2021 AACRAO Elections - Vice President at Large Candidate
In late 2020, the AACRAO BOD adopted a vision and associated goals focused on "a community centered on learner success driven by professional excellence and leadership in enrollment and academic services." Rooted in collaboration, innovation, inclusivity, inquiry, and integrity, the associated goals are to be realized by 2026. Focused on these values before their current iteration, I have served as an AACRAO leader as chair and member of multiple committees, transfer conference director, ad hoc committee member, nominations and elections, author, and presenter at the annual meeting, webinars, tech/transfer, and SEM. Having addressed topics ranging from social media, access, transfer, policy, and professional competencies to data-driven enrollment strategy, my skills and experiences align perfectly with an "at large" position. I understand the organization and how we might address the challenges facing higher education today. If elected, my goal will be to meet those challenges and achieve AACRAO’s goals to benefit the membership and the learners we serve.
2020 AACRAO Elections - VP for Leadership and Management Development Candidate
For the past twelve years, I have been grateful to learn from my colleagues in AACRAO. Attending annual meetings has allowed me to learn from other participants during sessions and informal gatherings. This exposure has meant a great deal to me as a professional who is now able to be a contributor. I would not be able to participate in leadership opportunities and contribute to the organization by writing book chapters and re-writing the Registrar CAS standards without that exposure.
The nature of professional organizations is that they are only as strong as we make them, only as valuable as our contributions, and only as lasting as our dedication. As a recipient of such great value from AACRAO, I wish to contribute further to the organization that helped me become a seasoned professional in my work. I constantly am gaining value from the organization and its membership and am learning every day. Frankly, not a week goes by where I do not speak with a colleague that I met through AACRAO; this demonstrates the organization’s importance to me.
The role of Vice President for Leadership and Management Development is of great interest to me because it would be an honor to share AACRAO’s leadership and mentorship opportunities with all members. I want to ensure that the organization communicate with the entire membership about what is has to offer; it would be a pleasure to play a role in helping others as I was helped by the organization. That said, thinking about how AACRAO can continue its outstanding service in emerging ways for a new generation of leaders is critical to our continued growth and relevancy in the future. Our outreach needs to continue to not only the membership we know but also the possible membership that exists in our professional field. This includes thinking about inclusivity as broadly as possible and talking honestly at our annual meetings about how we can continue to grow and change for the better.
I am nowhere near an expert leader and continue to learn every day but I am unafraid to committing to leadership challenges where I can learn and lead at the same time. I am currently finishing my term as PACRAO President and am humbled at how much I have learned as a leader of an organization in a year where difficult decisions such as cancelling annual meetings had to happen. It has been humbling and heartbreaking, but also hopeful as we work to create new traditions for our regional organization where we compel our members to stay engaged with their network of colleagues when they need them most! I would like to continue to learn and lead as a member of the AACRAO Executive Board and in particular as the Vice President for Leadership and Management Development.
In summary, I will list a few of my AACRAO contributions over the past twelve years so that you can see my range of participation in our organization:
Presented at AACRAO and/or AACRAO Tech annually
Authored several chapters in Curriculum Management
Participated in the rewrite of the Registrar CAS Standards on behalf of AACRAO
Served on Nominations and Elections in 2017 and 2018 (vice-chair in 2018)
Julia A. Pomerenk, M.A, works as the University Registrar and Associate Vice President for Student Services and Enrollment Management at the University of Oregon. Before becoming a UO Duck, Pomerenk served as the university registrar at Washington State University and at Pacific Lutheran University, where she began her higher education career as an admissions counselor 37 years ago. Throughout her career, Pomerenk has enjoyed participating in and contributing to professional associations. She currently serves as the AACRAO Vice President for Records and Student Services. For PACRAO (Pacific Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers), Pomerenk helped lead as PACRAO president and as the dean of the Leadership Development Institute for its first four years. She has presented and written on topics of leadership, joy, and community building. Pomerenk earned her B.A in English and Psychology at Pacific Lutheran University and her M.A. in English at the Ohio State University.
AACRAO Role: Vice President for Records and Academic Services - Board of Directors
I am the Assistant Director of the Graduate Admissions Office at the University of Idaho. I also function as a Designated School Official (DSO) and as a Slate Captain for the University of Idaho CRM and Application System.
I have earned a B.A. in French from the University of Bucharest, an M.A. in Francophone Literature from the University of Cincinnati, and currently pursuing an M.A. in TESOL at the University of Idaho.
I have held conference presentations at AACRAO and the AICE Symposium. I have presented a pre-conference workshop on online verification of credentials at the NAFSA 2019 Conference. Contributor to NAFSA website and ACEI blog.
Francesca Villa is Academic Registrar Manager at Istituto Europeo del Design (IED) where she works as credential evaluator and manages the academic recognition policies and the admission processes for international degree-seeking undergraduate and postgraduate applicants. Born and raised in Northern Italy, Francesca graduated in Foreign Languages and Literatures from the University of Milan majoring in English Literature and Translation Studies. Recently she has achieved the first European microcredential for credential evaluators awarded by the European University of Rome and the Italian ENIC-NARiC centre CIMEA. With almost ten year experience in international admissions and credential evaluation in applied and visual arts HEIs, Francesca is now focusing on the implementation of the LRC and EHEA principles and standards into IED credential assessment policies, admission procedures and information provision. Driven by her compulsive passion for research and learning, she is also in charge of international admission training for advisors and registration staff.
Worked within enrollment management at Wichita State for the last 20 years. Twelve years in domestic admissions, four years as the associate registrar, and four years in International Admissions. Some areas that I have supervised include processing of domestic and international admission files, transfer credit for domestic and international courses, credit evaluation for international students, international scholarships, class room scheduling, enrollment verification, and many more.
Mary Blount has been at Georgia State University for 2.5 years in Graduate Admissions and is currently the Senior Foreign Credential Evaluator for Graduate Admissions in Georgia State University. She has a B.A. and M.S. from Clemson University as well as a DESCAF from Ecole Superieure de Commerce de Pau, France. Prior to entering the world of credential evaluators she worked as the Registrar at a local high school and before her children were born, she worked in International Marketing for AT&T
Diana Hense MA, is Head of Admissions at the University of Amsterdam and a senior in the international credential evaluating environment. She also serves as Vice President of Standards at TAICEP. In the Netherlands she acts as track chair internationalization and is a key mover in taking forward major initiatives supporting and improving the efficiency of international application processes.
Jeannie Yockey-Fine is General Counsel at NC-SARA. She analyzes federal and state regulations, SARA policies, and professional licensure issues and their impacts on SARA institutions, and related policy conversations.
Lori Williams is president and CEO of NC-SARA and has over 25 years’ experience in education, primarily in distance education. She previously served as vice president at the WASC Senior College and University Commission, as well as provost, vice provost, and other academic administrative roles.
Mary Larson has more than 30 years of experience working in higher education. Prior to joining NC-SARA, Mary was the Director of Student Access Programs and Services at SREB where she was the director of S-SARA, worked with state authorization and oversaw a number of SREB programs that help students start or continue their education.
Melanie Booth leads the educational and training programs for states, institutions, and other constituents, as well as outreach, partnership support, events, writing, and communications for the organization. Prior roles include Founding Executive Director of The Quality Assurance Commons, Vice President for Educational Programming at WSCUC, and academic administration positions in California and Oregon institutions primarily serving adult learners and underrepresented populations.
Marianne Boeke oversees all aspects of data reporting and research, curates the State Authorization Surveys (The Guide), provides state and regional compact support, and, with senior leadership, works on policy related issues.
Richard MacLeod is the Registrar at Athabasca University, Canada’s Open University, in Alberta, Canada. Athabasca University, celebrating 50 years, has over 44,000 learners and provides transformational educational experiences to students through online learning.
Richard has worked in post secondary for over 25 years and has led many student service initiatives including multiple SIS implementations, SEM Plan creation and execution, and front-line service unification.
Capstone Project: “Measuring the Impact of Nudging New Applicants to First Registration at Athabasca University”
Dr. Kimberly McNair has over 20 years of experience in community college and four-year settings in admissions, recruitment, marketing, enrollment management, and community engagement. She serves as Director of College Access and Enrollment at Montgomery College in Maryland. She oversees admissions, recruitment and related enrollment functions and co-facilitates the college’s Achieving the Dream (ATD) student success efforts. During her tenure she also helped lead the realignment of enrollment management units to help streamline access and enrollment support for students. Dr. McNair is an inaugural member of AACRAO’s ASCEND enrollment management leadership development program and certified MBTI practitioner, Balanced Scorecard Professional, and peer evaluator for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Dr. McNair earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Towson University, and a Doctorate in Higher Education – Community College Leadership from Morgan State University.
Capstone Abstract: This capstone project explored concepts of SEM research and data-informed decision making, particularly at institutions new to enrollment management or just starting their SEM journey.
Review of: AACRAO's Higher Education Central Policy Database
Dr. Troy Holaday is the President of CollegeSource and visionary for the Transfer Evaluation System (TES®), used by more than a thousand institutions of higher education nationwide. Before 2007, Troy worked at Ball State University, first as an Academic Advisor and then as the Assistant Director of Academic Systems. Troy’s work at Ball State included managing the first interactive system of automated transfer credit evaluation on the Internet, the Automated Course Transfer System (ACTS). During his time at Ball State, Troy also taught Humanities for the Honors College. He served as Chair of NACADA’s Advising Transfer Students Commission from 2003-2006 and worked with the Indiana Commission for Higher Education from 2001-2007 as a member of the Statewide Transfer and Articulation Committee and leader of the state’s Core Transfer Library task force.
Laura Jacob Anderson is in her eighth year as University Registrar at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, and is currently a member of 2 merger implementation teams. Willamette University announced on September 17 that the Pacific Northwest College of Art would join the university to become Willamette's fourth school. The current timeline aims for completion of that merger by January 1, 2021. The university is also in a longer-term merger process with the Claremont School of Theology. Prior to joining Willamette University, Laura was an Associate Registrar at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.
Elizabeth Amundson is the Associate Provost & Registrar, George Washington University and member of AACRAO and MSACROA. Beth served as co-chair of the Closed or Merged Institutions work group, with her focus on institutional mergers. GW is the custodial institution for the records from Ben Franklin University and the Graduate School of Political Management; and has undertaken mergers with Mount Vernon College and the Corcoran College of Art & Design.
Sarah Harris, retired Senior Associate Registrar, University of Iowa and lifetime member of AACRAO and UMACRAO. Sarah served as co-chair of the Closed or Merged Institutions work group with her focus on the Closed portion. The University of Iowa serves as the custodial school of Iowa defunct post-secondary schools (currently 26 schools). The experiences of the Closed sub-committee members in assisting schools through their closures led to the checklist and other guidance provided in the report.