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. 

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. 

Kim Cook, NCAN’s leader since 2008, has worked in the higher education and college access field for her entire professional career, including experience in undergraduate admissions and financial aid, administration of a last-dollar scholarship program, and a succession of responsibilities at NCAN. As a former Pell Grant recipient herself, she personally understands the imperative to help more Americans – especially those who have been historically underserved by higher education – get a postsecondary credential. At NCAN, she sets the vision for supporting over 500 member organizations across the country, serving an estimated 2 million students annually, in their mission to close the equity gap in postsecondary attainment through member capacity building, policy and advocacy, and systemic change. She serves on the editorial board of the Journal of College Access, the National Student Clearinghouse Equity Hub Advisory Council, advisory board of the American University Center for Postsecondary Readiness and Success, and the Southern Regional Education Board Student Success Advisory Council. She is often consulted to speak on federal policy issues and building college access and success collaboratives. In 2016, she was recognized as a White House Champion of Change for College Opportunity. Prior to joining NCAN in 1999, she was a Senior Program Associate at Plan for Social Excellence, Inc., a foundation supporting innovative projects in education, and served as its Grants Manager and Scholars Program Manager. Previously, she was a college admission counselor at Pace University in New York. She holds a Master’s in Public Administration from Pace University and a bachelor’s degree in communications, law, economics, and government from American University. She has completed continuing professional development through courses in Georgetown University’s Certificate in Non-Profit Management 

Brian is a veteran of higher education finance, 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 student lending to financial institutions across the country. Brian is relentlessly client-focused, bringing together his passion for consumer finance, his comprehensive knowledge of the full program lifecycle, and his creativity to address client needs and create successful partnerships. Brian has helped expand Goal’s reach in the market and build brand presence in new consumer asset classes, serving clients who are seeking a partner that can help their organization increase revenue, reduce costs, and provide competitive differentiation. 

As Director of the Servicing and Recovery Consultants at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, Denise prides herself as a Servicing and Collections Operations Management expert, bringing over 37 years of industry experience to her clients. Her primary focus is workflow analysis and design, with a strong focus on ROI, litigation strategies and operational efficiencies.  

Her collections experience encompasses a multitude of portfolio types including: deficiency, retail, bankcard, medical, commercial collections, early stage, litigation and student loans. Denise’s career started in 1987 as a collector and moved through management, including General Manager. Her areas of expertise include collections-workflow, analytics, legal and operational efficiencies 

She holds a B.S. in Management from Indiana Wesleyan University, Cum Laude. 

Gail daMota is the President of Education Finance Council (EFC), the national trade association representing nonprofit and state-based higher education finance organizations. EFC members strive to increase postsecondary access, affordability, and success for millions of students and their families by offering the resources needed to successfully plan, save, and pay for college. In her role as President, daMota leads EFC’s advocacy efforts on legislative and regulatory issues related to higher education finance, to promote EFC’s goals and initiatives, and to identify and develop opportunities for EFC and its members. 

daMota came to EFC in 2001 with more than a decade of experience in higher education, strategic planning, and personnel management and development. daMota has been a key member of EFC’s leadership team through its development into a highly respected organization.  

Prior to joining EFC, daMota was the Director of Federal Relations for the Connecticut Student Loan Foundation (CSLF). Prior to CSLF, she was the Vice President of Operations for a financial aid third-party servicer and financial aid software firm. Ms. daMota began her career in higher education as a financial aid director. 

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. 

Scott Fleming joined SCHEV as its executive director on May 25, 2024. Prior to joining SCHEV, Fleming was the chief strategy officer for Teaching Strategies, one of the nation’s leading e-learning organizations. In addition, he was a 2023 appointee of Governor Youngkin to the SCHEV Council and resigned his appointment to serve as executive director. 

Fleming has led a substantial career in the education sector, leveraging his expertise across public, private and nonprofit organizations. As a staff member to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, he led the reauthorizations of the Higher Education Act in 2005 and the Carl D. Perkins Technical and Vocational Act in 2006. His efforts shaped policies to enrich educational opportunities and workforce development. 

After several years on Capitol Hill, Fleming transitioned into management consulting and subsequent leadership roles at renowned education companies, including Scantron, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Teaching Strategies. His influence extended into the nonprofit sphere as a C-level executive at the Strada Education Foundation, where he applied his strategic approach to advocate for and improve the outcomes of higher education. 

He holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Brigham Young University. 

Mr. Forgione is a Managing Director at Cantor Fitzgerald with over 20 years of investment banking experience advising clients across the structured products and capital markets landscape. In his current role, he is responsible for originating, structuring, and executing securitization and financing solutions across consumer and esoteric asset classes, serving both first-time and repeat issuers.

Mr. Forgione has extensive experience of monetizing student loan receivables through capital markets executions. He advises student loan lending platforms on portfolio financing solutions, including rated ABS, warehouse facilities, forward flow programs, and portfolio sales. He has led discussions with the rating agencies on developing rating frameworks for student loan assets and regularly works with issuers to optimize advance rates, duration, and cost of capital through securitization.

Prior to joining Cantor Fitzgerald, Mr. Forgione held investment banking positions at RBC Capital Markets and Morgan Stanley, where he advised clients on a wide range of structured finance and capital markets transactions. He also served as a Chief Executive under Secretary DeVos, where he was the first portfolio manager for the U.S. Department of Education’s $1.6 trillion federal student loan portfolio.

Mr. Forgione earned a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Villanova University. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Ronald McDonald House New York.

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 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. 

Jae Heinberg is a serial entrepreneur with a proven track record of building niche market companies and identifying emerging industry trends. He began his career as a mortgage banker, representing major life insurance companies such as MetLife and State Farm, where he structured debt and equity investments for commercial real estate projects.

He later transitioned into real estate development as the founder and sole owner of BVG, specializing in the development of luxury waterfront communities. During his tenure, Jae was involved in 11 real estate development projects, generating total sales in excess of $500 million.

Driven by a passion for identifying opportunities and acting as an early adopter of industry trends, Jae founded Axiom Resources in 2011. The company was established as a low-cost debt recovery platform designed to restore fiscal stability to the Community Association Industry.

Through his hands-on leadership at Axiom Resources, Jae identified a growing need within the Receivables Management Industry. In response, he co-founded Axiom Acquisition Ventures, LLC in 2017 alongside partner Roger Knauf. Leveraging his extensive experience and strategic vision, Jae played a pivotal role in shaping Axiom Acquisition Ventures into an industry leader.

Henry Howard has over 41 years of experience in education finance, having originated, financed, and securitized more than $7 billion in education loans, totaling $28 billion in transactions. He began his banking career in 1978 and has held increasingly senior roles at Maryland National Bank, Sallie Mae, Marine Midland Bank, and BAC International Credit Corporation, where he helped grow the company into a leading student and parent loan lender in the United States. 

Founder and principal of U.S. Education Finance Group and U.S. Mortgage Finance Group, he has led billions in education loan and residential mortgage transactions. He is also President and CEO of U.S. Renewable Energy, which owns and operates solar energy plants in New York and the Philippines. 

Howard has held increasingly senior roles and is a recognized philanthropist and global advisor supporting education initiatives in the Philippines and Latin America. He served as Special Envoy to Nicaragua under President William J. Clinton in 1997 and was appointed by President Donald J. Trump to the U.S. Department of Defense’s National Security Education Board in 2020. 

An Eagle Scout and lifelong advocate for international education and development, Howard has extensive global experience across Asia, Europe, Africa, and Latin America. 

Education: B.A., Economics and Political Science (cum laude), University of Maryland Baltimore County; Doctor of Humane Letters, University of Mobile. 

Robert Humann is the Chief Executive Officer of Credible, bringing over a decade of experience as an operator, investor, and advisor to technology companies across North America and Australia. Since joining Credible in 2016, he has helped grow the company from a Series A startup into a diversified U.S. fintech leader. Previously serving as Chief Revenue Officer, Robert led the company’s go-to-market strategy, forging partnerships with leading financial institutions and media organizations. Under his leadership, the company has achieved sustained growth and profitability while establishing Credible as a trusted consumer brand. 

Before joining Credible, Robert was a founding team member at venture capital firm RCF Jolimont and held leadership roles in medtech, corporate advisory, and business development. Robert holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Melbourne and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance. 

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. 

More Information Coming Soon. 

Ray Jones serves as Chief Product Officer at the South Carolina Student Loan Corporation, where he oversees loan originations, repayment services, marketing, and default prevention. With 28 years of service at the Corporation, Ray brings institutional knowledge shaped by roles across repayment services, loan origination, and executive leadership, including Vice President of Loan Programs. 

Ray attended Spartanburg Methodist College and the University of South Carolina’s Lancaster and Columbia campuses. He is actively involved in advancing financial aid policy and practice statewide and nationally, serving on the Executive Board of the South Carolina Association of Financial Aid Administrators (SCASFAA), the Board of Directors for the National Council of Higher Education Resources (NCHER), and the South Carolina Teacher Loan Advisory Board. 

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. 

Mr. McTighe leads the Clearinghouse’s enterprise efforts at the intersection of data operations and regulatory compliance. As Vice President of Compliance, Data Reporting and Strategy, he is responsible for the strategy, execution, and continuous improvement of mission critical data intake and Title IV compliance reporting services that support thousands of institutions and education finance stakeholders nationwide. 

Mr. McTighe collaborates closely with Federal Student Aid (FSA) and the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) and serves as a bridge between the Clearinghouse’s external advisory committees and its technology teams. He plays a critical role in navigating evolving federal requirements — most recently Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment (FVT/GE) — by spearheading solutions and applications to help schools maintain compliance. 

Additionally, Mr. McTighe has led strategic risk mitigation and quality initiatives, including driving the Clearinghouse’s broader data intake, compliance, and reporting strategy. Partnering with Clearinghouse executives, enterprise architecture, product, and program leaders, he helped lay the groundwork for scaling up the essential role the organization plays in the education-workforce ecosystem, while maintaining compliance rigor and service reliability. 

He also regularly engages with industry associations and partner communities to advance best practices, strengthen the learner data ecosystem, and align policy and operational readiness with institutional leaders. 

Prior to his current role, Mr. McTighe oversaw the operations department that supported the StudentTracker suite of services and held leadership positions spanning both higher education and finance. Mr. McTighe has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. 

Gregory (Greg) O’Coyne serves as Vice President, Enrollment and Financial Strategy at Midwestern University, where he provides strategic leadership across student enrollment, financial operations, and the University’s private and institutional loan programs. In this role, he oversees the recruitment and enrollment lifecycle, including admissions, student financial services, registrars, and institutional research and assessment. He is also responsible for ensuring institutional compliance with the Higher Education Act (HEA). Mr. O’Coyne leads the University’s financial planning and budgeting activities and advises on the management of the University’s long-term investment portfolios. 

With more than thirteen years of service at Midwestern University, Mr. O’Coyne has played an important role in advancing the institution’s mission of excellence in healthcare education. He has managed financing and refinancing transactions totaling more than $240 million and brings extensive experience aligning fiscal strategy with enrollment objectives to support institutional growth and long-term sustainability. 

Prior to joining Midwestern University, Mr. O’Coyne held leadership roles in student financial aid, corporate finance, and regulatory compliance at a private postsecondary institution specializing in nursing and allied health education. 

Mr. O’Coyne began his professional career in 1999 with Ernst & Young’s Phoenix audit practice, where he specialized in financial statement audits of banks and financial institutions. He currently represents Midwestern University as a member of several professional organizations, including Education Finance Council, the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and the Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine’s Fiscal Officers Council. 

He holds a Master of Science in Data Analytics from Western Governors University and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Information Systems from Arizona State University. Mr. O’Coyne is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the State of Arizona. 

Sara Parrish is Chief Executive Officer at CampusDoor, where she helps financial institutions of every kind modernize how education and education-adjacent lending works at scale. With a career spanning fintech, higher education, and regulated financial services, Sara specializes in turning complex data, compliance, and operational challenges into streamlined, revenue-supporting solutions. 

At CampusDoor, Sara and her team drive product strategy, operational excellence, and trusted data integrations that reduce friction, mitigate risk, and improve borrower and institutional outcomes. Sara is known for bridging the gap between technical execution and business impact—bringing clarity, momentum, and credibility to high-stakes initiatives. A frequent collaborator with boards, regulators, and industry partners, Sara brings a practical, forward-looking perspective on the future of education finance. 

More Information Coming Soon.

More Information Coming Soon. 

Julie has been with MEFA since 2007 and is a nationally recognized subject matter expert on planning, saving, and paying for college. She leads the College Planning Team, providing assistance to families, colleges, K-12 schools, and community-based organizations. Prior to joining MEFA, Julie worked for the College Board, Nellie Mae, and American Express, and was the Director of Financial Aid at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She holds degrees from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Cambridge. 

Accountable to the Board of Directors for leading the development of culture, strategy, organization, plans, and strategic partnerships to achieve the Student Freedom Initiative 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 Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) by increasing their social and economic mobility. Leverages public-private partnerships and ideates with MSIs, corporations, philanthropy, and others to develop innovative solutions and sustained transformational change. 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 MSIs, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and other MSIs across more than twenty-two (22) states.  

Prior to serving as SFI’s President and Chief Executive Officer, served as Chief Operating Officer and interim Executive Director responsible for launching the program at the initial nine (9) MSIs 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. 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. 

Integrated strategic planning, operations, corporate communications, and corporate initiatives in support of the Chairperson and CEO of Vista Equity Partners. Project manager for Robert F. Smith’s transformational gift to the 400 member Morehouse Class of 2019, responsible for coordinating with 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.   

Retired Colonel (USAF), with 30+ years’ 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. Led a team of subject matter experts in the provision of a secure, common virtual desktop for 60,000+ world-wide users across multiple federal agencies. As project manager, 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.  

More Information Coming Soon. 

More Information Coming Soon. 

Rob Tetreault is the Director of Compliance at the Rhode Island Student Loan Authority (RISLA). As Director, he oversees RISLA’s compliance management system to ensure compliance with all applicable federal and State laws related to originating and servicing student loans in addition to RISLA’s heightened standards.  

As part of RISLA’s senior management team, Rob collaborates with other members to provide compliant, tactical solutions to regulatory and industry changes. Adept at using data analytics to measure risk, Rob has developed effective risk management tools to identify and mitigate compliance concerns. Rob also provides annual compliance training to all staff members. 

Rob’s extensive financial compliance background was attained through working for over 30 years in the compliance industry. Professional experiences include working in and/or leading compliance departments at large and small banks, a compliance software firm, a compliance consulting firm, and as a compliance examiner at the FDIC. 

In his spare time, Rob enjoys spending time with his family and friends, supporting local sports teams, brewing beer, and traveling. 

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. 

Jordan Wicker is CECU’s Senior Vice President of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs. In this role, Jordan leads the association’s strategic efforts in building relationships with Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill, as well as assisting with various regulatory matters impacting CECU-member schools. 

Most recently, Jordan founded and led an outcome-based education finance trade group focused on proactively engaging with policymakers to shape regulations, policy priorities, and public understanding to improve access and affordability to high-quality education and training. 

Previously as a government relations consultant, Jordan advised and advocated on numerous Higher Education Act policies, Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund compliance and allocation, and education finance issues. He has worked closely with many postsecondary education providers and has led diverse groups of higher education stakeholders in the development of advocacy strategy, congressional engagements, legislative negotiation, and strategic communication with the US Department of Education and state regulatory agencies. 

As a federal relations professional, Jordan conducted extensive tracking of legislative initiatives and regulatory developments and utilized a thorough understanding of the rulemaking and legislative process to provide strategic advice and policy counsel. Advocating policy initiatives, influencing legislative agendas, and building coalitions were key components of his job. He has developed strong relationships with U.S. Senate and House members and staff, and federal agency contacts through his diverse policy portfolio. 

Jordan is a licensed Indiana attorney with a JD from the DePaul University College of Law, and a BS in Public Affairs from Indiana University. 

Dr. Mike Wooten serves as Chairman of the State Board for the Virginia Community College System, providing strategic oversight for 23 colleges serving more than 235,000 students. In that role, he helps advance affordable education while strengthening connections between learning and opportunity across Virginia. He also serves as a board director for organizations in higher education and in the construction and engineering sector. 

A Senate-confirmed former Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy in the Executive Office of the President, Dr. Wooten has led at the highest levels of government, including as Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education and as Deputy Chief Procurement Officer for the District of Columbia. He specializes in improving large-scale public systems, delivering results at the intersection of policy, operations, and performance. 

Dr. Wooten earned a doctorate in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania and holds master’s degrees from The George Washington University, the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, and Norwich University. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Chapman University. A veteran of Afghanistan, he retired from the U.S. Marine Corps as a Major. 

Melvin Zhou is a Managing Director on the Consumer ABS team at KBRA.  

Prior to joining KBRA in 2018, Melvin was a director at Fitch Ratings, focusing on student loan and other consumer ABS new rating and surveillance. His career experience also includes working at Citibank on student loan asset securitization and financial analysis.  

Melvin earned a B.S. in mathematics from Peking University and an MBA from Baruch College, City University of New York.