Professional Licensure Notifications Now Required!

Aaron Lacey

Partner, Thompson Coburn LLP

Aaron Lacey regularly represents institutions in administrative proceedings before state licensing entities, accrediting agencies, and the U.S. Department of Education, including matters arising from audits, program reviews, and investigations of the Office of Inspector General. Aaron is a frequent writer and speaker on topics relating to higher education policy and federal financial aid programs. He is also the editorial director of REGucation, the Thompson Coburn LLP’s higher education law and policy blog, and host of the firm’s higher education webinar series.

Shari Miller

Consultant

Shari Miller provides practical higher education regulatory consulting services to educational organizations. While director of state authorization at Northern Arizona University, she received the 2016 SANsational Award for the innovative solution of identifying where its 30,000 students are physically located. She was a founding member of the Arizona SARA Council and has served on NC-SARA working committees. She continues to mentor in the SAN Back to Basics Workshop and recently wrote Professional Licensure Disclosures – Implementation Handbook which addresses compliance with the 2019 Federal Regulation. A retired attorney, Shari previously practiced health care law (including licensure).

Jeannie Yockey-Fine

General Counsel, NC-SARA

Jeannie Yockey-Fine is general counsel at NC-SARA. She analyzes federal and state regulations, SARA policies, professional licensure issues and their impacts on SARA institutions, and related policy conversations. Prior to joining NC-SARA, Jeannie held roles as senior state regulatory services specialist with Hogan Lovells, US, LLP, state regulatory services advisor with Cooley, LLP, and senior manager, state regulatory services at Dow Lohnes. In those roles, she assisted her clients with state-related authorizations, NC-SARA applications and related requirements, and state-level professional licensure issues. Previously she was licensure manager/education policy analyst at the Florida Department of Education’s Commission for Independent Education. Jeannie has been an attorney since 1991.

Cheryl Dowd

Senior Director, State Authorization Network & WCET Policy Innovations

cdowd@wiche.edu

LinkedIn Profile

Cheryl joined WCET in August of 2015 as the director of the State Authorization Network. She currently serves as the senior director, policy innovations. She directs the overall activities of WCET’s State Authorization Network (SAN), including coordination of staff addressing interstate policy and compliance, along with other ancillary compliance issues. As senior director, Cheryl also serves the overall WCET membership in addressing emerging and special regulatory issues related to digital learning in postsecondary education. She brings extensive experience in education and compliance to the WCET team and is a contributing author for State Authorization of Colleges and Universities, a guidebook for understanding the legal basis for State and Federal compliance for activities of postsecondary institutions.

Cheryl holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Richmond, a master’s degree in criminal justice from Bowling Green State University, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from James Madison University. She is the mother of four kids, all of whom have been instrumental in helping her develop new interests in theatre, hockey, and figure skating. Outside of work, Cheryl enjoys spending time with her family and is an avid fan of movies and TV shows written by Aaron Sorkin.