President's Welcome

Welcome ILASFAA Members and Guests!

It has been a very fast start to our new program year, and I am very excited to serve as the ILASFAA president this year. As I announced at the annual conference, the theme for this year is ILASFAA Perks.  The ILASFAA Board and I are working diligently on several plans to reintroduce you to the perks of being an ILASFAA member. The focus of this theme is to celebrate the benefits of being an involved member in ILASFAA.

ILASFAA is a strong organization with a history of advocacy and high-quality training and development of our members. As a 100 percent volunteer organization, we need our members to understand the value of the training and financial aid work we do to support students and become involved with those ventures. As such, over the next year, members will be asked to consider some key changes for the future of our organization through anticipated membership changes, become involved with regional or state level trainings, and to elevate their participation in ILASFAA activities and projects. ILASFAA can be the most effective if our members are engaged and buy in to our mission and objectives.

So how do I and the board hope to help you get reacquainted with your ILASFAA perks? Quite simply, our goal is to increase the visibility of ILASFAA programs and events through social media, provide several options for you to participate in regional and/or remote trainings, and to seek your input on a variety of issues. As a result of this increased visibility, it is my hope that we can increase our membership, identify new dynamic volunteers, and help members challenge themselves by getting involved with a committee, presenting at a conference, or running for an elected position.

As a member of ILASFAA for over 15 years, I can attest that the perks of my membership have added value to not only my professional development as a financial aid professional, but also developed my skills to become someone that can be a support network for others in the profession. ILASFAA has helped to bridge the reason why I work in financial aid with the ability to deliver high quality financial aid programs and services. As others utilize their ILASFAA perks over the next year, I hope our members see the same results.

The best of luck in the coming year,

Tim Marten

2022-2023 ILASFAA President