NACUA Staff

Francisco Pardo, J.D., has served NACUA and its members since July 2017. As a member of NACUA’s leadership team, he works daily to execute the association’s strategic framework to sustain excellence, enhance the member experience, and innovate for the future.  He enjoys forging meaningful connections with the wonderful community of members across the country and working to ensure that NACUA continually supports their needs as the home of higher education law.

As NACUA’s Director of Legal Resources, Francisco oversees NACUA’s full array of continuing legal education programming and publications.  He leads a team of talented lawyers and professionals who provide excellent, insightful, and timely information to advance the practice of higher education law.  For close to a decade, he has served as the primary staff member responsible for the development and implementation of the legal education sessions and content for the NACUA Annual Conference.  In addition, he assists with collaborative programming efforts between NACUA and other national higher education associations, as well as with external outreach to government agencies, regulators, and thought leaders.

Prior to joining NACUA, Francisco served as Associate Director in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action at Columbia University, where he investigated discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct complaints made against faculty and staff, worked to ensure disability access, and promoted diversity and inclusion. He began his legal career in public service as the Complaints & Investigations Analyst for the New York City Campaign Finance Board, handling sensitive and high-profile investigations to ensure compliance with New York City’s landmark taxpayer-funded campaign finance system and to root out public corruption.

Francisco has served on the Board of Directors of several nonprofit organizations, including Equal Justice Works and the National Youth Leadership Council. He earned a Bachelor of Arts summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from The George Washington University, after enjoying a year at the University of Oxford studying politics, law, and history. He earned a Juris Doctor from Fordham University School of Law and was awarded the Archibald R. Murray Public Service Award.

Anna Moir, J.D., Senior Legal Resources Attorney, rejoined NACUA in February of 2022, having started her career by serving as a law fellow at NACUA from 2018-2019. She manages NACUA’s online legal resources as well as those provided on the Higher Education Compliance Alliance website. She also develops and manages NACUA’s Title IX Coordinator Training online course and other NACUA educational programming, including CLE workshops, webinars, and NACUA’s in-person and virtual General Counsel Roundtables.  Additionally, Anna assists in collaborative programming efforts between NACUA and other higher education associations and on outreach to governmental agencies regarding issues of interest to NACUA members.

Prior to joining NACUA, Anna was an attorney with the Virginia Division of Legislative Services, which is the attorney body for the General Assembly of Virginia. In that role, she drafted legislation in the areas of higher education, K12, and health law, and served as counsel for the Senate Committee on Education and Health and other commissions, committees, and studies.

Anna graduated magna cum laude from Roanoke College, where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and earned her J.D. from Washington and Lee University School of Law. She is admitted to the bar in Virginia.

Anne Meehan, J.D., joined NACUA in 2025 and serves as NACUA’s Policy and External Outreach Counsel. In this role, she leads NACUA’s efforts to track the rapidly evolving federal higher education policy landscape and its implications for colleges and universities.  She also oversees NACUA’s association collaboration efforts, creating opportunities for campus general counsels to share their legal expertise and perspectives with federal policymakers and the broader higher education community. She manages the publication of NACUA’s New Cases and Developments and serves as staff liaison to the Journal of College and University Law. 

Anne is a senior government relations expert with more than twenty years’ experience in higher education policy and law. She previously served as Assistant Vice President of Government Relations at the American Council on Education, where she led and coordinated advocacy efforts among the nation’s colleges and universities. Prior to ACE, Anne served as Professional Staff Member and Legislative Counsel to U.S. Senator Susan M. Collins. Her work has spanned a broad range of issues, including Title IX, campus safety and the Clery Act, accreditation, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, campus free speech, the Title IV student aid programs, and the federal budget and appropriations process. She has testified before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs; and the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity. Prior to working in the Senate, Anne was a labor and employment associate with the Washington, D.C. office of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP.

Anne graduated magna cum laude from Kenyon College and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She received her J.D. from the Duke University School of Law and is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia. 

Taylor Zelman Woodward, J.D., Legal Resources Attorney, rejoined NACUA in April of 2024, having worked as a law clerk at NACUA from 2021-2022 during law school. She supports the development and implementation of the NACUA Annual Conference and other NACUA continuing legal education programming, including CLE workshops, webinars, and briefings. Additionally, Taylor develops and manages several of NACUA’s online courses.

Prior to joining NACUA, Taylor was the Senior Law Fellow in the Office of General Counsel at Cornell University. She has also worked in the Penn State University Office of General Counsel and the SUNY Office of General Counsel in the Student Conduct Institute.

Taylor graduated summa cum laude from Virginia Tech in 2019 where she studied political science and criminology. She earned her J.D. in 2022 from Penn State Law School with concentrations in Constitutional Law and Civil Rights and Public Interest Law.

Michele Bastacky, J.D., Legal Resources Attorney for Strategic Initiatives, joined NACUA in June of 2025. As a member of NACUA’s Legal Resources team she supports the development and piloting of member programs and services, serves as the primary moderator of NACUANET, assists with publications, engages in collaborative programing with higher education associations, participates in external outreach with government agencies, and helps to develop continuing legal education programming.

Prior to joining NACUA, she was a General Attorney in the Office of General Counsel’s Division of Business and Administrative Law and in their Oversight practice at the U.S. Department of Education. After law school, she served as a Legal Fellow in the Office of General Counsel at the National Education Association (NEA).

Michele graduated magna cum laude from The George Washington University in 2017 where she studied political science. She earned her J.D. in 2022 from American University Washington College of Law with a focus on education law. She is admitted to the bar in Washington, DC.

Rachel Jenkin, J.D., Law Fellow, rejoined NACUA in August of 2024, having worked as a summer intern in 2023. She supports the Legal Resources team by drafting summaries for NACUA’s New Cases and Developments, responding to research requests, preparing legal memoranda and materials, creating Resource Roundup publications, and assisting in the development of NACUANOTES. 

Prior to joining NACUA, Rachel interned with the Penn State University Office of General Counsel and North Carolina State University’s Office of Technology Transfer. While in law school, she worked for the Entrepreneur Assistance Clinic and was elected President of the Student Bar Association. Upon graduation, Rachel was invited to be a member of the National Order of the Barristers for her exceptional advocacy and litigation skills. She earned her J.D. in 2024 from Penn State Law School with concentrations in Public Interest, Advocacy and Litigation, Corporate Law and Practice, and Intellectual Property. 

Prior to law school Rachel served as an AmeriCorps member with the Michigan College Access Network and Grand Rapids Community College. Rachel graduated from Grand Valley State University in 2019, where she studied psychology and served as Student Body President.

Morgan Metsch, J.D., Law Fellow, joined NACUA in September of 2025. She supports the Legal Resources team with development and implementation of the Annual Conference, CLE workshops, and virtual programming offerings. In addition, she creates Resource Roundups, updates the Transition Updates Litigation Tracker, assists with the resource library, and drafts memoranda.

Prior to joining NACUA, Morgan was a Law Clerk for the Northeastern University Office of General Counsel. She was also a Legal Intern for the Massachusetts Advocates for Children and a Judicial Intern for the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court. While in law school, she was a research assistant for the Public Health Law Watch and the Salus Populi Program at The Center for Health Policy and Law at Northeastern University School of Law.

Morgan graduated cum laude from American University in 2020 where she received a Bachelor of Arts in sociology with a minor in justice.  She earned her J.D. in 2025 from Northeastern University School of Law.

Ashley, Legal Resources Specialist, joined NACUA in November 2021. She provides support to the Legal Resources team by assisting with the organization of materials relating to online courses, virtual seminars, workshops and conferences.

Before coming to NACUA, Ashley worked in nonprofit energy policy, and performed research in the humanities, biology, and social sciences on topics ranging from child health and policy in the Caribbean to analyzing the works of C.S. Lewis. She graduated from Baylor University in 2012 with a B.A. in Philosophy and minors in Chemistry and Medical Humanities, and went on to earn a Masters in Public Health from the University of Virginia in 2016. Additionally, she became a Certified Health Education Specialist in 2021, and is a member of the American Society for Association Executives.

Laura Tilmann, Director of Finance and Operations, joined NACUA in July 2013. Laura is responsible for the maintenance of all financial records, preparation of monthly and year-end financial reports, cash management, maintenance of investment reports, and oversight of personnel records. She also serves as staff liaison to the Association’s auditors.

Previously Laura worked as a Senior Accountant at the accounting firm of Garbelman, Winslow, Benish, Deck, Grannell and Ewaski CPAs in Upper Marlboro, MD, where she performed external audits of nonprofit organizations and employee benefit plans. Prior to her work at GWBDG&E, she was with Calibre CPA Group, another public accounting firm. 

Laura is a 2006 graduate of the University in Maryland, College Park with a B.S. in Accounting and a B.S. in Finance. 

Megan Burley, Human Resources and Operations Specialist, joined NACUA in September 2022. Her role supports the finance department and assists maintaining day-to-day office operations.

Prior to joining NACUA, Megan worked in benefits management and coordination in Virginia. Megan graduated from the University of Mary Washington in 2021 with a B.L.S. in Leadership and Management.

Ashley Hodak Sullivan, Senior Director of Membership and Marketing, joined NACUA in December 2018. She is responsible for managing the daily activities of the membership department, including developing an array of member services and benefits, designing member communication strategies, and managing the annual sponsorship campaign. In addition to serving as the staff liaison to the Committee on Membership and Membership Services and the Committee on Honors and Awards, Ashley also oversees the maintenance of membership records and the annual dues billing process.

Prior to joining NACUA, Ashley was an account executive with international association management firm Kellen, where she represented Garden Communicators International (GardenComm, formerly GWA) as deputy executive director and Hotel Electronics Distribution Network Association (HEDNA) as executive director. Additionally, Ashley spent seven years in the legal association realm, serving as COO for the New York State Trial Lawyers Association (NYSTLA) and marketing and communication manager for the Maryland Association for Justice (MAJ).

Ashley is a very active member and volunteer with ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership and has served on several committees and councils including the Young Association Professionals Committee, Executive Management Council, and currently serves on the Membership Professionals Advisory Council, where she is immediate past chair. In June 2023, she earned her Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential. 

Ashley holds both a BA, magna cum laude, in Arts Administration and an MBA, magna cum laude, from West Virginia Wesleyan College.

Deborah Kim, Senior Marketing and Communications Strategist, joined NACUA in June, 2023. Her role supports the Director of Membership and Marketing in developing and executing the association’s marketing and communications strategies. 

Prior to joining NACUA, Deborah worked in marketing, editorial, and membership both in the United States and South Korea. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Edinburgh. 

Dominic Ryan Cuison Vince Cruz joined NACUA as the Member Services Assistant in May 2025. His role supports the Director of Membership and Marketing as the first point of contact for members regarding applications, member profile management, and miscellaneous inquiries, in addition to assisting CLE accreditation efforts.

Prior to joining NACUA, Dominic Ryan worked as Client Service and Data Liaison at EngageUSA, managing the processing of recurring donor transactions for non-profit clients, producing donation mailing data reports, and responding to client inquiries. He also previously interned with Public Allies DC assisting their management and recruitment efforts for Americorps membership.

He graduated with a B.A. in International Studies, and a B.A. in Economics from Washington College in 2022.

Meredith McMillan has served NACUA and its members since August 2001. As a member of NACUA’s leadership team, she develops event strategies that align with the mission, values, and strategic priorities of the organization and collaborates across departments to elevate the member experience.

As NACUA’s Director of Meetings and Events, Meredith leads the department’s day-to-day operations, including managing budgets and negotiating contracts, building strong relationships with event partners, and overseeing all event logistics, including venue selection, catering, and registration. She works closely with the Legal Resources team to assess member needs, partners with the Technology team to enhance event experience and operational efficiency, and collaborates with the Marketing team to support event promotion. Meredith also serves as the co-staff liaison to the Committee on Honors and Awards, supporting the celebration of excellence within the higher education law community.

Meredith is a member of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and PCMA’s Capital Chapter. In February 2008, she earned her Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) credential.

Meredith is a graduate of Randolph-Macon Woman’s College and received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.

Amanda McLean, Meetings and Events Planner, joined NACUA in January 2020. As part of the Meeting & Events team, she manages all aspects of registration for workshops and conferences, ensuring a smooth and user-friendly experience from start to finish. In addition to registration, she plans and coordinates networking events, facilitating meaningful connections among attendees. Amanda also works closely with the Technology team to help develop and maintain event websites and mobile apps, enhancing accessibility and engagement for members, partners with the Finance team with event payment processing, and supports the Membership team with the administration and processing of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits to ensure attendees meet their continuing education requirements.

Amanda is a member of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and PCMA’s Capital Chapter.

Prior to joining NACUA Amanda worked in both the compliance and publishing fields in both Washington D.C. and New York. She graduated in 2017 from State University of New York at Geneseo with a B.A. in International Relations and concentration in War & Peace studies.

Madhujith oversees the day-to-day operations of the information technology environment. He additionally researches, recommends and implements new and enhanced technology projects for NACUA in collaboration with other staff members.

Prior to joining NACUA, Madhujith served as the Director of IT Solutions at Codice, LLC and played a key role in the Technology team at DC Public Schools. He has extensive experience in the nonprofit educational sector, combined with nearly a decade of application development experience.

Madhujith received a M.S. and B.S. in Computer Science in 2008 from Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY. Madhujith Hapuarachchi joined NACUA as the Manager of Technology Services in March 2018. 

Jacqueline Cardoza, Senior Manager of Web and Digital Platforms, joined NACUA in October 2013. Jacqueline is responsible for managing NACUA’s online presence and web initiatives. She is  responsible for making content updates to NACUA’s website, deliver information electronically to the membership and maintains NACUA’s online resources.

Prior to joining NACUA, Jacqueline was the Senior Web Coordinator at the National Association for State Community Services Programs (NASCSP). She served as the web development project lead for a federally funded initiative. She also managed the day to day maintenance of NASCSP’s various web properties. Prior to NASCSP she was the Website Coordinator for the Unidos US, the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the US.

Jacqueline is a graduate of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia with a B.A. in Communications with a concentration in Public Relations and a minor in Latin American Studies.

Danielle Bloom, Data and Development Operations Analyst, joined NACUA in October 2023. She is responsible for reporting NACUA’s success metrics, compiling reports and analyzing data across departments as well as maintaining the association management database with the technology team. She is also responsible for managing the organization’s data analytics platform, managing Power BI dashboards, and managing the evaluations process for NACUA events.

Danielle graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Minor in Information Systems. Before joining NACUA, she worked as a data analyst in the consumer debt industry where she worked with banks to analyze charged off debt portfolios. She created Power BI dashboards to assist executives in decision making and helped manage and maintain the SQL database.

Omar Beshir, Technical Support Coordinator, joined NACUA in February 2024. Omar serves as primary contact for desktop support for all internal incoming queries and issues related to computer systems, software, and hardware. He also works directly with the Director of Technology Services and NACUA’s external technology partners to resolve issues pertaining to network connectivity and application access.

Prior to joining NACUA, Omar served as a Service Desk Analyst at an IT consulting company where he provided technical support to organizations such as Verizon and Bluegreen Vacations.