Welcome to RMASFAA, 2025-26!
To my colleagues, both current and future RMASFAA members, it is an honor and privilege to welcome you to our 2025-26 year. As I step into the role of President, I do so with gratitude for the leaders who came before me, admiration for the talent and dedication within our community, and excitement for what we will accomplish together in the year ahead.
In all that we do, RMASFAA maintains a spirit of collaboration, community, and innovation. We are committed to:
- Being responsive to the changing landscape of higher education and financial aid administration;
- Empowering financial aid professionals at all levels and institution types; and
- Operating with transparency, sustainability, fiscal responsibility, and unwavering focus on our members and the students they serve.
This year marks the beginning of our transition into RMASFAA’s new 2026–2029 Strategic Long-Range Plan, a roadmap designed to guide our association with clarity and purpose. This plan reflects months of input, reflection, and collaboration and affirms our commitment to professional preparation, leadership development, fostering community, and improving student access and success across the region. The plan outlines four major priorities that will shape our work in the years ahead:
- Training – to support our mission of expanding and elevating training and professional development for our membership
- Community – to foster and strengthen the financial aid community across our region through connection, support, and inclusion
- Involvement – to build member involvement in and support for our association’s structural, operational, and fiscal sustainability
- Impact – to amplify our region’s unique voices and contributions to positively influence the financial aid profession
In my year as RMASFAA President I am endeavoring to ground my efforts in three personal commitments: 1) to have the courage to make tough choices; 2) to leave RMASFAA better than I found it; and 3) to lead with heart. The coming year will bring continued complexity to our work as financial aid professionals. Yet, it will also bring immense opportunity—opportunity to strengthen our community, to invest in one another, and to shape the future of the profession. My three goals serve as a promise: that I will listen deeply, act thoughtfully, and lead boldly, always centering the people who make this association extraordinary.
As we embark on this journey, I am inspired by the resilience, creativity, and compassion I see across our membership. RMASFAA is more than an association—it is a community dedicated to helping students access higher education and succeed. Together, we will continue to build a strong future for our profession and for the students and institutions we serve.
Thank you for the trust you have placed in me. I look forward to leading—with courage, with intention, and with heart—alongside all of you.
With appreciation,
Vanessa Martineau, FAAC
2025-26 RMASFAA President
