Agenda (Tentative)
Monday, July 20, 2026
1:00 – 5:00 PM
Registration (Beachwood/Runyon/Laurel)
6:30 – 8:00 PM
Welcome Reception (Pool Deck)
Tuesday, July 21, 2026
7:00 – 5:00 PM
Registration (Beachwood/Runyon/Laurel)
7:00 – 8:30 AM
Breakfast Refreshments (Ray Dolby Salon 4-6)
8:30 – 9:00 AM
WAVES Welcome (Ray Dolby Salon 1-3)
Jason Garcia, WAVES President
Color Guard
American Legion Auxiliary Unit 252
Star-Spangled Banner
Jessica Young, Program Manager, The Los Angeles Film School
Pledge of Allegiance
Darcy Schnuth, WAVES 1st Vice President
Introductions: WAVES Board, VA & SAA Presenters
(General Session)
9:00 – 10:00 AM
NASAA Update and Introductions (Ray Dolby Salon 1-3)
Rebecca Ryan, NASAA President
(General Session)
10:00 – 10:30 AM
Break & Resource Fair (Mezzanine Level)
10:30 – 12:00 PM
(Breakout Sessions)Â
New SCO Training* (Ray Dolby Salon 1-3)
Edgar Ford, Education Approval Specialist
SCO Training Requirements* (Studio A-B)
Ramon Torry, Education Approval Specialist
Vocational Flight Programs* (Studio C)
Tina Keeter, Chief Education Liaison Officer
12:00 – 1:30 PM
Lunch on your own
WAVES Board Candidate Information Session (Solano)
1:30 – 2:30 PM
Catalog Submissions & Review Process: Institutions Perspectives (Ray Dolby Salon 1-3)
Everette Jackson, NASAA East Region Vice President
(General Session)
2:30 – 3:00 PM
3:00 – 4:00 PM
Refreshment Break (Mezzanine Level)
(Breakout Sessions)Â
Preventing Homelessness Among Student Veterans (Studio A-B)
Eddie Boquilla, Veteran Support Specialist, USVETS Phoenix
Out of Uniform, Into the Interview: Closing the First-Impression Gap for Transitioning Veterans (Studio C)
Aaron Crist and Melinda Yee Franklin, MyCareerCloset
Lights, Camera, Credit! Advancing Veteran Student Success Through JST and CPL (Studio D-E)
Calvin Klein Gloria, Director of Military CPL Pathways, Riverside Community College and Leslie Alarcon, Veterans Counselor, Moreno Valley College
Beyond Benefits: Why Student Veterans Should Consider the American Legion (Solano)
Dr. Kathy Cash, Commander
4:00 – 5:00 PM
State Breakout SessionsÂ
California - CSAAVE (Ray Dolby Salon 1-3)
Washington and Arizona (Studio A-B)
Texas (Studio C)
All Other States (Studio D-E)
6:30 – 10:00 PM
Teambuilding Activity – 90’s Dance Party (Ray Dolby Salon 4-6)
Wednesday, July 22, 2026
7:00 - 12:00 PM
Registration (Beachwood/Runyon/Laurel)
7:00 – 8:00 AM
Breakfast Refreshments (Ray Dolby Salon 4-6)
8:00 – 9:00 AM
Student Veterans of America (Ray Dolby Salon 1-3)
Cory Boatwright, SVA National President
(General Session)
9:00 – 10:00 AM
Federal Updates (Ray Dolby Salon 1-3)
Kenneth Smith, Executive Director, Education Service, DVA
(General Session)
10:00 – 10:30 AM
Break & Resource Fair (Mezzanine Level)
10:30 – 12:00 PM
85/15 Requirements* (Ray Dolby Salon 1-3)
Glen Pena, Supervisory Program Oversight Specialist
12:00 – 1:30 PM
Lunch on your own
1:30 – 3:00 PM
(Breakout Sessions)Â
Enrollment Manager* (Ray Dolby Salon 1-2)
Adrian Ramirez, Education Approval Specialist
Yellow Ribbon Programs* (Studio A-B)
Rogelio Garcia, Education Approval Specialist
Compliance Surveys* (Studio C)
Glen Pena, Supervisory Program Oversight Specialist, and Tina Keeter, Chief Education Liaison Officer
3:00 – 3:30 PM
Refreshment Break (Mezzanine Level)
3:30 – 5:00 PM
(Breakout Sessions)Â
Understanding Supervisory Visits and Risk Based Surveys (Studio A-B)
Kathy Snyder, NASAA West Region Vice President
The AI-Powered SCO: Using NotebookLM and Gemini Gems for Efficiency and Accuracy (Studio D-E)
Ross Atkinson, Ph.D, Veteran Services Program, Aims Community College and Jared Polito
Bridging the Gap: Managing VA Educational Benefits and Financial Aid for Student Success (Studio C)
Dr. Takesha McMiller, Northern Virginia Community College
The Hidden Curriculum: Closing the Civilian Career Etiquette Gap for Student (Solano)
Aaron Crist and Melinda Yee Franklin, MyCareerCloset
6:30 – 8:30 PM
SCO Banquet & Awards Dinner – Masquerade Ball (Ray Dolby Salon 3-6)
Thursday, July 23, 2026
7:00 – 8:00 AM
Breakfast Refreshments (Ray Dolby Salon 4-6)
8:00 – 8:30 AM
WAVES Business Meeting (Ray Dolby Salon 1-3)
Jason Garcia, WAVES President
(General Session)
8:30 – 10:00 AM
Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) (Ray Dolby Salon 1-3)
Chantile Stovall, Acting Executive Director of VR&E
(General Session)
10:00 – 10:30 AM
Break & Resource Fair (Mezzanine Level)
10:30 - 12:00 PM
Debt Management Center* (Ray Dolby Salon 1-3)
Julie Lawrence, Chief of Operations, Veterans Resolution Division
(General Session)
12:00 – 1:30 PM
Lunch on your own
1:30 – 3:00 PM
(Breakout Sessions)Â
Non-College Degree Programs* (Ray Dolby Salon 1-3)
Adrian Ramirez, Education Approval Specialist
Work Study Programs* (Studio A-B)
Jose Gutierrez, Education Approval Specialist
SVA Chapter Growth and Government Affairs (Studio C)
Student Veterans of America: Faisal Sulman, Legal Fellow, and Jacelynmarie Achiu
3:00 – 3:30 PM
Refreshment Break (Mezzanine Level)
3:30 – 5:00 PM
(Breakout Sessions)Â
Compliance with Confidence: A Practical Compliance Readiness Framework for SCOs (Studio A-B)
Vannessa Haydee Weber and Ariel Williams, Veracity Research Solutions
From Confusion to Clarity: Simplifying VA Benefits Communication (Studio C)
Chassidy Jackson, Director of Military and Adult Education, Albany State University
Partners in Progress: Demystifying GI Bill® and ARNG Education Benefits (Studio D-E)
Barry Schnaitman, Program Manager
* SESSIONS COUNT TOWARD THE VA'S SCO ANNUAL TRAINING REQUIREMENT AND WILL BE AVAILABLE TO CERTIFY VIA THE SCO TRAINING PORTAL POST CONFERENCE.