Overview
Work History
Timeline
Cynthia Thornton

Cynthia Thornton

Arlington,TX

Overview

40
40
years of professional experience

Work History

President

TLC REAL Solutions, Inc.
06.2022 - Current
  • Real Estate Investor, Capital Management, Acquisitions Manager of properties in Texas, Louisiana, Connecticut, Florida; Capital Manager

Division Chief

US Department of Education
Dallas, TX
11.2011 - 03.2025
  • Responsible for overseeing, monitoring and providing overall effective oversight of Title IV compliance for approximately 600 Institutions of higher education in the states of Texas, Arkansas Oklahoma, New Mexico and Louisiana.
  • Effectively planned the work of the Division to ensure Mission-critical work was accomplished with a team of 25 when fully staffed ensuring workload balance, productivity, performance monitoring.
  • Worked closely with internal stakeholders providing concurrences, collaboration on a variety of Title IV issues; responding to issues;
  • Effectively managed external stakeholders with complex, difficult or poetically sensitive issues.
  • Prepared for, presented delivered presentation on escalated cases and workload status to Sr. Leadership/COO/OUS; Worked closely with other partners (AAASG/OGC, etc.) when necessary and worked to find a path forward for extremely difficult/complex cases.
  • Fostered an environment of continuous improvement; regularly reviewed team and manager effectiveness and aligns staff strength and organizational approaches with performance optimization.
  • Developed strategic partnerships to address improvement opportunities or to develop innovative approaches to effectively manage workload within and across divisional boundaries.
  • Sponsored, led and contributed to the broader School Eligibility School Group initiatives aimed at aim improving overall effectiveness.
  • Developed plans to most effectively utilize staff, travel, budget and other resources to meet unit objectives; Regularly reviewed how resources were effectively utilized to achieve division goals.

Training Officer

US Department of Education
Dallas, TX
01.2008 - 01.2011
  • Developed and implemented training programs that increased institutional effectiveness in administering Title IV programs.
  • Facilitated workshops and seminars for Title IV Schools and educational partners
  • Created and edited comprehensive training materials for Fundamentals of Title IV programs focused on schools new to Title IV.
  • Evaluated and assessed training needs through surveys and performance metrics, enabling the organization to customized training programs for schools
  • Collaborated with cross-functional teams to design e-learning modules, while maintaining high educational standards.

Director of Financial Aid

Dillard University
New Orleans, LA
04.1997 - 09.2007
  • Responsible for Title IV Administration for an institution with 2200 students
  • Played a vital role in business resumption of Dillard University after Hurricane Katrina; Served as Interim Assist Vice President for Student Financial Aid Services from January 2006 -2-7; The primary responsibility was to supervise the Financial Aid Staff and the Student Accounts staff; Created and maintained the employee location database immediately after the storm; Assisted the Interim Vice President for Business & Finance with essential business functions; Principal Investigator for a $80,000 grant to implement electronic records management system;
  • Provided leadership for the administration of federal, state, institutional and private aid programs.
  • Played an instrumental role in Dillard University's enrollment growth over a seven-year period as a part of the Enrolment Management Division by implementing aid packaging strategies to attract and retain students
  • Managed a $19 Million dollar aid program with an enrollment of 1100 students (post-Katrina): Pre-Katrina managed a $32 Million dollar aid program at Dillard university with an enrollment of 2312 undergraduate students;
  • Authored a grant and secured $195000 grant to establish the Scholarship for Disadvantaged Nursing Students;
  • Served as a NASFAA Standards of Excellence Peer Reviewer for both public and private Institutions;
  • Established partnerships with external agencies to assist in the management and marketing the college.
  • Trailblazer in the implementation of Electronic Funds Transfer IEFT) for LA schools;
  • Successfully implemented new financial aid management systems: Powerfaids 2005-06; Jenzabar Teams-2000

Assistant Director of Financial Aid

Dillard University
New Orleans, LA
04.1996 - 04.1997
  • Responsible for the administration of the student loan programs.
  • Responsible for the computer operations, EDE, Whizkid

Director of Financial

Texas College
Tyler, TX
08.1995 - 03.1996
  • Responsible for the overall coordination of the student aid programs
  • Coordinated the responses to five years of open audit/program review findings.

Auditor

Bruno Tervalon
New Orleans, LA
05.1995 - 08.1995
  • Performed general compliance audits of federal aid program for five HBCUs in Louisiana. Provided computer related management consulting services for the firm.

Financial Aid Consultant

Leymoyne-Owen College
Memphis, TX
10.1994 - 12.1994
  • Performed a general compliance audit of 1992-1993 award year.

Financial Aid Director

Grambling State University
Grambling, LA
11.1989 - 09.1994
  • Responsible for the administration of Title IV programs, institutional and state aid programs.
  • Managed a $40 Million aid program at GSU with an enrollment of 78000 undergraduate and graduate students.
  • Managed a staff of 20 individuals

Financial Aid Analyst

Grambling State University
Grambling, LA
01.1986 - 08.1986
  • Assisted in the coordination of the college work-study program; duties included preparing timesheets, assigning workstations; monitoring college work-study activities; Key punched all incoming mail; generated operational reports from the computer as required

System Engineer

Electronic Data Systems
Romulus, MI
05.1985 - 01.1986
  • Monitored IBM Series 1 Color CRT, graphic display panel and printer, analyzed crane, conveyor, and system problems; produced daily downtime reports, coded, executed a debugged COBOL, ALC and JCL.

Timeline

President - TLC REAL Solutions, Inc.
06.2022 - Current
Division Chief - US Department of Education
11.2011 - 03.2025
Training Officer - US Department of Education
01.2008 - 01.2011
Director of Financial Aid - Dillard University
04.1997 - 09.2007
Assistant Director of Financial Aid - Dillard University
04.1996 - 04.1997
Director of Financial - Texas College
08.1995 - 03.1996
Auditor - Bruno Tervalon
05.1995 - 08.1995
Financial Aid Consultant - Leymoyne-Owen College
10.1994 - 12.1994
Financial Aid Director - Grambling State University
11.1989 - 09.1994
Financial Aid Analyst - Grambling State University
01.1986 - 08.1986
System Engineer - Electronic Data Systems
05.1985 - 01.1986

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Cynthia Thornton