2022 Clock Hour Workshop Presenters

Anita Olivencia (USDOE)

Many people believe that a career in financial aid is not a profession you choose on purpose, and once upon a time Anita would have agreed. Now, she has 30 years of experience in the administration of Title IV funds. Anita Olivencia has been with the U.S. Department of Education’s office of Federal Student Aid for 23 years, first as a Direct Loan client account manager then as a training officer for the past 17 years. She started as a fresh college graduate where an opportunity came up to work at a small proprietary institution.

Interacting with students and parents was more than making sure applications and forms were completed correctly and on time. Soon, many would choose to confide in her to recount their personal stories, challenges, and achievements. She gladly listened without judging. She knows that many FAAs have the gift of empathetic listening, which is a lost virtue much needed around the world today. As an FAA, her work experience ranged from having a student caseload, overseeing the Direct Loan Program and the Student Employment Office, and delivering financial aid nights for Spanish-speaking students.

Anita holds a bachelor’s in business with a major in accounting from the University of Puerto Rico, and an MBA from Salem State University, Salem, MA. She credits her main strengths to be in programs offered in modules, the Federal Pell Grant Program and Direct Loan Program, and the Return of Title IV Funds. 

Pedro "Pete" Hernandez (OSFA)

Pedro Hernandez is the current Director of Outreach Services for the Florida Department of Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance, OSFA, in charge of the Federal loan portfolio as well as the nearly 30 State of Florida Scholarship and Grant programs.  Pedro has been with the agency in this role since 2009.

Pedro Hernandez graduated from Florida State University with a baccalaureate degree in International Affairs with an Emphasis in Economics.   

Pedro Hernandez has over 20 year’s financial aid experience.  His industry tenure started as a college work-study student at Florida State University in the financial aid office.  Throughout his experience, he has held positions as a financial aid officer, lender representative, and guarantor servicer.  He also has been active in many industry organizations such as local and national financial aid associations, (FASFAA) Florida Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, (SASFAA) Southern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and (NASFAA) National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and (FAPSC) Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges.    

J'Dale Berner (ProEducation Solutions)

J’Dale Berner has worked in higher education for the past 20 years and financial aid since 2005. J’Dale has extensive experience with clock-hour financial aid, serving as Director for over 7 years at Finger Lakes College of Nursing and Health Sciences, an associate degree granting institution with multiple clock-hour programs. Since 2013, J’Dale has been the Director of Financial Aid at a small post-secondary adult vocational school offering clock-hour LPN programs in New York. In addition to serving as Director of Financial Aid, J’Dale also serves as the Executive Vice President at ProEducation Solutions overseeing operations, training, compliance, and software development. J’Dale has a Master of Science degree from Keuka College and a Baccalaureate degree in Communications from Alfred University in New York.

Jeanne Schurman (Hillsborough Community College)

Dr. Jeanne Schurman is currently the Financial Aid Manager for all Clock Hour and Non-Standard term programs for Hillsborough Community College in the Tampa Bay Area.  With a BS in IT, and MBA in Management and Strategies, and an EdD in Educational Leadership and Management, Dr. Schurman will be celebrating her 35^th year in higher education, in a few months, with 28 of those years in financial aid.  She has been fortunate enough to have worked with both for-profit as well as non-profit institutions in positions as Financial Aid Director, Regional Financial Aid Director, and Interim Campus Director/Operations Manager throughout her career.  

Teriann Wright (Orange County Public Schools)

Teriann Wright currently holds the position of Senior Administrator, CTE Financial Services and Compliance at Orange County Public Schools in Orlando, Florida.  She supports the five Orange Technical College Campuses Financial Aid and Business Offices to stay consistent in federal, state and VA compliance.  With a BA Degree in Communications Teriann has over 33 years of experience in Financial Aid.  She also supervisors the Orange County Public Schools District Certification Specialist and works on many grants in the Career and Technical Education department.  Teriann was the past FASFAA Vocational/Clock Hour Chair in 2019 and 2020.  With her efforts, among others, FASFAA won the NASFAA 2020 Gold Star Award for “Clock Hour Workshop” an honor she gladly appreciated.

Kim Phillips (St. Petersburg College)

I have been working in Post-Secondary for almost 30 years after starting out in Banking.  I have had tremendous opportunities to learn many aspects by working for a Private College, two vocational schools and two Community Colleges, State Colleges.

Most of this time has been in Financial Aid as an Advisor and a Director.  All of my time has been in Florida Schools and I have had about 18 years of Financial Aid work with Clock Hour Programs. 

I love the outdoors, hiking, camping and adventuring.  I have two son’s whom I am very proud of, Chandler Phillips and Spencer Phillips. 

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Clock Hour Vocational Chair for 2022-2023.

Tiffany Randolph (Lorenzo Walker Technical College)

Tiffany A. Randolph is a proud native of Tallahassee, FL where she earned her Bachelor of Science and Master of Education degrees from Florida A & M University. Currently, she serves as an Assistant Director at Lorenzo Walker Technical College in Naples, Florida (where we are #GulfShoreStrong!).

For the past 13 years, Tiffany has been committed to providing empowering leadership in the world of secondary and post-secondary Career & Technical Education. Prior to her debut in CTE as a Vocational Preparatory Instructor (VPI), now known as Applied Academics for Adult Education (AAAE), she served as an elementary education teacher for 10 years in the states of Florida and Georgia.

Her leadership doesn’t begin or stop at the front doors of her educational institution. She continues to serve and grow within her community through a variety of professional organizations and her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.®

She is a lifelong learner who is passionate about compliance, strategic planning, and collaboration. She believes that no matter how much skill, knowledge, or talent you may have at something, there is always someone who is doing it better than you. The importance of knowing this is that you can use this knowledge as a tool to motivate yourself to be better in everything you do.

Karissa Lawson (UCF)

Karissa Lawson is a Financial Aid Coordinator at University of Central Florida. She received both her Bachelor's in Business Administration and Masters in Nonprofit Management Degrees from UCF.

After 11 years of working in Financial Aid, Ms. Lawson has earned all her Nation Association of Student Financial Aid Administrator credentials and is currently working on obtaining her Financial Aid Administrator Certification. 

Ms. Lawson loves working with students/parents and helping them with their financial aid needs. She believes that it’s her job as a financial aid administrator to assist the student population with their financial aid questions and concerns.

Even with working in the financial aid office for 11 years, she is always willing to learn something new, given the constant changes in financial aid policy and procedures.

She currently resides in the Central Florida area, where she loves volunteering at several nonprofit organizations that assist with community development. When she is not working or volunteering, she spends her time with family and friends.