Rachel Cardwell
2121 N Westmorland St. Arlington,VA
Summary
With a robust background at Georgetown University, I excel in VA policy interpretation and fostering interdepartmental collaboration. My expertise in managing veteran affairs and benefits, coupled with a track record of enhancing operational efficiency, underscores my ability to navigate complex compliance landscapes and drive significant organizational achievements.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Assistant Registrar-Veterans Affairs & Benefits
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
03.2020 - Current
- Responsible for VA compliance requirements with National, Regional, and SAA VA offices
- Develop and maintain various reporting requirements, i.e., graduation, academic progress, dual certification and withdrawals
- Audit ~900 student accounts each semester to confirm accurate 9/11 and Yellow Ribbon payments
- ~18 years experience implementing federal rules and regulations regarding VA/DoD Education Benefits
- Supervise and conduct regular trainings with School Certifying Officials, VA Work Study, & Admin Staff
- Stay abreast of legislative changes that impact the military and/or student veteran population
- Leverage NAVPA, SVA, American Legion, and VFW leadership for help with legislative concerns
- Submit required 85/15 and 35% exemption reports
- Coordinate with Senior Business Managers for annual submission of Yellow Ribbon agreement
- Collaborate with Financial Aid, General Counsel and Academic Compliance Offices to implement new policies
- Submit grades and degree completions in AI and Navy portals
- Attend VA and DoD required trainings and webinars
Assistant Director-Veterans Office
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
08.2018 - 03.2020
- Served as a liaison for the campus, admissions, administration, faculty, staff, students and relevant organizations on educational opportunities for veterans and military-connected students
- Cultivated and maintained knowledge of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD) education benefits and attends annual School Certifying Official trainings
- Advised 50 prospective military-connected students per week in-person, by teleconference, and by email about VA and DoD education benefits and scholarship opportunities
- Served as a liaison to connect over 1,200 military-connected students with services throughout the campus in support of academic achievement and educational goal completion
- Collaborated with the School Certifying Official in the Registrar’s Office, the Office of Student Financial Services, and the Office of Billing and Payment Services to support the VA certifications and DoD Tuition Assistance processes and assists with benefit and account inquiries from students and staff
- Assist with coordinating and overseeing 5 annual on-campus programs that focus on connecting military-connected students to career development, health and wellness support, mentorship, faculty and administrator engagement, and bridging the military-civilian divide
Director of Operations
Warrior-scholar Project
Washington, DC
01.2015 - 08.2018
- Oversaw coordination of 17 annual academic boot camps at top-tier universities and colleges serving 245 service members and student veterans transition from a combat to a classroom environment
- Continuously identified ways to improve day to day operations and implement new innovative ideas
- Oversaw on average, 7,500 annual website inquiries from potential volunteers, service members, student veterans, and university staff and built strategic partnerships with key university stakeholders to ensure active community engagement and collaboration
- Oversaw Warrior-Scholar Project’s policies, procedures and governance policies to ensure compliance of the organization’s 501(c)(3) non-profit status
Veteran Services Manager
Grantham University
Kansas City, MO
08.2005 - 01.2015
- Educated approximately 50 military-connected students daily on the various VA education benefits, application process and financial assistance
- Oversaw five full-time staff members responsible for certifying approximately 3,800 students per month
- Established and maintained effective working relationships with student affairs, faculty, bursar’s office, administrative staff, ELR and SAA representatives
- Certified over 200 student veteran enrollments in VA, once per week, in addition to daily responsibilities.
- Monitored 48 degree and certificate programs to ensure VA compliance with the 85/15 regulation.
- Prepared various reports and documentation to verify attendance, grades, and academic progress.
- Verified 650 certifications per week that were submitted in VAOnce to ensure compliance with federal and state laws
- Developed certification and reporting policies that align with federal and state regulations, ensuring that all procedures complied with new and amended regulations
- Developed training material and trained over 300 university employees on more than 50 changes to VA education benefits, tuition assistance, joint services transcripts (JST), and amended VA regulations
- Prepared 62 student files annually that comprised over 800 VA documents in preparation for 15 compliance surveys from both the Department of Veterans Affairs and the State Approving Agencies over a 10-year period
Education
Some College (No Degree) - Business Administration and Management
Northern Virginia Community College
Annandale, VASkills
- Higher education experience
- VA policy interpretation
- Enrollment Manager (Formally VAOnce)
- Banner
- Fresh Service
- Calendly
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Visio
- Adobe Pro
- Salesforce
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Assistant Registrar-Veterans Affairs & Benefits
Georgetown University
03.2020 - Current
Assistant Director-Veterans Office
Georgetown University
08.2018 - 03.2020
Director of Operations
Warrior-scholar Project
01.2015 - 08.2018
Veteran Services Manager
Grantham University
08.2005 - 01.2015
Some College (No Degree) - Business Administration and Management
Northern Virginia Community College
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