EXECUTIVE BOARD ELECTION: 2024-2025 CANDIDATES
The Nominations and Elections Committee is pleased to present the slate of candidates for the 2024-2025 academic year. Please read about each candidate prior to submitting your vote. The elected candidate's term will begin July 1, 2024.
Schedule of Events for 2024-2025 Election Process:CHAIR ELECT (1 CANDIDATE)
CANDIDATE: THELMA ROSS
Thelma L. Ross has served as the director of student financial aid at Prince George’s Community College (PGCC) since February 2016. However, she is not a newcomer to higher education or financial aid. She started her financial aid career at her alma mater Saint Augustine’s University, in 1983 as assistant director of financial aid. During her almost 40 years in higher education, she has served at several Historically Black Colleges and Universities including North Carolina A&T State University, Clark Atlanta University, and Lincoln University. At Lincoln University, she served as associate dean for student services and director of financial aid.
She has a passion for training and providing a way for students to have access to higher education, which she considers a means for students to change the trajectory of their lives and the communities where they live. During her career, she has served on various committees for the state, regional, and national student financial aid associations. For the Department of Education, she participated as a member on two Negotiated Rulemaking Committees.
She currently serves as the co-chair for the Maryland Community College Financial Aid Directors’ Affinity Group, and as a member of the Financial Aid Advisory Council to the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC). In this role, she provided testimony to the Maryland Legislature in support of expanding access to students applying for the Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship.
Thelma has an undergraduate degree in sociology from Saint Augustine’s University and a master of business administration from Meredith College.
VICE CHAIR (1 CANDIDATE)
CANDIDATE: ANDREA CIPOLLA, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE COUNTY (UMBC)
Andrea Cipolla is currently the Director of Financial Aid & Scholarships at UMBC. Over her 25-year career, Andrea has been very active in local and regional Associations including EASFAA (MD representative, Leadership Committee, Conference Chair) and Tri-State (Professional Development & Training Co-chair - 7 years, Chair (3 yr commitment), finance committee, conference committee, nomination and elections, Long Range Planning Chair, Vice Chair, currently Resident Agent). She was a member of the Financial Aid Advisory Group for HEUG from 2015 -2018 and an alternate from 2021-2022.
DELAWARE PRESIDENT (1 CANDIDATE)
CANDIDATE: SHARON WILSON, MBA, UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE
Sharon Wilson is the Director of Financial Aid Operations at the University of Delaware where she has been employed for a little over 13 years, she has over 30 years of experience in the financial aid field. Sharon currently serves as Delaware President for DE-DC-MD (Tri-State) Association of Student Aid Administrators. She sits on the Board for EASFAA Eastern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. And she also sits as a representative on the national CSS/Financial Assistance Assembly for the College Board’s Middle States Region. In her spare time, Sharon writes poetry and spoken word. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in Business with concentrations in International Business and Strategic Leadership.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PRESIDENT (2 CANDIDATES; LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER BY FIRST NAME)
CANDIDATE: EMMA TORRES, HOWARD UNIVERSITY
Dr. Emma Torres currently serves as the Tri-State co-chair of the Professional Development and Training Committee. A native of Washington, DC, she also works at Howard University as the Deputy Director of Financial Aid. With over 17 years of higher education experience, she has built and developed an exemplary professional career serving in various leadership roles in departments such as Athletics, Residence Life, Admissions, Academic Affairs, New Student Transitions, and Financial Aid. These roles have led her through establishing partnerships and great connections within the best colleges/universities in the industry. Outside of work, she loves to eat, travel outside of the country, and relax at spas.
Helping students and parents navigate their educational paths towards graduation and beyond ignites her passion for assisting others. This has been demonstrated through her dedication and hard work throughout the years. She was recently recognized as the Tri-State 2022-2023 New Member of the Year. Being a valued member of Tri-State has increased her knowledge base and has enhanced her appreciation and willingness to educate and support our financial aid community throughout Delaware, DC, and Maryland.
If elected the DC President, she has committed to creating additional phenomenal experiences that will benefit financial aid administrators within the district. For example, some of these experiences may include a listening tour, gaining buy-in from financial aid administrators through engagement opportunities to implement feedback from the listening tour, in addition to development opportunities.
CANDIDATE: LAURA BOESLER, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ADVANCED INTERNATIONAL STUDIES (SAIS)
Laura Boesler is the Director of Financial Aid at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, DC. Having a career in financial aid that has spanned over 20 years, she has held positions at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and the School of Arts and Sciences and Engineering, at the Maryland Institute of Art (MICA), and at Mount St. Mary’s University. Laura served many years ago in Tri-state as the Membership Chair and as the Chair and Past-Chair.
MARYLAND PRESIDENT (2 CANDIDATES; LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER BY FIRST NAME)
CANDIDATE: DAVID HARPER, JR., HAGERSTOWN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
David Harper Jr. has worked for two years at Hagerstown Community College. During his tenure he has overseen the SAP appeal and review process, as well as work with verification, corrections, packaging, and general student assistance. Prior to this he worked for over four years at Purdue University Global (formerly Kaplan University). There he engaged in a number of tasks similar to those from his HCC tenure.
He currently holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science from Frostburg State University where he was also a member of Omicron Delta Epsilon, the international honor society for economics. In addition, he holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Purdue University Global. He has also completed several credential courses for various topics including SAP, Verification, Packaging, and Professional Judgement. He attended his first tri-state conference in October of 2023 and is looking forward to many more in the future.
CANDIDATE: HEATHER HENSGEN, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, GLOBAL CAMPUS (UMGC)
Hello, my name is Heather Hensgen, and I am delighted to be nominated for Maryland President for Tri-State. I am a seasoned Senior Business and Systems Analyst with over 18 years of expertise in transforming higher education processes, including financial aid. I serve as Lead Technical Business Analyst in the Financial Aid Systems department at the University of Maryland, Global Campus (UMGC), driving efficient system improvements through meticulous analysis and collaborative leadership.
Professional Highlights:
Active Participation"
Skills & Distinctions:
I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to serve as Maryland President of the Tri-State Association of Financial Aid Administrators. I eagerly anticipate collaborating with my esteemed financial aid colleagues to foster continued excellence, innovation, and support in our financial aid community, ensuring that together, we navigate and address the evolving challenges and opportunities within the ever-changing landscape of higher education.