2025 Conference Agenda
"Empowering Professionals in Higher Education"
Day/Meeting Location | Time | Topic | Presenter |
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May 13, 2025 | Tuesday |
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| 2:00 – 7:00 PM | Corporate Partner Set up |
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MarMonte lounge/patio | 4:00 – 6:00 PM | Conference Registration |
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| 5:00 – 5:30 PM | Corporate Partner Meeting |
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MarMonte lounge/patio | 6:00 – 7:00 PM | Mixer with cocktails/appetizers |
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May 14, 2025 | Wednesday |
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Pacific Ballroom | 7:30 – 8:00 AM | Conference Registration and Continental BreakfastCheck in, grab breakfast, and prepare for a full day of learning and connection. |
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Pacific Ballroom | 8:00 – 8:30 AM | Presidents Welcome, Opening Remarks & Board/ Corporate Sponsor Introductions Start the conference with a warm welcome from the PacWest Committee President and hear from our valued board and corporate sponsors. Get oriented with key updates, learn what to expect throughout the week, and connect with fellow attendees as we kick off the 2025 conference. |
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Pacific Ballroom | 8:30 – 9:30 AM | Washington Legislative Update Get the latest federal policy updates impacting higher education, student financial aid, and regulatory oversight. This session will cover the new administration’s education priorities, congressional budget developments, proposed student loan reforms, and potential restructuring within the Department of Education. We’ll also examine key state-level legislation and recent CFPB activity affecting institutions and students. Key Takeaways:
| Lori Hartung, ECSI/COHEAO |
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| 9:30 – 10:00 AM | Corporate Partner Break Take a moment to visit with corporate sponsors and enjoy light refreshments. |
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Concurrent Fireside Ballroom | 10:15 – 11:00 AM | Deep Dive into Student Financial Services for New SFS Professionals Designed for newer professionals in Student Financial Services, this session explores key SFS operations, common challenges, and the collaborative spirit that drives successful teams. Panelists will share their paths into the field, essential skills they’ve developed, and strategies to thrive in a role that’s as complex as it is rewarding. | Panelists: Pacwest Committee - April Miles - USC, Kayla Dalton - Univ of LaVerne, Monique Gonzalez - Point Loma Nazarene University, Joe Weglarz-Marist University |
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Concurrent Pacific Ballroom | 10:15 – 11:00 AM | How to Stay Ahead of Compliance Compliance requirements evolve quickly—are your policies keeping pace? Join this session for a discussion on building proactive compliance systems that go beyond box-checking. Panelists will share insight into institutional and vendor responsibilities, upcoming federal updates, and tools to mitigate risk before it becomes a problem. | Panelists: Christy Blakney - Texas Tech University, Derrick Shy - GradGuard, James Jones - Reliant |
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| 11:00 – 12:00 PM | Brunch Enjoy a mid-morning meal with colleagues before diving back into the afternoon sessions. |
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Pacific Ballroom | 12:00 – 1:00 PM | Collection on Higher Ed Debt Chad will examine critical legal developments shaping the landscape of student debt collection. As the industry modernizes and adapts to sweeping changes in federal and state laws, campus financial services and collections departments need to stay ahead. Navigating this evolving environment is key to understanding its impact on the student experience, managing outstanding debt, and enhancing recovery strategies. | Attorney Chad Echols - Frost Echols, LLC |
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Concurrent Fireside Ballroom | 1:15 – 2:15 PM | Effective Management of Student Employment Explore best practices for structuring student employment programs. Compare centralized vs. decentralized models, review compliance considerations, and evaluate the role of employment in student engagement and retention. Gain insight into national trends, wage scales, and data tracking tools. | Panelists: Joe Weglarz - Marist University and Cheri Gallagher - Flywire |
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Concurrent Pacific Ballroom | 1:15 – 2:15 PM | How to Protect Against Identity Theft & Complying with Safeguarding Regulations Have you or someone you know been a victim of identity theft? Identity theft is the fastest-growing crime in America, and there is no more fertile ground for security breaches in the US than in our colleges and universities. Join Karen Reddick, Vice President of Business Development at National Credit Management, for this informative session. Reddick will share practical ways to protect your identity and explain what you need to know and do if you or your students/customers become victims. | Karen Reddick, National Credit Management/COHEAO |
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Break | 2:15 – 2:45 PM | Corporate Partner Break Refuel, reset, and meet with sponsor representatives for your last networking break of the day. |
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Pacific Ballroom | 2:45 – 3:45 PM | Ask the Attorney Bring your toughest compliance, collections, and regulatory questions to this open Q&A with attorney Chad Echols. From TCPA lawsuits to FERPA dilemmas, nothing is off-limits in this rapid-fire legal session. Whether you're facing new regulations or revisiting old pain points, this is your chance to get trusted legal insights in real time. Key Takeaways:
| Attorney Chad Echols - Frost Echols, LLC |
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| 4:30 PM | PacWest Dinner Join us for a celebratory evening of great food, meaningful conversation, and connection with your PacWest peers. This relaxed dinner is your chance to wind down, laugh a little, and reflect on the day’s learning with fellow professionals from across the region. |
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May 15, 2025 | Thursday |
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| 7:30 – 8:30 AM | Breakfast Start your day with a full breakfast and connect with colleagues before sessions begin. |
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Pacific Ballroom | 8:30 – 9:00 AM | General Remarks & Committee Member Candidate Introductions Meet the candidates for the upcoming PacWest committee cycle and hear updates from current leadership. This session highlights the heart of our community—the people volunteering their time to build a stronger, more collaborative future for Student Financial Services. |
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Concurrent Fireside Ballroom | 9:15 – 10:15 AM | FAFSA and FVT Reporting Explore the latest updates and best practices for FAFSA processing and Financial Value Transparency (FVT) reporting. This session breaks down the evolving compliance requirements while offering practical tips for integrating these changes into your workflow. | Joe Weglarz - Marist University |
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Concurrent Pacific Ballroom | 9:15 – 10:15 AM | From Chaos to Clarity: Streamlining Workflow and Onboarding Process This session provides practical strategies to help professionals identify inefficiencies, create structured workflows, and optimize policies for better outcomes. Attendees will walk away with actionable steps and essential resources to streamline operations, reduce redundancies, and improve the onboarding experience for new team members. | Jenna Payan, California State University, Northridge |
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| 10:15 – 10:45 AM | Corporate Partner Break Visit with sponsors, grab coffee, and gear up for mid-day sessions. |
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Pacific Ballroom | 10:45 – 11:45 AM | Strategies for Reducing Receivables Join us for this interactive session designed to encourage the sharing of ideas and processes to help keep your student account receivables under control. Let’s chat about various tools, communication strategies, and early-intervention methods. Learn what’s working for your colleagues—and share what’s working for you. | Panelists: Kayla Dalton - Univ of Laverne, Stacy Sullivan - Flywire |
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| 11:45 – 12:45 PM | Lunch A chance to recharge and network before diving into afternoon sessions. |
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Pacific Ballroom | 12:45 – 1:45 PM | Becoming a Champion of Change “We’re changing again?!” It’s a familiar phrase—and a common sentiment—when change is done to us rather than through us. In this energizing session, Dr. Jamie J. Brownlee-Turgeon challenges the passive posture so many adopt in times of transformation and invites attendees to step boldly into the role of change champion. Drawing from over two decades of leadership experience, Dr. Brownlee-Turgeon will explore how to move beyond reacting to change and instead become the one who casts vision, leads with purpose, and inspires teams to see change as an opportunity for growth, innovation, and impact. Attendees will leave equipped with practical strategies to lead through uncertainty, build buy-in, and foster a culture where change is not feared, but embraced. | Jamie Brownlee-Turgoen - Point Loma Nazarene University |
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Concurrent Fireside Ballroom | 2:00 – 3:00 PM | Work Life Balance and Avoid Burnout Work-life balance is essential for thriving both professionally and personally. In this session, we’ll explore practical strategies to create harmony between career demands and personal well-being. From recognizing the signs of burnout to implementing sustainable routines, you’ll gain tools to nurture your whole self. | Panelists: Monique Gonzalez - Point Loma Nazarene University, Kathleen Brown - U of Oregon, Natalie Cardenas - Chapman University |
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Concurrent Pacific Ballroom | 2:00 – 3:00 PM | Third Party Sponsor Collections Join us for an exciting and informative panel discussion where staff from Indiana University will take you behind the scenes of their journey to streamline sponsor payments. They will share their firsthand experiences and insights on how they identified their needs and embarked on implementing a brand-new sponsor payment solution. Be ready to hear about the unexpected benefits they’ve uncovered along the way, like added efficiencies and security. There will be an interactive Q&A session at the end of the discussion to ensure you leave with a deeper understanding of sponsor payment solutions and how they can benefit your institution. Key Takeaways:
| Panelists: Roge Karma - Nelnet, Amanda Srichareon - Indiana University |
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| 3:00– 3:30 PM | Corporate Partner BreakFinal opportunity to engage with partners and sponsors before our closing sessions. |
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Pacific Ballroom | 3:30 – 4:30 PM | Financial Responsibility Agreements Federal debt collection and consumer protection laws require financial institutions, including colleges and universities, to be transparent with their billing and payment policies, procedures, and collection practices. Our Presenter will walk us through implementing a comprehensive financial responsibility agreement. She will cover all aspects of the agreement, including capturing information that will not only assist you in enforcing the student debt but also protect your institution from liability. Reddick will share examples with you and review the recently published NACUBO Advisory Report. Key Takeaways:
| Karen Reddick, National Credit Management/COHEAO |
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| 4:30 PM | Happy Hour Close the day with drinks, conversation, and new connections at our hosted networking event. |
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May 16, 2025 | Friday |
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Pacific Ballroom | 8:00 – 9:00 AM | Breakfast and Birds of a Feather -ERP systems Start your morning with a relaxed, roundtable-style discussion grouped by ERP system. Share best practices, troubleshoot challenges, and explore integration strategies with peers using the same platforms. Whether you're new to your system or a seasoned user, this is a great space to connect and collaborate. | Table Discussion - Banner; Peoplesoft; Other ERP Systems |
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Pacific Ballroom | 9:00 – 10:00 AM | Practical uses of AI in Higher Ed Artificial Intelligence is transforming higher education—but how, and is it something to fear or embrace? Join us for a dynamic session exploring real-world AI use cases from colleges and universities across the U.S. Learn how institutions are leveraging AI to support student services, enhance teaching, improve access to information, assist in counseling, prevent fraud, identify at-risk students, and even act as virtual teaching Assistants. Hear directly from Albert Saryan, Manager of Enterprise Applications at the Los Angeles Community College District, as he shares how LACCD is incorporating AI across three key initiative areas: Student Services, Academics, and Staff Resources. He’ll also discuss the importance of having clear AI policies and procedures tailored for higher education institutions. Key Takeaways:
| Roge Karma, Nelnet, Albert Sayan, LACCD |
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| 10:00 – 11:00 AM | Corporate Partner Giveaway and Introduction of 2025-26 Committee Celebrate the close of another successful PacWest Conference! We'll announce the winners of this year’s corporate partner raffles, recognize key contributors, and introduce your 2025–2026 PacWest Committee. Don’t miss this final session—it’s our chance to reflect, connect, and look ahead. |
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