5-7.  Audra Main, my colleague across the hall, is serving as the Conference Chair and has worked with her committee to put together a fantastic agenda for "Regs, Compliance and All That Jazz."

o   Boot Camp is being held just prior to the conference, at the same site, on November 3-5.  I'm honored to serve on the committee and I know we're looking forward to the "Parade of Knowledge."

o   I have the pleasure of chairing the Leadership Development Committee, and can't encourage you enough, if you haven't already, to think about attending.  Not only will we have a great agenda on leadership development, but this is your chance to get up close and personal with SWASFAA Board and Committee members, and NASFAA President Justin Draeger and NASFAA Chair Eileen O'Leary.  Register<http://www.swasfaa.org/docs/conferences/site/workshop.html> now, before all of our seats fill up!

o   The Corporate Relations Committee reported that they have 15 exhibitors secured for the annual conference.

o   The Local Arrangements Committee is putting together a delicious menu for the conference (we will be in NOLA, after all!), a jazz band for the opening session, and some Mardi Gras-like fun.  What would New Orleans be without delicious food, good music, and Mardi Gras??

o   Site selection for the 2015 conference is currently being discussed.  The conference rotation will take us to beautiful New Mexico, and once a contract is signed, the dates and location will be announced.

And if you got all the way to the end of this, thank you for sticking with me through this report!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Mendy Schmerer, M.Ed.
Assistant Director
Office of Student Financial Aid
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
1106 N. Stonewall, Rm 301
Oklahoma City, OK  73117
(405) 271-2118, x 48817 (p)
(405) 271-5446 (f)
Mendy-Schmerer at ouhsc.edu<mailto:Mendy-Schmerer at ouhsc.edu>
http://www.ouhsc.edu/financialservices/SFA/

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From: Schmerer, Mendy M. (HSC)
Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2014 3:08 PM
To: oasfaa at lists.onenet.net
Subject: SWASFAA Board meeting

The SWASFAA Board will meet via conference call tomorrow.  In serving as the Oklahoma Delegate to the SWASFAA Board, if you have any issues to be taken to the Board and addressed, I encourage you to bring them to my attention.  My sole responsibility in that capacity is to ensure that SWASFAA is meeting the needs of its members.

Thank you!

Mendy Schmerer, M.Ed.
Assistant Director
Office of Student Financial Aid
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
1106 N. Stonewall, Rm 301
Oklahoma City, OK  73117
(405) 271-2118, x 48817 (p)
(405) 271-5446 (f)
Mendy-Schmerer at ouhsc.edu<mailto:Mendy-Schmerer at ouhsc.edu>
http://www.ouhsc.edu/financialservices/SFA/

[FB-f-Logo__blue_29] Become our fan on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/OUHSCFinancialAid<http://www.facebook.com/OUHSCFinancialAid>

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