megaphone image
The FAFSA opens on December 1st

Review our steps to make sure you’re ready

Jump to Announcement Dismiss

Search Site

Suggestions

Paying
Scholarships with December Deadlines
3-min read
Paying
Scholarships with November Deadlines
3-min read
Paying
Questions Parents Asked about the CSS Profile
5-min read
Saving
A Gift Card to Help Pay for College
2-min read
Saving
Best College Savings Plans
1-min read
Paying
How to Prepare for the 2025-26 FAFSA
2-min read
About Us

Our Mission: College Affordability for All

We are a state authority with an essential public function, committed to helping students and their families plan, save, and pay for college and reach financial goals.

Father and son

What We Do

Guide Families

Our College Planning Team offers live webinars, as well as support via phone, email, and one-on-one appointments, to help families, in real time, navigate every stage of planning for college and beyond.

Create Resources

Our articles, calculators, videos, podcast, and email curriculum are designed by our expert staff to stay relevant, timely, and comprehensive.

Focus on Students

MEFA Pathway, our free college and career planning website, guides students in grades 6-12 toward a future that fits them best.

Train Partners

We provide trainings for school counselors, college access professionals, and college administrators to share our knowledge on a range of college planning topics, including financial aid, admissions, and student loans.

Provide Financial Solutions

Our tax-advantaged savings plans allow families to save for college and disability expenses, while our competitive, fixed-rate loans offer an affordable financing (and refinancing) option for a college education.

Community-Oriented and Value-Minded

Decades of Service

The Massachusetts State Legislature created MEFA in 1982 to help families pay for college

Free Resources

Articles, webinars, podcast episodes, videos, calculators, and more guide families through college planning

Versatile Products

Tax-advantaged savings plans and fixed-rate loans provide affordable college financing solutions

MEFA Leadership

Board of Directors

MEFA’s Board of Directors meets on a regular basis, and a copy of the Board meeting calendar is available upon request. At each meeting, the Board votes to approve the Minutes of the prior meeting. Meeting Minutes are available following Board ratification. For upcoming meeting agendas or copies of Minutes from previous MEFA Board meetings, please contact Lisa Rooney at (617) 224-4838, [email protected], or through our Public Records Request form.

Keith C. Shaughnessy, Chairman
Chairman & CEO, Metapoint Partners

Mr. Shaughnessy is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Metapoint Partners, which he co-founded in 1988. He was previously Division Executive/Managing Director of the Acquisition Finance Division of Bank of Boston.

Gary Bailey, MSW, ACSW, Vice Chairman
Assistant Dean, Simmons College

Mr. Bailey is an Assistant Dean at Simmons University College of Social Science, Public Policy and Practice. He holds dual appointments as a Professor of Practice at the Simmons School of Social Work; and at the School of Nursing and Health Science. He is also the Director of the Certificate in Clinical Social Work and Urban Leadership at the School of Social Work.

John D. Burke
Financial Vice President and Treasurer, Boston College

Mr. Burke is the Financial Vice President and Treasurer at Boston College. A distinguished financial services leader with over 32 years of experience in higher education and healthcare, Mr. Burke joined Boston College in 2008. Serving as the university’s chief financial leader, Mr. Burke oversees all operational and organizational functions across the finance division. Prior to joining Boston College, Mr. Burke served in leadership roles in the healthcare industry including Mass General Brigham (formerly Partners HealthCare), St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center and Caritas Christi Health Care System.

Kelly Lynch
Vice President, Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff, Babson College

Ms. Lynch is Vice President, Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff at Babson College. A distinguished strategic communications professional with nearly 20 years of experience, Ms. Lynch joined Babson in 2011 and currently serves as a member of the College’s executive leadership team and key advisor to the President. Prior to joining Babson, she was Principal/Senior Vice President at Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications.

Amanda Magee
Chief Financial Officer, Curtis Industries, LLC

Ms. Magee is the Chief Financial Officer of Curtis Industries, LLC. She has over twenty years of broad experience in entrepreneurial manufacturing companies, previously serving as the Chief Financial Officer of Comark LLC, Director of Global Pricing and Analytics at Technetics, Inc., a division of EnPro Industries and Chief Financial Officer at Fabrico, Inc.

Costas Panagopoulos
Professor and Chair, Department of Political Science, Northeastern University

Dr. Panagopoulos is a Professor and Chair, Department of Political Science, at Northeastern University and also serves as the Editor of American Politics Research. He previously taught at a number of universities including Yale, Columbia, NYU, and Fordham, and is a distinguished researcher with numerous publications in the areas of American Politics, Methodology, and Applied Politics.

Mark J. Quinn
Founder and CEO, Priority Financial Associates, LLC

Mr. Quinn is the Founder and CEO of Priority Financial Associates, LLC. A distinguished financial professional with over 25 years of experience, Mr. Quinn recently retired from his role as the Chief Financial Officer at OSRAM Sylvania Inc., OSRAM Americas where he was responsible for overseeing the financial operations of OSRAM Sylvania Inc. and all the OSRAM Americas companies operating in six countries with over $1B in revenue.

Leadership Team

MEFA is led by an extraordinary group of professionals whose uncommon commitment and expertise has been essential in helping students achieve their college goals. The six members of the MEFA leadership team average more than 15 years of service at MEFA, and continually enable our organization to expand and enhance the resources we offer to college-bound students and their families.

Thomas M. Graf
Thomas M. Graf
Executive Director

Tom joined MEFA in December 1999. Prior to that, he served as Budget Director and Deputy Budget Director at Fiscal Affairs Division, and Director of Legislative Affairs/Fiscal Affairs for the Office of the Governor for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Tom received his BS in Business Administration from Merrimack College.

Elizabeth K. Fontaine
Elizabeth K. Fontaine
Assistant Executive Director

Liz joined MEFA in February 1993 after serving as Director of the Massachusetts State Scholarship Office. Prior to that, she held several positions related to college financing. She received her BA from Assumption College and completed graduate study at Clark University.

James Leighton
James Leighton
Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer

Jim joined MEFA in 1997 and has been part of the leadership team since 2003. His management portfolio includes responsibility for the capital markets activities, loan originations and loan servicing, risk management and regulatory compliance, financial planning and budgeting, accounting policies and financial reporting. Prior to joining MEFA, he was a Portfolio Administrator for Mercantile Bank & Trust Company and a Financial Analyst for U.S. Trust and Fleet Management & Recovery Corporation. Jim received his BS and MBA degrees from Northeastern University.

Anna Devlin
Anna Devlin
Director of Savings Programs

Anna joined MEFA in March 2002, and before that she held financial analyst and client manager positions at Fidelity Investments. She is responsible for managing the U.Fund College Investing Plan, the U.Plan Prepaid Tuition Program, and the Attainable® Savings Plan. She graduated from Suffolk University, where she received her BS and MPA.

Lori Seuch
Lori Seuch
Chief Information Officer

Lori joined MEFA in January 2004 as the Director of Loan Operations, and in 2010 she took on the responsibility of overseeing the Information Technology department. Before joining MEFA, she had worked in the financial aid industry for 15 years. Lori received her BA from the University of Vermont and her Masters in Higher Education Administration from Boston University.

Penny Hauck
Penelope V. Hauck
Chief Marketing Officer

Penelope first joined MEFA in 1997 as a coordinator for the college savings team. After taking a break to work in the start-up phase of Upromise and to teach art to children of all ages, she returned to MEFA in 2003 to establish the Marketing and Communications Department. Penelope earned her BA from Clark University and her Masters of Arts in Teaching in the field of Museum Education from George Washington University.

Matt Sheedy
Matthew Sheedy, CPA
Senior Director of Accounting

Matt joined MEFA in July 2012 as Director of Accounting, and in 2015 took on responsibility for the human resource functions of the Authority. Before joining MEFA, Matt worked in the financial services industry for 15 years. He received his BS in Accounting from Salem State University and is a Certified Public Account licensed in Massachusetts.

College Planning Team

The MEFA College Planning Team is a group of experienced college planning professionals who provides assistance with everything from reviewing your financial aid offers to making a plan to pay your college bill to starting to save for college

Darina Barreto
Darina Barreto
Assistant Director of College Relations

Darina joined the MEFA team in 2019. In her role, she onboards new colleges and universities while creating a relationship with each school. Darina works closely with the college relations team to resolve issues and improve MEFA’s servicing capabilities to make it easier for schools to work with MEFA. Before joining the team at MEFA, while acquiring her Bachelor’s degree in Business Management at Framingham State University, Darina worked in multiple departments where she gained a high level of leadership and customer relationship building skills.

Jennifer Bento-Pinyoun
Jennifer Bento-Pinyoun
Director, K-12 Services

Jennifer joined the MEFA team in 2014 as Program Manager for their comprehensive career and college planning portal MEFA Pathway. Working with educators, students, and families across the Commonwealth, Jennifer provides support in many capacities with the goal of addressing and promoting post-secondary planning for students. She received a BA in Educational Psychology from Keene State and a master’s of Education in Teaching and Learning from Argosy University.

Shaun Connolly
Shaun Connolly
Communications Associate

Shaun joined MEFA in 2016 and currently works as a Communications Asociate. He provides guidance to students, families, and schools counselors on all topics related to planning, saving, and paying for college, including the U.Plan and U.Fund, college admissions, financial aid, and student loans. He also serves as a part of the Editorial Team, editing and creating new content for the MEFA audience. Prior to working for MEFA, Shaun was a teacher and counselor in the Worcester Public Schools, and received a degree in Communications from Bridgewater State University.

Adam Hartwell
Adam Hartwell
Community Outreach Manager for MEFA Savings Programs

Adam joined MEFA in 2022 and has almost 20 years of experience working in community advocacy, developmental disability supports, and education. In his role at MEFA, Adam works with a wide range of national, state, and local organizations and individuals to offer education and training on MEFA’s Attainable Savings Plan. Adam has several professional certifications, including his certification as a Massachusetts Human Rights Officer, and won ANCOR’s National Award for Excellence in Innovation in 2018.

Jonathan Hughes
Jonathan Hughes
Associate Director of College Planning and Content Creation

Jonathan Hughes joined MEFA in 2001 as a loan counselor. As Associate Director of College Planning and Content Creation, he provides guidance on planning, saving, and paying for college to students and their families through several different channels. He also works with the Editorial Team to create new content including the 90 Seconds with MEFA video series, the MEFA Podcast, and blog posts. As well, he conducts webinars on college financing and the importance of saving for college, and works collaboratively with several community-based organizations on behalf of MEFA. He is a member of the MASFAA Financial Wellness Committee and has a BA in Communications from Emerson College.

Apelila Joseph
Apelila Joseph
MEFA Pathway Program Manager

Apelila Joseph joined MEFA in 2021 as the MEFA Pathway Program Manager. In her role, she works with educators, students, and families across Massachusetts in assisting with post-secondary planning and success. Prior to joining MEFA, Apelila worked as the Springfield Promise Administrator where she oversaw Springfield Public Schools College Financial Aid Advising Program and Naviance implementation. She received her BA in Environmental Science and Policy from Smith College and her MBA from Bay Path University.

Andrea Keenan
Andrea Keenan
Coordinator, K-12 Services

Andrea joined MEFA in August 2024 as Coordinator, K-12 Services. In this role, she will work to bring MEFA’s programs and resources to all K-12 students and their families throughout Massachusetts. Previously, she served as the Director of College and Career Counseling and Program Chair at Excel Academy Charter High School in East Boston, where she also founded the DREAM team to manage high-school-based immigration support and advocacy initiatives. Before joining Excel in 2017, she was a Bilingual Education Adviser at the ASA College Planning Center in Boston, overseeing the Satellite EOC in Chelsea for five years. Andrea also taught TESOL in Nantes, France. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bowdoin College and a Master’s in Public Policy with a focus on Education Policy from UMASS Dartmouth.

Shawn Morrissey
Shawn Morrissey
Director of College Relations
Shawn joined MEFA in 2022 and has over 30 years of experience working in the financial aid industry. In his role at MEFA, he works with colleges and universities to amplify MEFA’s public service mission to help families plan, save, and pay for college. Shawn has served in several leadership positions in local, regional, and national associations, including serving as MASFAA and EASFAA President and regional representative to the NASFAA Board and currently serves as a member of the Conference Committee with EASFAA. He has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Anna Maria College.
Julie Shields-Rutyna
Julie Shields-Rutyna
Senior Director of College Planning, Education, and Training

Julie has been with MEFA since 2007 and is a nationally recognized subject matter expert on planning, saving, and paying for college. She leads the College Planning Team providing assistance to families, colleges, K-12 schools, and community-based organizations. Prior to joining MEFA, Julie worked for the College Board, Nellie Mae, and American Express, and was the Director of Financial Aid at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She holds degrees from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Cambridge.

Stephanie L. Wells
Stephanie L. Wells
Director of College Relations

Stephanie Wells joined MEFA in 2001 and has 30 years of experience in the higher education financing industry. She is a member of the NASFAA Associate Member Advisory Board and also serves on MASFAA’s conference committee. Stephanie is passionate about MEFA’s public mission of educating and supporting families on the college enrollment and financing process. She is a seasoned presenter, having educated students, families, school counselors and financial aid administrators on many topics related to financing higher education. She is also a longtime volunteer for The First Tee Massachusetts Boston chapter committed to helping kids build character strengths and important life skills through the game of golf. Stephanie received her B.S. Degree in Speech Communications from Bridgewater State University and has completed graduate study for a joint Master’s degree in Public Administration and Political Science at Suffolk University.