Event Details

As Alaska’s higher education agency, the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education (ACPE) promotes access to and success in education and career training beyond high school. Consistent with this mission, ACPE is supportive of the use of employer-sponsored student loan repayment programs to strengthen Alaska’s workforce. In addition to helping Alaskan employers remain competitive in the labor market, we believe student loan repayment programs will support the success of the next generation of Alaskan students.

Employer-sponsored student loan repayment assistance programs are emerging as a top tool for recruiting and retaining talented workers. The SHRM 2019 Employee Benefits survey found the number of employers currently offering such programs has more than doubled since 2015. With unemployment rates at record lows, and student loan debt levels at record highs, adoption of loan repayment assistance programs is expected to increase rapidly in the near future. ACPE’s Loan Repayment Initiative seeks to help prepare employers for this movement.

Presenter:

Kerry Thomas – Director of Operations
Kerry Thomas serves as the Director of Program Operations for the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education (ACPE). As director, Ms. Thomas is responsible for administration of the agency’s financial aid programs including loan and grant origination and servicing, program and school compliance with applicable law or guidance. She also oversees ACPE’s research and analysis functions, special programs and projects, including the ACPE Loan Repayment Initiative.

Ms. Thomas joined the Commission in June 2007. Previously she was an Accountant IV with the Department of Health and Social Services. She also worked in the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities as an Accountant IV and Accounting Supervisor, and was a Staff Accountant and Auditor with Walsh, Kelliher & Sharp APC of Fairbanks, Alaska. Ms. Thomas graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Alaska Fairbanks with a bachelor of business administration with a concentration in accounting, and later attained a Master's in business administration in service management from the University of Alaska Southeast.

Richard Millay – Quality Assurance Analyst
Richard Millay is a member of ACPE’s Quality Assurance unit responsible for ensuring program compliance with the state and federal laws that govern the agency. In this capacity, Mr. Millay is responsible for developing and maintaining ACPE’s policy and procedure library and providing agency training. He also provides project management support for special projects, including serving as coordinator for the ACPE Loan Repayment Initiative.

Mr. Millay joined the Commission in June 2016. He has previous State of Alaska service with the Department of Transportation & Public Facilities and the Department of Public Safety. Prior to his State employment, Mr. Millay worked in retail management in the private sector. Mr. Millay graduated Cum Laude from the University of Alaska Southeast in 2016, with a bachelor of business administration with a concentration in management.