Thank you all again for the opportunity to serve such an amazing community in the field of Financial Aid as we transition from the GSA: Committee on Student Financial Assistance (COSFA) committee to the Learner Access, Support, Opportunity, and Retention Group: Financial Aid Management and Education (FAME) community of practice. What a year we have all had! The spotlight has been placed on the FAME community and you have proven to be among the most dedicated and caring community that I could ever ask for both to your students and to your colleagues.
As we say goodbye to COSFA, I want to recognize and thank publicly all who have served along the way. Each one of you has had a hand in shaping not just my career, but the entire profession of medical school financial aid professionals through your leadership and planning for the community. Thank you! Know that as we move forward, your work will continue in the hands of the newly formed FAME community of practice. In fact, our mission has not changed; we will continue to work to provide the best possible guidance on legislative and regulatory issues, support in all aspects of financial aid, and to promote the interests of our community to the broader medical school community and beyond. We will do this through collaboration with our AAMC partners and other Learner Access, Support, Opportunity, and Retention Group communities of practice, and by working together within the FAME family. We will also seek continued innovation throughout these turbulent times as we work together to offer more education and collaboration opportunities.
The look of the community of practice will be a little bit different than in the past, with more of a focus on institution type and roles of practice. Let me welcome your inaugural FAME committee; Alisa Lopez, MiM; Jenn Toomey, MS; Lydia Cowher, MPA; Doug Stupec, MPA, FAAC; Christina Grabowski, PhD (Liaison to RAiSE), and Brianne Camacho, MS (SOAR Liaison). Thank you all for your service!
We encourage you to join us by participating in our community calls, attending and engaging in the national professional development conferences. Your feedback and involvement are crucial to our success. The knowledge, discussion, and innovation you bring are vital, and we are stronger for your participation. We have so much that we can learn from each other, so I look forward to continuing our work together!
Thank you,
Casey Wiley, MEd
FAME Committee Chair