COHEAO announces new association management team, legislative consultant, and members to the Board of Directors
Washington, D.C. – The Coalition of Higher Education Assistance Organizations (COHEAO) is pleased to announce and welcome four new members to the Board of Directors. New Board members include the following:
- Christy Blakney of Texas Tech University
- Brett Cassell of Flywire
- Jonathan Joshua of Joshua Law Firm LLC
- Will Shaffner of MOHELA
COHEAO has also elected a new President, Karen Reddick, of National Credit Management and Vice President, Maria Livolsi, of the SUNY Student Loan Service Center. Karen and Maria bring many years of knowledge and experience from the history on the board and in higher education.
The unique insights and diverse breadth of knowledge shared among our new board members and new leadership will undoubtedly enrich COHEAO and help successfully advance the mission and objectives of the organization at all levels. The complete list of 2025 Board of Directors can be found here.
COHEAO will also undergo two management changes to help continue its momentum and improve its services and experience for members of the organization.
Wes Huffman will join COHEAO as its Legislative Consultant, providing the Board with legislative guidance at the national level. Huffman served as COHEAO’s Legislative Director and Associate Director from 2006-2017.
Wes is a seasoned professional with extensive experience developing marketplace, legislative, and regulatory strategies for various companies and organizations. His expertise spans strategic counseling, research, message development, advocacy, coalition building, and grassroots campaign implementation. Wes has focused on student loans, financial literacy, federal budgeting, and financial services. Most recently, Wes served as the Executive Director of the AOBA Foundation, where he launched the “Building Engineering Boot Camp,” a workforce training program for entry-level building engineering and maintenance careers.
Lastly, Donna Stelling-Gurnett, Robin Granger, and Sandra Goldmeer of Hinman Straub Association Management Services (HS-AMS) have partnered with COHEAO. They are leading the charge on organizational management and supporting the organization’s vision, mission, and goals.
HS-AMS has a talented and knowledgeable professional staff with over 30 years of experience in association management. They focus on budget, financial, and project management, board relations and committee structure, communications and public/government relations, professional development training, fundraising, and more.
Statement from COHEAO President Karen Reddick
“I am both humbled and excited to have been elected as the new President of COHEAO. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the board and our membership for their trust and confidence in me. It is an honor to serve this remarkable organization. I am genuinely looking forward to working alongside our talented members, including our new Vice President, Maria Livolsi, Past President, Lori Hartung, Wes Huffman and the team at Hinman Straub to continue COHEAO’s legacy of leadership in the higher education space.”
About COHEAO:
Since 1981, COHEAO has served as a partnership of colleges, universities and organizations.
dedicated to promoting student-friendly, efficiently operated campus-based loan and tuition
payment programs. COHEAO leadership and staff regularly meet with higher education
policymakers and provide member support through various task forces and programs, including
an extensive financial literacy initiative. COHEAO offers professional development
opportunities and subject matter experts to members to assist institutions and their students with
successful outcomes.
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