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Jay Goff

Vice Provost of Enrollment and Student Success at George Washington University

Jay Goff currently serves as the chief enrollment management officer and vice provost for enrollment and student success at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C.  He has more than 25 years of experience as a university administrator, enrollment management leader, and higher education researcher. As an active member of the global enrollment management community, Jay has also functioned as a consultant with over 30 institutions in ten countries and a coordinator for AACRAO's Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) conference.

An Interview with Jay Goff

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Paige Steffy

Customer Success Manager at Unibuddy

Paige currently works as a Customer Success Manager at Unibuddy, but before this job she held various roles within the Higher Education space. She worked at a large, public institution, where she managed a 120 person ambassador program, as well as overseeing recruitment events on campus. Additionally, she recruited for a small, liberal arts institution, while also managing the ambassador program on campus. She has a deep passion for access to education and, through her work at Unibuddy, hopes to continue to help students find their right fit when it comes to higher education.

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Mark N. Cohen

Product Manager at the California Community Colleges Technology Center (CCCTC)

Mark N. Cohen is a Product Manager at the California Community Colleges Technology Center (CCCTC) with a portfolio that includes eTranscript California, CCC Data (systemwide Data Warehouse), SuperGlue, and the Multiple Measures Placement Service. Mark is involved in the standards setting community, representing the CCC Tech Center at PESC (the PK20 Electronic Standards Council) where he serves as Co-Chair of the EdExchange Steering Committee and JSON Transcript Workgroup. Previously, Mark Co-Founded Parchment where he led product development for the company's first 10 years before serving as SVP Market Strategy with a focus on new initiatives. 

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Louis Soares

Chief Learning & Innovation Officer at ACE

Louis Soares serves as the Chief Learning & Innovation Officer at ACE. Soares incubates and scales ACE’s executive leadership networks, as well as catalyzes compelling research and innovation initiatives across the Council. Working with colleagues, Soares integrates the work of ACE’s leadership, research and innovation teams to optimize membership value for colleges and universities by developing programs and services to advance the success of senior leaders, diversify the executive talent pipeline, and facilitate partnerships to enhance institutional performance. While at ACE, he published landmark papers, including The Post-traditional Learners Manifesto Revisited: Aligning Postsecondary Education with Real Life for Adult Student Success and Evolving Higher Education Business Models: Leading with Data to Deliver Results.   

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John Panzica

Product Solutions Specialist at CollegeSource

John Panzica is a Product Solutions Specialist at CollegeSource who has served in higher education for more than 25 years. Starting out in Financial Aid, John progressively took on additional duties within Enrollment Management, making his way into Admissions and Records, College Registrar, and then on to University Registrar. John’s extensive experience on a variety of campuses gives him a unique perspective on transfer-related issues. Having worked at both 2-year and 4-year institutions, the issue of student transfer is central to John’s experience.

James (Jim) D'Arcy, MBA

Registrar, University of Regina

Jim has over 35 years of administrative, student service, and registrarial experience in various roles at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Athabasca University, and the University of Regina. He is currently the Registrar at the University of Regina, on the board of the Pan Canadian Consortium of Admission and Transfer, and a current member of the Saskatchewan Transfer Credit and Learner Pathway Council. Jim also sits on a large number of committees, councils, and task teams at the University of Regina. Jim is currently overseeing the centralization of transfer credit at the University of Regina and his background includes systems implementation and upgrade, project management, process review and improvement, as well as strategic and operational planning.

Andrew Wilson

Transfer & Technology Director, Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT)

Andrew is responsible for providing senior leadership in support of leading system coordination for ONCAT’s mandate and strategic priorities. These include providing leadership for redevelopment and continuous improvement of ONCAT’s student-facing website (ONTransfer.ca), support for enhancing capacity and process efficiencies across Ontario’s postsecondary education institutions, and collaboratively supporting employees across the organization with improved technology/IT functions, research/knowledge mobilization, strategic communications, and sector engagement/collaboration. Prior to joining ONCAT, Andrew worked for over sixteen years at York University in various roles with the last seven years being focused on managing the transfer credit operations in the Office of the University Registrar.

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Daniel Hibbert

Commercial Director, Digitary

Commercial Director, Digitary

Daniel Hibbert is a motivational, proactive and strategic thinking senior leader within Digitary, who provide technology solutions for the digitisation of academic credentials across the world.

Daniel has worked collaboratively with education institutions across K-12, vocational education and higher education to develop and deliver digital solutions that assist institutions administratively and empower learners throughout their lifelong learning journey.

Daniel has a strong background in accounting and finance; operations; customer management; commercial and sales; and senior management that has been focused over the last 10 years with strong technology solution providers to learners, job seekers, employers and education institutions.

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Richard Skeel

Director, Product Management

Director, Product Management at Ellucian

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April Cozine

Associate Director of Admissions, Wichita State University

I’ve worked in higher education for the past 16 years, and I’m passionate about access to education, working towards streamlining processing procedures, implementing new technologies, striving to improve student services, and strengthening our profession for the future.  During my tenure, I’ve served as a financial aid coordinator at Missouri Western State University, and as Assistant Director of Financial Aid, and currently as Director of Admission Operations at Wichita State University, a mid-sized public university in Kansas.

I’ve served in various roles within KACRAO, including conference chair, Apply Kansas founder and coordinator, and most currently as President.  I have a heart to serve, and a desire to extend my service beyond my state, and look forward to the opportunity of engaging further with our AACRAO membership to help ensure that we continue to look ahead at a wide array of diverse leaders, interests, and association activities that serves all of our community well. 

This community has given so much to me, and I want to give back to our profession and encourage others to be involved!  I would like to continue work to build out technology needs within the industry, professional credentialing for CRM management, networking, and engaging and encouraging our young professionals within our profession to be involved.  I’ve personally grown the most when I’ve taken on more and stretched beyond my comfort zone and want to help others do the same.


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Edward Trombley

Registrar, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

I have worked as a manager in multiple university settings, selecting and training candidates for a wide variety of roles, and I would like to share that experience with colleagues to benefit my professional organization, AACRAO.   

I am in my twelfth year as Registrar at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Worldwide, in Daytona Beach, Florida, and have previously served as Senior Operations Manager, Registrar’s Office, at Walden University; Registrar at DeVry University in the Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. metro regions; and Dean of Administration at Bryant & Stratton College in central New York.  I also currently serve as President for the Florida Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (FACRAO), and the Vice President for Topics in Higher Education, with the Southern Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (SACRAO). 

I have presented sessions with expert colleagues at numerous state, regional and national conferences on topics including support of military and veteran students, working with non-traditional students, and collaboration between admissions officers and registrars.  I have served as a contributing author to AACRAO publications including The Transfer Handbook: Promoting Student Success (2015), AACRAO Guide to Graduation Ceremonies (2017), AACRAO’s Professional Development Guidelines for Registrars: A Self-Assessment (2018), AACRAO’s Student Records Management: Retention, Disposal, and Archive of Student Records (2019), and The Academic Record and Transcript Guide (2020).  In addition, I have also contributed to publications including The Chronicle of Higher Education Headcount Blog, AACRAO’s College and University journal, AACRAO Connect “Field Notes,” and The SACRAO Journal.  I hold both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the State University of New York at Oswego. 

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Erin Michelle Collins

Registrar, Pomona college

I have worked in Higher Education for sixteen years.  I began my career working on the front-line, processing applications for admission, and maintaining student records. I am now the Registrar at CalArts, where I focus on student degree progress and completion, and the interpretation and application of institutional policies and procedures. I have gained the ability to think strategically when faced with any given scenario, have a desire to learn and continuously improve, the capacity to stimulate personal and group excellence, and the capability to work with and lead a team. My commitment to the advancement of my profession is proven by my participation in AACRAO's Black Caucus and Women's Caucus, and PACRAO's Leadership Development Institute.  I offer my unique skill set, knowledge, passion, and drive to further the mission of AACRAO by serving on the Nominations and Elections Committee.

I am proud to be a Registrar, and I am happy to be at an institution that (for the most part) understands my roll and the impact I can have at an institution. My path was not linear. I had my oldest child two months before my 19th birthday. I knew what the odds would be, and I worked extremely hard to earn my degrees while working full-time and had three more children along the way. I started my career as an Admissions and Records Technician for Barstow Community College at the Ft. Irwin Campus. It was my first boss, Heather Williams, that told me I would make a good Registrar one day. I held onto that, moved up and on to other colleges and universities. But it wasn’t until I went to my first AACRAO annual meeting and attended the Black Caucus session that I realized that it really could be true. I had never seen other people that looked like me that were Registrars, Directors or Admissions and Records, and AVPs of Admissions.  I have had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people through AACRAO and PACRAO. I have had official mentors through PACRAO’s Leadership Development Institute, Julia Pomerenk, Marc Booker, and Soraira Urquiza, and unofficial mentors through AACRAO like Jackie Carter. I see what they are doing and how much they care about our community of registrar and admission folk. My mission is to help people reach their purpose and to leave things more beautiful than they were before. I would like to continue to do this as I grow in my career and become more involved in the association.  

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Johnika Nixon

Doctoral Student, Morgan State University

Higher education and, more specifically, enrollment management are beyond moving the needle. Higher education is at a crux where it must redefine business practices that identify a clearly understood value proposition, diversified SEM methodology, personalized marketing, response to high levels of accountability, and evolutionary agility to change. After two decades in higher education, I recognize that I excel when designing and executing initiatives that cultivate collaborative people, culture, and user engagement. Participating in the AACRAO ASCEND Program introduced a framework for me to bridge my intersectional experiences across Academic and Student Affairs to contribute to the transformation of higher education. I define myself as a strategic organizational development practitioner who lives a minimalistic lifestyle and thrives when achieving well-being for others and myself. Johnika currently serves as the Vice Chair of AACRAO State & Regional Relations Committee.

 

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Megan Mitchell

Director of Graduate Admissions, Austin Peay State University

Over my professional career, I have always been very active in professional development and an advocate for what it can do for people personally and professionally.  I have no doubt that it is the connections to colleagues and experiences I have had from professional development opportunities that have made me the person I am today.  I started, even back as an admissions counselor, serving on the state (TnACRAO) calendar committee and have continued to pour my time into the state and regional (SACRAO) level organizations in various roles.  I recently joined the Public Policy Advisory Group for AACRAO as a way to begin to serve the national organization.


 

Molly McDermott Fallon

Assistant Vice Provost & University Registrar, University of Cincinnati

I began my career as a student worker and never left. I have been in the Registrar’s Office since 2012 have been active with Ohio  ACRAO ever since. I am currently President of OhioACRAO holding multiples positions in the organization. 


 

Sam Fugazzotto Ed.D.

University Registrar, University of Nevada - Las Vegas

Sam Fugazzotto currently serves as the University Registrar of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. An active AACRAO member for many years, he also serves as the Program Committee Chair for the 2024 Annual Meeting in Columbus, OH.


 

Dr. Wendolyn Davis

Executive Director for Pathway Alignment, Chattanooga State Community College

Dr. Wendolyn Davis is Executive Director of Pathway Alignment at Chattanooga State Community College. Prior to joining Chatt State in June 2023, she held the position of Director of Undergraduate Admissions Transfer Center at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville for four (4) years, Assistant Director of Transfer Student Services at Central Michigan University for nearly seven (7) years and Education & Training Specialist at Grand Rapids Community College for two (2) years.

Dr. Davis taught TRNS 201 – Transitioning to Rocky Top, a UT transfer transition course led by the Office of Academic Success First Year Programs and served as an Intercultural Diversity Inventory (IDI) Advisory Board Member and Qualified Administrator (QA).

Dr. Davis is active in the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) as chair of the Black Caucus and chair of the Nominations & Elections committee, in addition to co-directing the Technology and Transfer Virtual Summit. She is a member of the Transfer and Articulation Committee, Public Policy Advisory Group, a past contributor to AACRAO Connect, and has presented at Annual Meetings. Additionally, she is a past-president and former board of director’s chair of the Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (MACRAO).

Dr. Davis holds a PhD in Organization and Management, an MBA in Human Resource Management, a BS in Psychology, and an associate degree in general studies. Previous experience includes TRiO Programs, Child Welfare (International and Domestic), and Workforce Development.

Connie Shipman Newsome

Connie Shipman Newsome, Ed.D.

Director of Registrar Services, Campbell University School of Law

LinkedIn

Dr. Connie enjoys the study of leadership and the privilege to impact others through encouragement and exhortation to be the best version of one’s authentic self.  During her career, with over 20 years in higher education administration and preceding years in non-profit management, her main focus has been on process improvement, managing teams, and creating professional development opportunities that lead to proper team and organizational fit.  Her recent professional passions include the study of behavioral and communication drivers, leading to a certification in the John Maxwell D.I.S.C. Method of Behavioral Analysis. 

 In her current position of Director of Registrar Services, she worked diligently to transition the department to a paperless division, created a pathway for electronic transcripts, presented an environment aesthetically pleasing as a “safe space” for students hailing from various areas of diversity, and has continually focused on process improvements throughout her career, to the benefit of the respective department, team processes, and organization as a whole.

 Connie is also passionate about volunteerism.  With that, she has served as a Guardian Ad Litem for over 20 years, advocating for children who have been temporarily or permanently removed from their home due to abuse and/or neglect.  She is also active in professional organizations in her field; she has been an active member of both the National Network of Law School Officers and the American Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers since 2015, garnered by the support of her law school administration.  She was elected and serves(d) as Vice-President at Large as well as Chair of the Governance Committee and Vice-Chair for the Nominations and Elections Committee (past commitment) for the American Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers and Assistant Executive Director of the National Network of Law School Officers.  She is also a “JMTer,” committed to study and development from leadership expert Dr. John Maxwell.  Connie is a lover of quotes and one of her favorites include, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Ghandi

 Finally, having always lived a busy life between work, personal, and school commitments, Dr. Newsome became intentional about self-care during her doctoral journey.  However, it was just in 2023 that she coined the phrase “beneficial selfishness,” which she lovingly defines as the concept of taking ownership of one’s own well-being, to the benefit of self and with the goal of positive engagement with one’s inner and outer circles.  Beneficial selfishness is important because it impacts how we show up each day and moments within each day.  Engaging the concept does not have to be long nor deep, it only needs to be impactful, leaving you feeling restored, a better version of yourself, every time.

Dr. Newsome holds a B.S. and an MPA, both from East Carolina University; she also holds an Ed. D. in Educational Leadership, with a focus in Higher Education Administration, from Argosy University. She appreciates time to periodically blog and write articles, write poetry, watch action movies with her husband and Schnoodle, and fellowship around good food with beloved family and friends.

AACRAO Role: Vice President at Large - Board of Directors

Ari Kaufman

Associate Registrar, Berklee College of Music| Boston Conservatory at Berklee

Ari currently  serves as Associate Registrar of Berklee College of Music | Boston Conservatory at Berklee. With over 22 years of experience in the Office of the Registrar, Ari has a strong customer service focus while providing expertise in the areas of compliance, querying, reporting, registration, systems troubleshooting, curriculum management, and degree audit. Ari has been AACRAO's Vice President for Finance of AACRAO since 2022.  He is also Past President and former Treasurer of New England ACRAO (NEACRAO).  Ari has written for AACRAO’s College and University (C&U) periodical on the topic of student data security and recently presented at Oklahoma ACRAO on the topic of career and professional development. Prior to his career in higher education administration, Ari worked as a CPA in the audit function at Ernst & Young and he also taught financial accounting at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. 

 

AACRAO Role: Vice President for Finance - Board of Directors

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Jackie Carter

Diversity and Inclusion Manager, Washington University

I'm a St. Louis, MO native and honored to work in higher education for over two decades. I have been a part of the Washington University in St. Louis, MO community for several years. I have served in various roles, including student affairs advisor, registrar, academic advising, student development advocate, and club advisors. Two and half years ago, I transitioned into the vital inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program manager position at WashU Olin Business School. In this role, I have concentrated on enhancing the Olin community through innovative programming, community building, and an atmosphere of mutual respect and belonging. I have an unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion work as a member of the University's Diversity Delegates, Olin's Racial Equity Task Force, and many other on- and off-campus initiatives, including WashU Staff Ombuds role, Danforth Staff Council, University Sexual Harassment Investigation Board, Co-chair Diversity Inclusion Forum for Faculty and Staff, Day of Dialogue and Action, advocacy for an inclusive culture for all, and involvement with many university committees. My involvement in the community includes St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative and the Diversity Awareness Partnership. I have board membership in the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) and I am currently the President of AACRAO. I'm a 2019 alum of the WashU Professional Leadership and Network Academy and a 2019 W.E.B. DuBois Staff Mentor Award recipient, an award nominated by students. I earned a B.A. in Business Administration, an MBA degree, and a veteran of U.S. Army reserves. As a first-generation student, my focus is to ensure all individuals have access and equity within any environment. That setting is inclusive and allows one to thrive to their fullest potential. I see education as a human right that should open up opportunities for advancement. I know an inclusive environment will allow anyone to thrive to their fullest potential. I love traveling, live music, cycling, and sporting events with my husband. I love enjoying creating infinite memories filled with joy and laughter with friends and family.

AACRAO Role: Past President - Board of Directors

Interview with Jackie Carter