-Provided leadership, strategic direction, and management in the day-to-day administration of student financial aid-Managed the awarding, disbursement, and reconciliation of over $350 million (annual) in federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs for approximately 30,000 aid recipients-Achieved five consecutive years of zero audit findings for direct management and oversight of federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs, including the State of CA $60 million Cal Grant program review conducted by the CA Student Aid Commission (CSAC) with zero deficiencies -Leveraged financial aid systems to support the Division of Student Affairs strategic enrollment management in the recruitment and retention of prospective and continuing students-Supervised a team of 17 full-time professional staff from multiple labor unions (2 Assistant Directors, 2 Business Analysts, 7 Financial Aid Counselors, and 6 Financial Aid Technicians)-Built, developed, and managed the annual year-round Financial Aid Systems Calendar to support office operations-Conducted annual employee performance evaluations and provide consistent motivational feedback to staff-Converted and automated over 60 financial aid physical forms to 100% electronic via Adobe Electronic Management (AEM). Improve operational efficiency by reducing high volume document processing time from 2-3 weeks to 2-3 days-Supported Graduation Initiative 2025 (GI2025) by creating the Office of Financial Aid’s Disenrollment Protection Process to support student retention, persistence, and close equity gaps-Managed State programs: Middle Class Scholarship, Cal Grants, State University Grant, and Learning Aligned Employment Program (LAEP)-Managed Federal Title IV programs: Pell Grant, Direct Loans, FSEOG, Federal Work Study, and TEACH Grant-Responsible for financial aid technology and automation enhancements-Represented and managed the Office of Financial Aid in the absence of the Director

-Supervised the Financial Aid front office operations and student counseling for all prospective and continuing students and families-Served on a 4-member management team and reported to the Director of Financial Services to effectively plan, direct, and ensure high-quality customer service-Responsible for the quarterly Financial Aid enrollment and file completion goals for all starting healthcare cohorts and reported weekly statuses to the President/CEO and Chief Financial Officer (CFO)-Managed, trained, and supervised a team of four full-time Financial Aid Officers on the awarding and packaging process of Student Financial Aid in accordance with Federal, State, and Institutional regulations-Maintained the weekly and monthly schedules of staff to ensure sufficient coverage for the day-to-day front office operations of the Office of Financial Aid -Interviewed, hired, and conducted employee onboarding training for all newly hired staff members-Audited weekly Financial Aid files of staff for completeness and accuracy and provided consistent feedback and assigned completion goals as necessary-Coordinated the University’s Cal Grant programs and served as the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) WebGrants System Administrator-Coordinated the processing of private alternative loans through Sallie Mae and College Ave external lenders-Planned, organized, and completed program administration and assisted with developing policy and implementing institutional policy, philosophy and procedures in a manner consistent with the University's mission-Exercised professional judgment to determine treatment of exceptional circumstances such as loss of employment, income reduction, student budget, and dependency override -Conducted Financial Aid literacy training presentation for all incoming students and cohort starts-Conducted Financial Aid exit counseling for all graduating student loan borrowers to maintain the University’s low Cohort Default Rate (CDR)