Meet Our Board & Leadership
We are led by an innovative, creative Board of Trustees and Executive Team who all share one common quality — a passion for every single student’s success.
Executive Team
Mike Nylund
President & CEO, Ex Officio Board Member
Mike Nylund joined Scholarship America in July 2013, bringing more than 20 years of professional experience and a deep knowledge of financial aid policy and administration to the role of president & CEO. As the organization’s leader, Nylund is dedicated to data-driven solutions that deliver positive, life-changing impacts to students—not just on the way to college, but all the way through their educational pathway and into their careers.
Prior to his current position, Nylund was Scholarship America’s Vice President, Product Strategy and Partner Solutions. In this role, he led product strategy and positioned Scholarship America as a strategic partner to community foundations, corporate foundations, post-secondary institutions and Fortune 500 companies. He oversaw relationships with more than 1,300 partners as well as new business development, leading a Partner Solutions division that distributes more than $230 million in scholarships to over 70,000 students each year.
Previously, Nylund led one of the nation’s largest centralized financial aid offices at Capella University, spearheading a team that packaged and awarded 90,000 student financial aid applications and disbursed close to $800 million annually in federal, state and private aid. He worked side by side with Admissions and Academic Advising to ensure positive student outcomes while maintaining compliance with federal and state financial aid regulations.
Nylund is a graduate of Michigan State University and a former recipient of the Medio J. Bacco Memorial renewable scholarship which gave him access to a post-secondary education. He is a member of the National Scholarship Provider’s Association (NSPA), National College Access Network (NCAN) and the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA).
Mike resides in St. Paul, Minnesota with his husband Scott, where they spend every winter dreaming of a life someplace other than Minnesota.
Richard S. (Rick) Greene
Chief Financial Officer
Rick Greene joined Scholarship America in June 2013. As CFO, Rick leads our finance team and has primary day-to-day responsibility for planning, implementing, managing and controlling all financial activities of the organization.
Abigail Seldin
Chief Growth Officer
Abigail Seldin joined Scholarship America in December 2023 in the role of Chief Growth Officer, leading the marketing, development, and partner solutions departments.
A Rhodes Scholar and experienced executive, Seldin co-founded and led two technology-driven startups from inception to acquisition. In 2012, Seldin co-founded College Abacus, an edtech company that integrated the financial aid calculators for 4000+ institutions, and led its 2014 acquisition by ECMC Group, one of the nation’s largest student finance organizations. In 2022, Seldin co-founded the Civic Mapping Initiative, a national research center that identified 5000+ last-mile transit expansion opportunities to support workforce development; it was acquired by the National League of Cities in November 2023.
Seldin’s track record includes building corporate partnerships, industry coalitions, and philanthropic initiatives to support access to higher education.
Jonell Sanchez
Chief Product and Technology Officer
Jonell Sanchez is an internationally recognized leader in education and business. Prior to joining Scholarship America, he served as the president of learning at ACT, vice president of education solutions at the National Student Clearinghouse, and has held senior positions at Pearson and the College Board. He has vast experience in strategy development and implementation, strategic partnerships, and designing and launching educational products and services.
Jonell is also a first-generation college student. His experience as a childhood immigrant from Cuba and English as a Second Language (ESL) student has driven his lifelong commitment to educational opportunity, access, and success. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, Andreina, and their two children.
Kimberly Hanson
Vice President, Student & Partner Solutions
Kimberly Hanson joined Scholarship America in January 2016 as the Director of Strategic Clients, moving into a Senior Director role later that year and becoming Vice President for Student & Partner Solutions in 2022.
During her tenure, Kimberly has been recognized as an outstanding leader for developing talent, driving engagement, partnering cross-functionally, delivering on her team’s objectives, and participating in initiatives beyond the scope of her role. Kimberly joined us from her previous role at Artful Leaders, where she spent her time coaching, consulting and training other business leaders and teams. Prior to that, she worked at Inside Track as the VP, Operations and Client Management and at Capella University as the Director, Operations & Customer Experience.
Jen Menke
Vice President, Human Resources
Jen Menke joined Scholarship America in April 2014; she leads the organization’s Human Resources department, helping ensure we have a high-quality and engaged workforce that is focused on driving our mission.
Having worked with companies such as GE Commercial Finance, Target, and Ceridian, her career prior to Scholarship America led her through a variety of industries with valuable opportunities to work in both large and small organizations. In addition to her HR experience, Jen has gained valuable knowledge in the areas of operations and account management. Before joining Scholarship America, Jen served as the Senior Vice President, Career and Incentive Development at Stream Global Services, where she was responsible for the creation and execution of the Career Hub, a new non-profit organization focused on education and building careers.
Along with 20 years of experience within the field of Human Resources, Jen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the College of St. Benedict, a Master of Science in Human Resources Management from Purdue University, and a Six Sigma Green Belt Certification.
Board of Trustees
Michael Maney
Chair
Senior Director, Internal Communications, The Home Depot
Michael Maney is a communications and employee experience expert. He serves as the head of internal communications for The Home Depot, the world’s largest home improvement retailer. He has led communications for several other Fortune 100 consumer brands including Disney, Sony, Target, and Amazon’s Whole Foods Market. Maney serves on the Board of Visitors of his alma mater, Berry College, and is a founding member of the Leadership Communications Council for the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.
Treasa Bowers
Vice Chair and Compensation Committee Chair
Senior Vice President of Human Resources, 7-Eleven, Inc.
Treasa Bowers serves as Senior Vice President of Human Resources for 7-Eleven, Inc., leading the company’s talent strategy, overseeing talent acquisition, talent management, training and development, total rewards, HR information technology, and employee relations. Treasa began her career at 7-Eleven in 1983 and over the next three decades was promoted to roles of increasing responsibility within Operations and Human Resources.
Treasa was recognized as Convenience Store News’(CSN) “Mentor of the Year” and one of the “Top Women in Convenience.” She currently serves on multiple non-profit boards including CSN’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board, Scholarship America, and the Global Leadership Enhancement and Mentoring Network.
Treasa holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and management. She is a resident of North Texas, is married to her husband (Tony) and the mother to their son.
Tina Lee
Past Chair
Managing Director, World Journal
President, Cooper Investors, Inc.
Tina Lee is the managing director of World Journal, the most influential Chinese-language media company serving overseas Chinese communities. In addition to their daily news coverage, World Journal’s disaster relief funds have raised millions of dollars to aid victims of disasters. Tina is also founder and president of Greater New York Chinese Dollars for Scholars.
Hazel M. McNeilage
Treasurer and Finance Chair
Independent Non-Executive Director
Hazel McNeilage retired in 2018 from a financial services career across USA, UK, Singapore, Australia and South Africa which included executive roles with Northern Trust, Principal Financial Group and Willis Towers Watson. Hazel is an actuary and a Board Leadership Fellow of the National Association of Corporate Director and she has a certificate in cyber security oversight from Carnegie Mellon University. She is an independent non-executive director of NYSE listed Reinsurance Group of America Inc.
Mike Nylund
President & CEO, Ex Officio Board Member
Mike Nylund joined Scholarship America in July 2013, bringing more than 20 years of professional experience and a deep knowledge of financial aid policy and administration to the role of president & CEO. As the organization’s leader, Nylund is dedicated to data-driven solutions that deliver positive, life-changing impacts to students—not just on the way to college, but all the way through their educational pathway and into their careers.
Prior to his current position, Nylund was Scholarship America’s Vice President, Product Strategy and Partner Solutions. In this role, he led product strategy and positioned Scholarship America as a strategic partner to community foundations, corporate foundations, post-secondary institutions and Fortune 500 companies. He oversaw relationships with more than 1,300 partners as well as new business development, leading a Partner Solutions division that distributes more than $230 million in scholarships to over 70,000 students each year.
Previously, Nylund led one of the nation’s largest centralized financial aid offices at Capella University, spearheading a team that packaged and awarded 90,000 student financial aid applications and disbursed close to $800 million annually in federal, state and private aid. He worked side by side with Admissions and Academic Advising to ensure positive student outcomes while maintaining compliance with federal and state financial aid regulations.
Nylund is a graduate of Michigan State University and a former recipient of the Medio J. Bacco Memorial renewable scholarship which gave him access to a post-secondary education. He is a member of the National Scholarship Provider’s Association (NSPA), National College Access Network (NCAN) and the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA).
Mike resides in St. Paul, Minnesota with his husband Scott, where they spend every winter dreaming of a life someplace other than Minnesota.
Muneera Carr
Trustee
Executive Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer, Wells Fargo & Company
Muneera Carr joined Wells Fargo as controller in 2020, and she is responsible for managing the company’s accounting and reporting, corporate tax, and controllership activities. She has more than 20 years of public accounting and financial services experience in both the public and private sectors, and was selected as one of 25 Most Powerful Women to Watch by American Banker. At Wells Fargo, Carr is also the executive sponsor of the Asian Team Member Network and co-sponsor of Women in Finance network.
Dr. James Dlugos
Trustee
President, Saint Joseph’s College
Dr. James Dlugos became president of Saint Joseph’s College in July 2012, championing a bold plan for ensuring the school’s place as an exemplary 21st-century Catholic liberal arts college in the Mercy tradition. In 2015, he was named one of Maine magazine’s “50 Mainers” who are shaping the future of the state. Dr. Dlugos currently serves as president of the Maine Independent Colleges Association and as chair of the board of directors of Maine Campus Compact, which seeks to reinvigorate the public purposes and civic mission of higher education.
Alain Karaoglan
Trustee
Senior Vice President, New York Life
Alain Karaoglan is a Senior Vice President of New York Life with oversight of a portfolio of strategic insurance businesses that includes Group membership Association Division, Institutional Life, New York Life Direct and Seguros Monterrey New York Life. This diverse set of businesses significantly supports New York Life’s earnings and industry-leading financial strength.
Daniel Hae-Dong Lee, Ph. D.
Trustee
Senior Vice President, Business Operations and Transformation, Smithbucklin
Daniel Hae-Dong Lee serves as Senior Vice President of Business Operations and Transformation at Smithbucklin, a 100% employee-owned association management and professional services company. He came to this role from his previous position as Vice President, Business Strategy and Operations at Ellucian, a private equity-backed EdTech software / SaaS company, leading strategic growth programs and operations excellence, and helped Ellucian successfully be acquired by Blackstone and Vista Equity Partners in September 2021.
Prior to his corporate executive roles, Dr. Lee worked in management consulting for more than 20 years, working with C-suite executives at Fortune 100 companies, non-profits and federal agencies to foster innovation and introduce efficient approaches to strategic planning and operations. In addition to leadership roles at McKinsey & Company, The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Accenture, he served on the board of the Common Application, where as Interim CIO / COO he helped revitalize the solution which processes five million applications each year for more than 800 member institutions. Dr. Lee was also a winner of Consulting Magazine’s Top 25 Consultants award in 2016.
Santiago Marquez
Trustee
CEO, Latin American Association
Santiago Marquez was born in Cuba and came to the United States in 1971; he has been working in the non-profit sector since 1998. He is the Chief Executive Officer of the Latin American Association (LAA), Georgia’s largest nonprofit organization serving the Latino community. Prior to joining LAA, he served as President & CEO of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and as Director of Latino Outreach at Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
Marquez is a graduate of Georgia State University and is pursuing postgraduate education at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza School of Business. He is an alumnus of the Buckhead Business Leadership Class and Leadership Atlanta, and serves on multiple boards including the Aurora Theatre and Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. He is the proud husband of a beautiful wife and very proud father of two beautiful daughters.
Barbara B. McBee
Chair Pro Tem, Trustees Honor Roll
Barbara B. McBee recently retired as the Executive Director of the Global Center for Health Innovation, where she was responsible for design, implementation and administration of operational systems including strategic planning, project management, employee and manager development and management of capital, operating and revenue budgets totaling $11.9 million.
An active volunteer in her community and school systems, McBee lives in Bedford Heights, Ohio, and has one daughter and two grandchildren. She has served in various roles on Scholarship America’s Board of Trustees and Honor Roll Trustees since 2003.
Samata Narra
Student Success Advisory Committee Chair
Senior Vice President, Equity and Inclusion, Content Strategy at WarnerMedia
As the Senior Vice President, Equity and Inclusion, Content Strategy at WarnerMedia, Samata Narra is responsible for building innovative tools and creative solutions to help facilitate the advancement of diversity in WarnerMedia’s global storytelling. Prior to WarnerMedia, she served as Senior Vice President of Comedy Development and Current Programming for FOX.
A native of Pikeville, Kentucky, Narra earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Marketing from the Boston University School of Management. She sits on the board of Film2Future, a non-profit providing equitable access to the entertainment industry for underrepresented LA youth.
Joseph Palombo
Trustee
Integration & Project Associate, Verisk Analytics
Joseph Palombo is responsible for executing and improving the integration process related to mergers and acquisitions at New Jersey’s Verisk Analytics, and he brings his years of financial experience to the Scholarship America board. The son of a New York City firefighter who lost his life on 9/11, Joe and seven of his siblings attended college in part thanks to Scholarship America’s Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund.
Salman Ravala, Esq.
Growth Committee Chair
Founding Partner, Criscione Ravala, LLP
M. Salman Ravala is an attorney, arbitrator, and mediator in New York City. He is the Founder of Dollar-A-Day Scholarship Fund, Member of the Advisory Council at Islamic Scholarship Fund, Member of the Board of Trustees at Scholarship America, and leads a variety of Access to Justice and Access to Higher Education initiatives around the United States and globally. He is a Life Fellow at the New York Bar Foundation and teaches at Columbia University and New York Law School.
Lucinda D. Robb
Governance Committee Chair
Author and Philanthropist
Lucinda Robb worked for 15 years at The Teaching Company/Great Courses, where she was Director of Recruiting and advised world class professors on how to give better lectures. Prior to that she worked for the Center for Legislative Archives at the National Archives, serving as Project Director for exhibits and educational outreach projects. Robb occasionally writes non-fiction book reviews for the Washington Post, and in 2020 she co-authored an award winning young adult book, The Suffragist Playbook: Your Guide to Changing the World. A serial volunteer, she currently serves on the non-profit boards of the National Archives Foundation, Running Start, and Network2Work, and founded KidsGiving, a project to teach children philanthropy. Robb lives in Arlington, VA with her husband, three children, one barky dog and over 500 PEZ dispensers.
Richard J. Schwab
Trustee
Entrepreneur
Richard J. Schwab is an entrepreneur, woodworker, angel investor, builder, organic farmer and community volunteer. His 25-year career in the corporate sector included leadership positions at National Computer Systems (NCS) and Medtronic, Inc. He is a past chair of the Scholarship America Board of Trustees, and founder of the Solon (IA) Dollars for Scholars chapter.
William C. Young
Trustee
Chief Executive Officer, Plastipak Packaging, Inc.
William Young’s leadership of Plastipak Packaging and Absopure Bottled Water earned him Michigan’s 2005 Entrepreneur of the Year Award. In addition to his business interests, Young sits on the board of the University of Detroit Mercy and serves as president of the Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars chapter.