Skip to Account Sign In Skip to Site Menu Skip to Footer Menu Executive Team James H. Steeley is President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Mr. Steeley joined the Agency in November 2015 as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). In February 2018, he was also named Chief Operating Officer (COO), then Interim President and CEO in July 2018. He took on the official role of President and CEO in January 2019. Prior to joining the Agency, Mr. Steeley was Senior Vice President, Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer at Susquehanna Bancshares, Inc., the Assistant Vice President of Finance at the Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union (PSECU) and a Senior Manager in Financial Services Practice for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Mr. Steeley is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting at Elizabethtown College. Judith S. Bines is Senior Vice President of Internal Audit. Ms. Bines joined the Agency in 2016. Her responsibilities include serving as an independent resource for conducting internal audits and advisory services projects, as well as coordinating various external audit activities. Prior to joining the Agency, Ms. Bines held Chief Audit Executive positions at FleetBank Boston and StoneMor Partners and was the Director of Information Security at AmerisourceBergen. Ms. Bines earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Business from Arcadia University, her Master of Business Administration degree in Finance from LaSalle University and her Master of Science degree in Taxation from Philadelphia University and holds CPA.CITP, CISA, CRISC, CFSA and CIA certifications. Nathan Hench is Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Guaranty & Strategy. Mr. Hench joined the Agency in 2005 as Vice President of Legislative & Board Affairs. In his current role, he oversees the Agency's guaranty, strategy, public relations, state legislative affairs, marketing, communications, public service, and State Grant & Special Program functions. Mr. Hench’s role also includes executive oversight for the Human Resources and Learning and Development functions for PHEAA. Prior to joining the Agency, Mr. Hench was Executive Director of the Pennsylvania House Finance Committee. He began his career with the Finance Committee as a Research Analyst in 1999. Mr. Hench holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Lebanon Valley College and a Master of Business Administration in Management from the Pennsylvania State University. Kyle Lefever is Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Mr. Lefever joined the Agency in 2009. He is directly responsible for all aspects of financial reporting, accounting, budgeting, public finance, and administration. Mr. Lefever previously served as the Agency’s Chief Accounting Officer where his responsibilities included all aspects of financial reporting, accounting operations, and financial controls. Prior to joining the Agency, Mr. Lefever held positions at Deloitte and KPMG. Mr. Lefever holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Shippensburg University and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant. Stephanie Martella is Senior Vice President of Client Relations, Loan Operations, and External Audits. Mrs. Martella joined the Agency in 1988. Her responsibilities include managing third-party external client relationships, including Federal and Alternative Loan assets, as well as overseeing systems provided to Remote Clients. She also oversees the operations for servicing these portfolios and the contractual testing associated with compliance of these responsibilities. Mrs. Martella holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Organizational Behavior from Albright College and a Master of Science in Leadership and Business Ethics from Duquesne University. LaWanda Morris is Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer. Ms. Morris joined PHEAA in December 2018. Her responsibilities include the Agency's risk management operations, including managing, reporting, and overseeing the firm's risks externally and internally to the organization. Prior to joining the Agency, Ms. Morris provided consulting services focusing on the areas of risk management, finance, and accounting. Ms. Morris was Senior Vice President and Head of Capital Management for TD Bank and Senior Manager in Financial Services and the Consumer Finance Group for PricewaterhouseCooper LLP. Ms. Morris holds a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance from The Wharton School – University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Florida A&M University and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant. Carol L. Scott is Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO). Ms. Scott joined the Agency in September 2020. She is responsible for strategic leadership of the technology organization and the delivery of solutions that will position PHEAA as a leader in education technology. Prior to joining the Agency, Ms. Scott was Managing Director of Digital and Technology Innovation at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). She also held director positions in PwC's IT Strategy and Enterprise Architecture Divisions. She brings 20+ years of experience in the information technology arena. Ms. Scott holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University. Kathleen A. Smith is Senior Vice President and Director of Federal Relations. She joined the Agency in April 2019. Ms. Smith represents PHEAA in Washington, DC and serves as the primary liaison between the Agency and the U.S. Congress, along with other federal agencies. Prior to joining the Agency, Ms. Smith held several senior positions in higher education and student aid-related organizations, including the role of Deputy Chief Operating Officer at Federal Student Aid, Special Assistant to the Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary in the Office of Postsecondary Education in the U. S. Department of Education, as well as roles within the Office of Postsecondary Education under multiple administrations. Ms. Smith has held positions with both the U.S. House and Senate Education Committees, beginning her career as a Financial Aid Administrator for D’Youville College in Buffalo, NY. Ms. Smith holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from D'Youville College in Buffalo, NY, a Master of Public Administration from the University of New Haven in New Haven, CT, and a Master of Arts – Communications: Journalism and Public Affairs from American University in Washington, DC. Jean Svoboda Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, and Board Secretary. Ms. Svoboda joined PHEAA in March 2019. Her responsibilities include overseeing and managing the Legal Services Division, being the primary relationship manager for the CFPB and state regulators, and serving as PHEAA's Board Secretary. Ms. Svoboda previously focused her practice areas in transactional matters, particularly mergers & acquisitions, divestitures, securitizations, fintech, financial reporting, public disclosure, corporate governance, risk management, regulatory affairs and compliance. Prior to joining PHEAA, Ms. Svoboda was in-house counsel for several financial institutions including M&T Bank, Susquehanna Bancshares, Inc., and Sterling Financial Corporation. She was also a partner at the law firm of Shumaker Williams PC. Ms. Svoboda received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska and her Juris Doctorate degree from Creighton University School of Law. 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(NMLS# 1619466 NMLS Consumer Access). PHEAA conducts its student loan servicing operations commercially as American Education Services and for federally-owned loans as FedLoan Servicing.