Sallie Mae Appoints Director of HBCU Initiatives

RESTON, Va.
Sallie Mae, the nation's leading provider of education funding, announced recently that Denise Chaisson has been appointed director for the company's historically Black college and university (HBCU) initiatives. In this role, Chaisson will lead an effort to enhance Sallie Mae's and its affiliate brands' longstanding commitment to provide HBCU customers with tailored solutions that best meet their specific needs.
Chaisson has 16 years of financial aid experience and most recently served as an account executive for Sallie Mae in Louisiana and Mississippi. Previously, she was a relationship manager for Bank One, providing education-finance products and services to HBCUs. She is an active member of several regional and state associations for financial aid administrators.
Traditionally, HBCUs have focused on the challenges of admissions and financial aid, including maintaining the low student loan default rates required to participate in federal financial aid programs. Sallie Mae has been the leader in working with schools to provide the customized financial aid programs and debt-management resources for their students and alumni.
To support this effort, Sallie Mae will continue to strengthen its existing relationships with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) and the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO).
"Sallie Mae strongly supports the mission of HBCUs, and through the creation of this new position, we are ensuring that HBCUs have the tools they need to make college a reality for the next generation of African American students," said Kevin Moehn, executive vice president of sales and originations for Sallie Mae. "Denise is an ideal candidate for this role. She has not only the advantage of her own extensive financial aid experience, but also the capacity to expand our relationship with UNCF and NAFEO."
Chaisson attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She will be based in St. Martinville, La., and will report to Rick Robey, president of southeast region higher education sales.