2025 STUDENT LOANS & ACCOUNT RECEIVABLES COLLECTIONS CONFERENCE

Patrick Beirne has worked in Student Financial Services for 16 years across three university campuses, the last six as the Senior Director; Bursar and Student Financial Services at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. 

Patrick is a student centric leader who is most proud of the collaborative campus partnerships that have paved the way to recruit, retain, serve, and graduate students.  Patrick fosters an organizational culture that strives to “retain every student” and “collect every dollar”.  In addition to his student-centric emphasis, Patrick focuses on data driven analysis and decision making, as well as consistent business process enhancement. 

Under his leadership Wayne State University recently received the Transact 2025 Student Experience Distinction Award for their work in developing a new Student Account Dashboard – a comprehensive student billing and payment platform that has greatly enhanced their overall student financial experience. 

Patrick has also served on the Client Advisory Board for USI Education Insurance Services as well as Transact Integrated Payments Solutions.

Patrick is a proud alumnus of Michigan State University and Central Michigan University, where he earned Graduate Degrees in Professional Counseling, Human Resources Administration, and Leadership.

Spencer Blackwell partners with finance leaders in higher education to improve student receivables and reduce manual workload. He brings experience helping colleges adopt practical, student-friendly approaches to managing past-due balances.

Marissa Burill has dedicated over two decades to supporting students at Austin Community College, where she has served in the Student Assistance department since 2007 and as an adjunct faculty member in the Student Development department. A proud first-generation college graduate, she earned her degree from the University of Texas at Austin on a four-year scholarship. Drawing on her experience as a financial aid professional and nationally certified financial coach, Marissa is passionate about advancing conversations around financial dignity and wellness to empower students, families, and educators in building stronger financial futures.

Sharon Davis is the Bursar at Columbia College where she brings extensive experience in higher education finance and a strong commitment to supporting access to higher education. Known for her strategic approach and dedication to student success, Sharon plays a key role in managing tuition accounts, compliance, and outreach initiatives that help students navigate the financial process with confidence.

Her greatest joy is being the grandmother to four grandchildren Temperance, Flo, Ella and Max.

Lori S. Hartung is a seasoned leader in the higher education sector, currently serving as the Regional Sales Executive for ECSI, a technology-based solutions provider for colleges and universities.

With over 34 years of experience, she has held key roles, including Regional Director of Sales in the accounts receivable management industry, and Senior Manager of Industry and Government Relations for a student loan servicing company.

Beyond her professional expertise, Lori is an active industry advocate. She serves as the immediate Past-President of the Coalition of Higher Education Assistance Organization (COHEAO) and is a member of the Minnesota Collections Network, demonstrating her dedication to advancing higher education finance.

Lori is known for her ability to make complex, technical topics engaging and accessible. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee with a degree in Political Science, she resides in Dousman, Wisconsin, with her husband and a variety of pets.  Outside of work, she enjoys gardening, canning and organizing events. With a passion for lifelong learning and industry collaboration, Lori continues to make a significant impact in the higher education community.

Maria Livolsi has been with the State University of New York (SUNY) for 34 years, serving as the Director of the SUNY Student Loan Service Center for the past 29 years. Prior to joining SUNY, Maria worked as an accountant in both public and private industry. Maria has a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Siena College and a Master of Science degree in accounting from the State University of New York at Albany. Maria oversees several federal financial aid programs for 30 SUNY campuses with annual expenditures in excess of $325 million. The majority of the services provided by the Student Loan Service Center pertain to the $80 million revolving loan funds for the Federal Perkins, Health Professions and Nursing student loan programs, which currently contain more than 30,000 active borrower loans. Maria is currently serving on the COHEAO Board of Directors as the Immediate Past President and has served on the COHEAO Board in various roles for the past 16 years.

Amber Greenway Neher is the Director of Student Success & Postsecondary Partnerships at the Detroit Regional Chamber, where she leads regional efforts to expand equitable postsecondary access and completion.

She oversees a team driving college access initiatives for recent high school graduates and adult degree completion through Detroit Reconnect, while managing consultant partnerships and strategic convening such as the Regional Debt Forgiveness Compact. Neher launched and directs the Credit Mobility Coalition, a 12-institution collaborative focused on improving credit transfer and recognition of prior learning tied to industry credentials.

She also designed the Postsecondary Student Advisory Fellowship to embed student voice into strategy and systems change, and facilitates the Student Success Cluster within the Detroit Drives Degrees Community College Collaborative.

Currently, she is leading the development of the D3 Adult Learner Success Collaborative, aligning institutions and community partners through a collective impact framework.

Prior to joining the Chamber, Amber led adult learner success initiatives at Wayne State University, including the Warrior Way Back debt-forgiveness program and the founding of the Adult Learner Council. She is pursuing a Ph.D. in Sociology at Wayne State University, where her research explores public trust in higher education through the lens of race, gender, and socioeconomic class.

Brinda Nirmal is a business analyst and emerging business leader specializing in data-driven insights and process optimization. She is currently pursuing her Professional MBA at the University of Louisville, where she serves as Cohort President for the PMBA Class of 2027. With a strong foundation in data analytics and business intelligence, Brinda focuses on transforming procurement strategies, automating enterprise reporting through Power BI, and integrating ERP systems to improve organizational efficiency and decision-making. She also holds an MSc in Business Analytics and is an active member of the Young Professionals Association of Louisville (YPAL), where she completed the competitive Emerging Leaders Program. Recognized for her analytical expertise and leadership in bridging data and strategy, Brinda continues to drive measurable business improvements through innovation and collaboration.

John Noah is the Director of Student Accounts and Business Office at Harding University. He previously served as Director of Admission and Financial Aid at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and has 36 years of higher education experience, with a background spanning admissions, financial aid, and student accounts

Karen is a graduate of Webster University in St. Louis. She has over 30 years of higher education experience. Karen began her career as an Admissions Officer for seven years with Missouri College, working with all aspects of student services. She has been with National Credit Management, servicing colleges and universities, for 23 years. Karen oversees all marketing and sales for NCM, including writing RFPS, maintaining our client base, site visits, and representing NCM at all industry conferences.

As the Legislative Chair, Karen currently serves on the Board of Directors for COHEAO (Coalition of Higher Education Assistance Organizations). Karen also sits on the Texas Higher Education Business Officers (THEBO) and New York State Organization of Bursar and Business Administrators (NYSOBBA) Board of Directors. Karen presents at regional and national industry conferences on Compliance in Higher Education and Identity Theft and represents COHEAO with Legislative and Washington updates.

Shelley Shearer, CPCP, is the Director of Payables for The George Washington University.

This department includes the Procurement Card program, supplier maintenance, expense and invoicing.

With over 15 years of experience, Shelley strives to automate the areas she oversees with a focus on analytics. She is currently on the Higher Education Advisory Team (HEAT) for IOCP. She has provided training sessions and presentations at conferences during her career.

Sean Steinmarc is a dynamic leader dedicated to making education more accessible for all students. A Wharton graduate, Sean leverages his financial services expertise to drive operational efficiencies through technology. After venturing into education financing, Sean launched an award-winning startup that combined gamification and cause marketing to enhance consumer engagement. Currently, he serves as Chair of the Institutional Loan Task Force and Legislative Co-Chair at COHEAO. As CEO at TFC Tuition, Sean applies his financing, technology, and customer experience skills to provide innovative student financing solutions, ensuring school sustainability and student success.

Chris Stompanato, Client Relationship Coordinator/Subject Matter Expert, has over 30 years of client consulting/marketing experience with Student Loan Servicing and has been with ECSI for 15 years. 

Prior to joining ECSI, Chris spent 20 years with ACS managing Perkins loan portfolios for school clients. His resume includes responsibility for managing the partnerships of some of the largest Perkins and campus-based loan schools, a role he has assumed with ECSI. His various positions have provided him with a well-rounded background in outsourcing to institutions in higher education.

Chris serves as ECSI's subject matter expert on Perkins and other campus-based loans, 1098-T's, and delinquent receivables. He has given presentations at numerous industry events and has been a COHEAO representative for over 15 years, while serving on the COHEAO Board for the past three years. 

Chris is a graduate of the University of Illinois Chicago and is a sports fanatic who stays active playing and refereeing hockey on a weekly basis. Fun Fact: Chris has seen the rock band KISS in concert 50 times!

Tom is an Attorney with The Law Offices of Robert A. Schuerger Co., LPA in Columbus, Ohio.

Schuerger Law is a debt collection law firm specializing in collections on behalf of the State of Ohio as Special Counsel to the Ohio Attorney General, as well as local governments and private universities. Tom has been with the Firm since July 2015, serving as the primary litigation attorney.

His practice further consists of research and development regarding compliance policies and procedures for the Firm, with particular emphasis on the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act. He is a current member of the National Creditor’s Bar Association Education Committee as well as the Ohio State Bar Association.

Tom is also admitted to practice law in the State of Michigan and the State of New York.

He serves as Private Counsel to the United States Department of Justice for the Eastern District of Michigan; Western District of New York; and Southern District of Ohio.

Joe Weglarz began his tenure at Marist University over 30 years ago as College Bursar. In 1999, he was appointed Director of Financial Aid, and was promoted to Executive Director of Student Financial Services in 2006.

As Executive Director, he implemented a “one stop shop” approach by combining student billing, financial aid, and student employment operations. As Executive Director, he manages these operations for the University. Recently, Student Financial Services has expanded to include financial literacy and the student loan center.

In 2014 and 2024, Joe was selected to participate in Negotiated Rulemaking and was engaged in negotiations on the proposed regulatory language for the Department of Education.

He currently serves on the COHEAO Board of Directors as treasurer. In addition, he served as the Vice President of Finance for the Northeast Association of Student Employment Administrators (NEASEA), and was appointed President in 2014. He also served on the NACUBO Student Financial Services Counsel. He currently is on NYSFAAA Executive council as past treasurer.

He has presented at various national and regional conferences on regulatory issues, and student financial services topics, such as college affordability, financial aid and bursar operations.

Christopher A. Wyckoff is a dynamic and results-driven sales executive with over 25 years of experience leading business development, account management, and client relations across the healthcare, financial, and technology sectors. He currently serves as a Regional Sales Executive at ECSI, a Global Payments Company, where he leads strategic sales initiatives, fosters long-term client relationships, and drives revenue growth across a multi-state territory.

Prior to joining ECSI, Christopher spent nearly two decades at Iron Mountain, where he held several progressive roles, including Senior Business Development Executive. In this capacity, he managed a portfolio of Fortune 1000 enterprise accounts, consistently exceeding sales quotas and earning recognition as a President's Club Winner and top performer.

His strengths lie in developing and executing growth strategies, identifying new opportunities, and leading cross-functional collaborations that deliver measurable results.