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| Daniel Barkowitz |
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Statement of Candidacy
I remember when I first realized that the job of Financial Aid officer was becoming a career for me. I was serving as Assistant Director of Financial Aid at Boston College and had the opportunity to attend a weeklong Financial Aid Institute offered locally. During the event, I learned from, studied side-by-side with, and interacted with financial aid leaders in the region who showed a passion and a care for the hard work of financial aid administration that went beyond the 9 to 5 nature of a workday. They had moving student stories to tell, motivational reasons to keep them going, and most of all a passion for the work and a dedication to the profession that stirred something in me. And they had an easy camaraderie with each other born from shared experiences. These women and men inspired me, and they still do. I am so honored to have been nominated to serve as SASFAA President-Elect and I hope that the words I share in this page offer a sense of what I would bring to this position and what I hope to accomplish if elected. First I recognize that our profession is at a crossroads with the twin challenges of managing during the COVID 19 pandemic (and rebuilding in the new world that will follow) as well as facing a changing economic and social landscape that will forever reshape higher education. The calls for inclusion and equity, the ongoing shift in public support for higher education, and enrollment challenges in a tightening marketplace are forces to which we must attend, and SASFAA is well positioned to continue its role as thought-leader in these areas. As a nimble, responsive, and inclusive leader, I plan to make sure every member’s voice is heard, and to recognize that all of our voices matter. SASFAA is such a strong organization due to the strength of its shared leadership model and the participation of each of its states’ representation. Ensuring that there is a diverse, equitable and inclusive pipeline will be an important priority for me. Professional development and training have long been pillars of my work, both for my own ongoing growth, and as a way to ensure the development of the staff members I manage. I have been very involved with SASFAA’s Professional Development serving as a faculty member, webinar presenter, leadership development program committee member, and pre-conference presenter. One of the professional development initiatives I have had the great honor to serve is the development of the FAAC® designation; I was the inaugural Chair of NASFAA’s Certified Financial Aid Administrators Commission. We are a young profession. If you count the “birth” of our profession with the signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965, the current new financial aid officers we are bringing into our profession represent only the 4th generation of practitioners in our field. My passion is to offer each member of our profession the same generous welcome and call to join that I received when I was first training at the Financial Aid Institute. I welcome the opportunity to work to inspire our next generation of leadership. SASFAA serves a very important role for each of us in the region by providing professional development, networking, advocacy, and an opportunity for personal growth. If elected I commit to living up to the trust you place in me, and to having an open door to each one of you. I am deeply grateful to have been nominated for SASFAA President-Elect and I would welcome the opportunity to serve. |
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CURRENT POSITION: Assistant Vice President, Financial Aid and Veterans Affairs Since: July 2017 Valencia College, Orlando, FL SELECTED PREVIOUS POSITIONS: 2015 to 2017 Dean, Enrollment Management St. Johns River State College, Palatka, FL 2011 to 2015 Executive Director Temple Beth Shalom, Needham, MA 2009 to 2011 Dean of Financial Aid / Associate Dean of Student Affairs Columbia University, New York, NY 2003 to 2009 Director, Student Financial Aid and Employment Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 2000 to 2002 Consultant / Sales Manager Cedar Group, Baltimore, MD 1996 to 2000 Director, Financial Aid Lasell College, Newton, MA 1992 to 1996 Director of Operations and Training MEFA (Massachusetts Educational Financial Authority), Boston, MA EDUCATION: Certificate in Professional Fundraising Boston University Boston, MA – December 2011
M. Ed., Human Resource Education Boston University Boston, MA - May 1998 B.Sc., History Northeastern University Boston, MA – June 1991 TYPE OF INSTITUTION: Large Community College with selected 4 year degrees NASFAA CERTIFICATIONS: Certified Financial Aid Administrator, (FAAC® designation), expires 6/15/2022 NASFAA CREDENTIALS: Cash Management, Packaging and Notification of Awards, Professional Judgment, Return of Title IV Funds, and Student Eligibility SUMMARY OF PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES: NASFAA 2020-Present State Advocacy Task Force 2020-Present FSA Partner Experience Council Member 2019-Present CFAA Commission, Inaugural Chair 2019-20, Past Chair 2020-21 2019 CFAA Implementation Working Group, Chair 2018-Present Ethics Committee Member 2018-19 Leadership and Legislative Conference & Expo Strategic Enrollment Track Task Force Member 2016-17 Angoff Study Judge 2017 NASFAA U Online Courses Product Examination Group 2015-16/2020-Present Policy Rapid Response Network Task Force 2008-09 Technology Initiatives Committee 2007-09/2010-11 Editorial Board, Journal of Student Financial Aid Various Conference Presenter, Moderator, Mentor
SASFAA 2020-Present Leadership Development Task Force Member 2019-20 Board Member 2018-Present Technical Committee, Member 2017 Enrollment Management Forum Task Force and Faculty 2016-Present Conference Presenter, Pre-Conference Presenter, Moderator FASFAA 2018-Present President (President-Elect 2018-19, President 2019-20, 2020 NASFAA Gold Star Winning Team Member, 2019 President’s Recognition Award Winner 2015-Present Conference Presenter, Pre-Conference Presenter, Moderator EASFAA Professional Development Committee Member All dates are 2011 and prior Conference Presenter
MASFAA (Massachusetts) Recipient of MASFAA’s Presidential Award (1996) All dates are 2009 and prior Executive Board Member Chair, Professional Development and Training Chair, Annual Conference Chair, Newsletter Chair, Just the FACTS Training for New Aid Officers Technology Committee Member Conference Committee Member and Session Presenter OTHER 2004-2011 586 Group, Member of Technical Committee and Various Member of FAFSA Design Team, Federal Student Aid 2016-Present Florida College Access Network (FCAN), Strategic Planning |