When Cathy Kedski passed the gavel to me at the Final Fling this past June, I accepted it with a bit of trepidation. There was more anxiety still as I gathered with the members of this year’s Executive Council, and the numerous individuals chairing our 13 committees, at the two-day annual MASFAA Retreat at the Cape Codder Resort in Hyannis. However, as the retreat progressed, and I got to know all of the fantastic people with whom I would be working over the next year, I quickly lost my apprehension.

The retreat, which garnered a record 38 attendees, was a wonderful opportunity for us all to learn more about each other (including our different personality types!), as well as to share ideas, socialize, strategize and plan for the 2006-2007 year. The following are some of the highlights of the year ahead:

• The new Archives Committee is working on compiling Association-related information, including minutes, photographs, newsletters and memorabilia, dating back to the Association’s inception in 1969. Watch for a slideshow of Association photos at this year’s Conference!
  
  
• The College Goal Sunday Committee will hold its third-annual, one-day event on Sunday, January 28, 2007 to help families at 15 sites across the state successfully complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Please be sure to sign up to volunteer at this wonderful event!
  
  
• The Committee to Enhance Ethnic Diversity (CEED) will be working to engage and educate the membership about issues of diversity throughout the upcoming year. The Committee will be submitting articles on diversity topics for publication in the MASFAA Newsletter and will also be building a library from which members can borrow books related to diversity. The Committee will also be hosting a lecture by Dr. Bridget Terry Long on October 18th at Northeastern University. Register now for this very exciting event!
  
  
• The Conference Committee will be hosting this year’s Annual Fall Conference November 15th-17th at the Cape Codder Resort in Hyannis, MA. This year’s theme is "Let MASFAA Be Your Guide."
  
  
• The Early Awareness Committee is planning another Carnival of Learning to be held the day before the Annual Fall Conference to introduce middle school students to the idea of extending their education beyond high school. The committee is also working on their annual Journey to College event, an opportunity for middle schools to partner with local colleges or universities to create programs that encourage young students to make higher education a primary goal. The Committee also plans to redesign and rewrite their College Savings Times publication for middle school students.
  
  
• The Government Relations Committee will continue to keep us all up-to-date on what’s happening with HERA, Reauthorization and the happenings on Capitol Hill. The Committee will also be working closely with our Congressional leadership to make sure that they are aware of the issues that matter most to our students. The Committee will be working hard this year to make sure that the membership stays abreast of all new regulations and pending legislation.
  
  
• The Graduate and Professional Concerns Committee will be hosting another great Graduate Symposium event on December 1st at the Boston University School of Management.
  
  
• The Just the F.A.C.T.S. Committee will be hosting a five-week (one day per week) training program using the NASFAA Core training modules on October 12th, 19th and 26th and November 2nd and 9th at Regis College in Weston, MA and Springfield College in Springfield, MA. This program is a great, all-inclusive package for new aid administrators and the training is free to all paid members of MASFAA!
  
  
• The Membership Committee is hard at work renewing memberships, soliciting new members, and making sure that you can search the database for colleagues who are current MASFAA members.
  
  
• The Newsletter Committee will be premiering a new, five-issue, web-based Newsletter this year! I am sure that you will love the new format! All MASFAA members are encouraged to contribute to the Newsletter. You don’t have to be on the committee to participate!
  
  
• The Professional Development and Training Committee has numerous training opportunities scheduled throughout the year. Some of the workshops planned include a new training for members who wish to become leaders within the Association, the annual FISAP training, Need Analysis training, Support Staff training and the Novice Seminar.
  
  
• The Public Relations Committee is hard at work planning some social activities for the Association. The Committee will be hosting its western event at Jillian’s in Boston on September 28th as well as another get-together for our western Massachusetts members. We also look forward to another very successful Final Fling in June. Watch for the opportunity to vote on this year’s location! The Committee is also planning on kicking off the Ambassador Program, which matches new members with mentors, at this year’s Annual Fall Conference.
  
  
• The Technology Committee continues to work hard updating and enhancing the MASFAA website as well as coordinating the online voting process. If there is something you would like to see that isn’t currently on our website, please let us know!

The above is just a sample of the hard work that our committees will be undertaking this year. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the dedicated individuals that will be leading MASFAA this year:

Cathy Kedski (Past-President), Anthony Erwin (President-Elect), Pam McCafferty (Treasurer), Michele Kosboth (Secretary), Shawn Bennett, Carla Berg, Karen Derouin, Ina Frye, Elayne Peloquin, Lori Seuch and Nick Zinser (Executive Council), Shawn Morrissey and Duane Quinn (Archives), Sandra Coswatte and Kim Truong (CEED), Gail Holt, Paul Lynskey and Martha Savery (College Goal Sunday), Yvonne Gittens, Scott McIsaac and Jamey Palmieri (Conference), Donna Wood-Lozier (EASFAA representative), Jill D’Amico and Debbie Moroney (Early Awareness), Kathy Osmond and Bernie Pekala (Government Relations), Cheryl Constantine and Val Harris (Graduate and Professional Concerns), Daniel Barkowitz, Joyce Lezberg and Robin Randall (Just the F.A.C.T.S.), Leslie Bembridge and Beth Feinberg (Membership), Lauren Urbanek and Dave Kelly (Newsletter), Jason Burke and Jason Shumaker (Professional Development and Training), Michael Ippolito and Joe Lahoud (Public Relations) and Leah Barry and Rob Callahan (Technology).

Of course, this list doesn’t include the multitude of volunteers who work behind the scenes on these committees. MASFAA certainly would not be what it is today without the diligent work of our many talented, dedicated volunteers! I would encourage anyone that is interested in becoming more involved in MASFAA to consider either volunteering for a committee, or volunteering for an individual event (e.g., College Goal Sunday). One of my major goals for this upcoming year is to encourage more of our newer members, as well as members who have not been involved in many years, to get involved in MASFAA’s activities.

Please sign up to volunteer now!

I am very excited about the year ahead and all that we have planned. I welcome your input, suggestions, comments and concerns. I look forward to working with all of you as MASFAA celebrates another successful year!