Report from the Vice President
Sandra Neel

The Professional Development Committee is hard at work planning the Summer New Aid Officers Workshop and the New Aid Workshop that is held in conjunction with the Annual Conference. The Mid-Level Workshop will be held in the SWAFAA Region this year but SASFAA will send representatives to assist with the workshop.

Pat Arauz from the University of Louisville is this year’s curriculum coordinator. Pat has taught at the New Aid Officer’s Workshop the last two previous years and has a background in teaching. Pat plans to spice up the curriculum a bit so participants will not only gain the knowledge they need but also will have a great time in the process of learning.

The faculty and staff for the New Aid Officers Workshop comprise the Professional Development Committee. The full committee has not been finalized, however the returning members are:

• Andy Weaver, University of Alabama-Huntsville, AL
• Searcy Taylor, Mississippi Gulf Coast CC, MS
• Erik Melis, George Mason University, VA
• Bill Zahn, University of North Carolina-Greensboro, NC

The Lender Assistants are:

• Zita Barree, Edamerica, VA
• Brenda Paganalli, NSLP, MS
• Mike Seiler, Southwest Student Services Corporation, TN
• Todd Smith, Student Loan Xpress, FL

This year we are adding an additional class so Sandy is searching for previous instructors to teach. This is only a one-year commitment. If you are interested, please contact Sandy at sneel@utm.edu.

The Professional Development Committee is looking forward to an exciting and productive year.

Report from the Past President
Guy Gibbs

SASFAA Seeks Nominees for 2007-2008
The Nominations and Elections Committee is currently seeking nominees for the offices of President-Elect, Vice President and Treasurer (a two-year term). Participation in SASFAA can be an extremely rewarding experience both professionally and personally. Serving as an elected officer enables you to utilize your leadership and training experiences to improve the profession. For new and seasoned financial aid professionals alike, you can help develop activities that will have significant impact on the growth of our regional association.

Nominations and Elections Committee Members

Chair - Guy Gibbs

AL - Buddy Jackson

FL - Ruth Strum

GA - Suzanne Pittman

KY - Shelley Park

MS - Soraya Welden

NC - Dana Kelly

SC - Nancy Garmroth

TN - Forrest Stuart

VA - Brad Barnett

The Nominations and Elections Committee will meet in Nashville, Tennessee on October 5-7. You can forward nominations to Guy Gibbs at ggibbs@nvcc.edu or any one of the committee members listed. You can nominate yourself or other qualified candidates. Be involved—let your voice be heard!

SASFAA Recognitions and Awards
Each year SASFAA has the distinct pleasure and honor to recognize individuals who have made major contributions to the success of our regional association. If you know of someone that deserves consideration for a SASFAA award please submit their names to any of the SASFAA Executive Board or to Guy Gibbs at ggibbs@nvcc.edu. The Executive Board will consider candidates for SASFAA recognition when the board meets in November.

Report from the Treasurer
Heather Boutell

SASFAA has begun its 2006-2007 year, and Treasurer Heather Boutell already has received many membership dues and even some sponsorship payments for the Annual Conference. This year SASFAA implemented the PayPal system, which allows the Association to accept credit card payments over the web. The system is not that costly, and is currently working well for SASFAA payments. SASFAA hopes this new process accommodates many of your requests to pay electronically. If you have any questions about the process, please contact Heather Boutell at sasfaatreasurer@gmail.com. Treasurer Boutell wishes to thank Leonard Gude, Electronic Services Chair, for all of his work on this project. Checks of course are still accepted and come in every day.

Anne Rochester, who graciously helps SASFAA each year, has been contacted about the annual requirement to file the 990. Work is underway to complete this important process. Discussion has also occurred with Budget and Finance Chair Clark Aldridge to review the books from the 2005-2006 year.

SASFAA will again use 5/3 Bank for checking and reimbursements. Please remember that all SASFAA reimbursements will be sent from 5/3 Bank in an envelope marked, “Payment Enclosed”. The check has an Ohio return address due to the home office of 5/3 Bank. SASFAA expense forms are due within thirty days of travel or expenditure.

Please feel free to review our 06-07 Budget, as approved at the July Board meeting on the Web site. The current financial statement presented at that meeting is also on that site. You can also review the 05-06 year’s income and expenditures.

Heather Boutell looks forward to her second year as Treasurer for SASFAA. She looks forward to working with Membership Chair Soraya Welden, Vendor/Sponsor Chair Keith Reeves, and Conference Chair Michael Morgan for a successful Tennessee Annual Conference. She wishes you all a great fall full of FISAP reporting, ACG and SMART grant training, and maybe a bit of foliage and pumpkin fun.