CSPEN 7th Annual Higher Education Policy Meeting

Protecting and Supporting Career, Technical and Trades Education

(Yes, This Is THE One Everyone Raves About)

Get the latest Washington scoop on all things higher education related directly from the perspective of Education Committee Hill staff, policymakers, higher education think tank specialists, media writers focused on higher education, lobbyist representing our community, Department of Education staff, your peers and more!

CSPEN is once again bringing together panel after panel of Washington’s higher education elite, who have agreed to share both the latest information and as importantly their views on higher education policy, and it’s future. Join school leaders, and other interested parties from across the nation and not only listen to those impacting policy, but engage and understand.

As we finalize the schedule and speakers, in-demand panel discussions like the media panel, lobbyist panel, and think tank panel are secured. We are also working on a Federal Negotiated Rulemaking panel, workforce education panel, and must see Keynotes!

Space is limited and year after year, this CSPEN meeting has sold out.  Don’t risk missing out on all the information, collaboration, and ability to communicate with multiple touchpoints in the development of higher education policy. Once again, we will be hosting you at the Intercontinental DC Wharf, which is listed among the top 3 hotels in DC. Of course, we have secured a discounted rate plus special amenities, so please book your room ASAP using the link below as we sell out every year.

Schedule of Events | List of Speakers | Panel Discussions

Keynote Speakers Include:

• Steve Stepanek – Senior Advisor, President Donald J. Trump
• Lisa McClain – House Republican Conference Chair
• Tim Walberg – House Education Committee Chairman
• James Bergeron – Acting Under Secretary (U.S. Department of Education)

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Panel Discussions

Higher Education Policy and Employer Advocacy
It was recommended to CSPEN by our community that we seek out some of the organizations who represent the employers of our graduates to discuss ways in which we could develop more direct lines of communication and share information on legislation and regulations impacting both the skilled workforce we educate and the employers who look to our community to help meet their demand for skilled workers.  In an effort to respond to the request, CSPEN has held several meetings with various organizations and is honored to have this panel of advocates join us to discuss where synergies exist and how we can work together towards common goals.

Panelists:
Robotics – Don LeFeve, Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Forterra
Trucking – Andrew Poliakoff, Executive Director, Commercial Vehicle Training Association
Aviation Maintenance – Crystal Maguire, Executive Director, Aviation Technician Education Council
Allied Health – Marlo Robinson, National Dean of Nursing, Concorde Career Colleges

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Higher Education Policy From A Macro Perspective
Representatives from both the American Council on Education and the American Association of Community Colleges will once again join us to discuss the overarching higher education policy landscape, the key issues impacting the community which are being deliberated, and the ability to both work together when possible when our policy views are aligned and attempt to bridge the divide when we are not fully aligned with each other.

Panelists:
Emmanual Guillory, Senior Director, Government Relations, American Council on Education
David Baime, Senior Vice President, Government Relations, American Association of Community Colleges

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Higher Education Policy From A Micro Perspective
With micro being a relatively loose term given the great diversity within our community, CSPEN is once again pleased to have a panel of advocates from the private nonprofit and for-profit community join us to provide a comprehensive rundown of the key legislation that they are attempting to influence and what our collective voices can do to assist in the promotion of the interests of our students, institutions, and employers.

Panelists:
Mark Brenner, Vice President, Government Relations, Universal Technical Institute
Conwey Casillas, Vice President, Federal & Government Affairs, Apollo Group
Shane Doucet, Founding Principal, Doucet Consulting
Kristina Gill, Partner, Duane Morris LLP
Jillian Klein, Senior Vice President of Government and External Affairs, Strategic Education, Inc.
T.C. Wolfe, Principal, New Century Government Affairs

CSPEN’s 7th Annual Higher Education Policy Meeting Agenda!

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

12:00 – 1:00 Private Event for Representative Tim Walberg (RSVP Required)

1:00 – 2:00  Welcome and Opening General Session

The Honorable Tim Walberg
Representative of the 5th District of Michigan
Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Workforce

Special Award Presentation to Elizabeth Banks CSPEN Higher Education Community Leader

2:00 – 3:00  Regulatory Compliance: Clery, VAWA, and Title IX Update
James Moore, Senior Advisor, Clery Act Compliance and Campus Safety Operations, Clery Group, U.S. Department of Education

3:00 – 3:30 Break (Sponsored by McClintock & Associates)

3:30 – 4:00 Regulatory Compliance: Auditing Requirements for Title IV Programs Update
Mark Priebe, Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Education

4:30 – 5:30 Department of Education Cybersecurity Compliance Update
Davon Tyler, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Director of Enterprise Cybersecurity Group
Scott Tambert, Division Chief for Institutions of Higher Education Cybersecurity

5:30 – 7:00 Welcome Reception (Sponsored by EdwardsSchoen)
New House and Senate Education Committee Members and Staff Attending

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

7:30 – 8:00   Light Breakfast

8:00 – 9:00   Opening General Session
The Honorable James Bergeron
Deputy Under Secretary, U.S. Department of Education
Currently Serving as Acting Under Secretary, U.S. Department of Education

9:00 – 10:00   Higher Education Policy: What Are Representatives of Our Community Gearing Up For
Panel Discussion

• Mark Brenner, Vice President, Government Relations, Universal Technical Institute
• Conwey Casillas, Vice President, Federal & Government Affairs, Apollo Group
• Shane Doucet, CEO, Doucet Consulting Solutions
• Kristina Gill, Partner, Duane Morris LLP
• Jillian Klein, Senior Vice President of Government and External Affairs, Strategic Education, Inc.
• T.C. Wolfe, Principal, New Century Government Affairs

10:00 – 10:15    Break (Sponsored by Adtalem Global Education)

10:15 – 11:30   Higher Education Policy & Employer Advocacy: Policy Synergies Between Our Community and Representatives of The Employers of Our Graduates
Panel Discussion:

• Don LeFeve, Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Forterra
• Andrew Poliakoff, Executive Director, Commercial Vehicle Training Association
• Crystal Maguire, Executive Director, Aviation Technician Education Council

12:00  House Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Wahlberg Presentation  

12:30 – 1:30     Networking Lunch (Sponsored by Ancora)

1:30 – 2:45   Higher Education Policy Analysis: Critical Data to Inform Debt-t-Earnings Policy Development
Jason D. Delisle
Senior Policy Fellow – Center on Education Data and Policy, Urban Institute

2:45 – 3:00   Break (Sponsored by TEN Government Strategies)

3:00 – 4:00    Higher Education Policy Reporting: The Media’s Perspective

Panel Discussion

• Katherine Knott, News Editor, Inside Higher Ed
• Phil Hill, Publisher, On EdTech Newsletter
• Bianca Quilantan, Education Reporter, Politico

4:00 – 5:00    Higher Education Policy: A Focus on Our Nation’s Veterans
A Special Message From The Honorable Mike Bost
Representative of the 12th District of Illinois
Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

• Donald Franklin, Executive Director, The Veterans Education Project
• Nicholas Weinstein, Legislative Director, The Veterans Education Project

5:00 – 7:00 Reception w/ Guest Speaker Lisa McClain
The Honorable Lisa McClain
Representative of the 9th District of Michigan
Serves on the House Committee on Education and Workforce
Chairwoman of the House Republican Conference

7:00 – 8:00 Private Event for Congresswoman Lisa McClain (RSVP Required)

Thursday, February 13, 2025

7:30 – 8:00 Light Breakfast

8:00 – 9:00    General Session and Award Ceremony

The Honorable Robert “Bobby” Scott
Representative of the 3rd District of Virginia
Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce

9:00 – 10:15    Higher Education Policy Development: What’s Ahead in the 119th Congress

Higher Education Policy Staff Discussions

• Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act
  Marek Laco, Professional Staff Member. House Committee on Education & Workforce
  Scott Estrada, Professional Staff Member, House Committee on Education & Workforce
• Higher Education Act Reauthorization
  Chance Russell. Economist and Policy Advisor, House Committee on Education & Workforce
  Amaris Benavidez. Professional Staff Member, House Committee on Education Workforce

10:15 – 10:30 Break (Sponsored by West Coast University)

10:30 – 11:30  Higher Education Policy: What Our Colleagues Are Gearing Up For

Panel Discussion

• Emmanual Guillory, Senior Director, Government Relations, American Council on Education
• David Baime, Senior Vice President, Government Relations, American Association of Community Colleges

11:30 – 12:30 Final General Session – The New Trump Administration’s Agenda
Steve Stepanek, Senior Advisor, President Donald J. Trump

Afternoon:
Institutions Free to Schedule Meetings with Their Elected Officials

Thanks to Our Sponsors!