TASFAA Member Profile
Brenda Paganelli, NSLP
By Melet Leafgreen, Texas Christian University

Brenda Paganelli, Regional Director of Business Development for the National Student Loan Program (NSLP), has been a member of TASFAA for one year. I asked Brenda, who has affiliations with regional, national, and state organizations all over the country, to talk about professional development.

ML: What is your favorite type of professional development to attend?
Brenda: Definitely conferences and workshops—I love feeling like I am learning from others around me.

ML: What is consistently the most reliable source of professional development?
Brenda: I find working with the resources who are the experts in the area of which I am trying to develop or grow are the most helpful. For instance, as I strive to learn more about financial literacy, I am enrolled in the AFCPE certification program to become a certified financial planner beginning in April.

ML: What’s the best professional development you’ve ever participated in?
Brenda: I feel the best professional development was during the year I served as the MASFAA state president, where I strived to grow professionally to support not only my state organization but participate in regional and national professional organizations and events. One excellent one was the NASFAA Leadership Symposium in Washington D.C.

ML: What do you feel is the most difficult issue facing guarantors today?
Brenda: One of the biggest challenges facing us today is defining the mission, purpose of “the guarantor” in the marketplace.

ML: What do you feel your company has to offer that is unique or provides value to a school or lender?
Brenda: It has been very fulfilling to be part of the comprehensive Financial Literacy Programs that we offer at NSLP, most notably our AFCPE Certification Program partnership. To date, we have assisted close to 100 participants from School Financial Aid Offices and Lenders in attaining more high level skills to better communicate financial options for students and families. I am excited to begin this program myself in April. I feel it will better prepare me to assist my school and lender partners.