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.

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.

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 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 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.

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 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 Accountant licensed in Massachusetts.

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 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 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 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 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 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 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.

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 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.