State Authorization

VANAS USA is accredited by the Washington Training Board under the jurisdiction of Washington state. Students from other states are encouraged to reach out to their respective state authorities. Upon establishing contact, VANAS will begin the approval process. Alternatively, students from the USA are welcome to enroll at VANAS Canada School as international students.

Directory of State Authorization Agencies and Lead Contacts U.S. STATES, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico

ALABAMA

Alabama Commission on Higher Education Ron Leonard
Director of Special Initiatives
(334) 242-2211
ron.leonard@ache.edu
https://ache.edu

Alabama Community College System
Tivoli Nash
Director of Private School Licensure
(334) 293-4650
tivoli.nash@accs.edu
https://www.accs.edu

Allaina Robinson
(334) 293-4650
allaina.robinson@accs.edu
https://www.accs.edu

Alabama Office of the Secretary of State
John Merrill
Secretary of State of Alabama
(334) 224-7200
john.merrill@sos.alabama.gov
http://sos.alabama.gov/

ALASKA

Alaska Commission on Post-secondary Education
Tyler Eggen Institutional Authorization Program Coordinator(907) 465-6741
tyler.eggen@alaska.gov
https://acpe.alaska.gov

ARIZONA

Arizona State Board for Private Post-secondary Education
Teri Stanfill
Executive Director Licensing / Compliance / Board / STRF
(602) 542-2399
teri.stanfill@azppse.gov
https://ppse.az.gov/

ARKANSAS

Arkansas Department of Higher Education
Alana Boles
Program Director for Private Career and Out-of-State Education
(501) 371-2060
Alana.Boles@adhe.edu
https://www.adhe.edu

CALIFORNIA

California Bureau for Private Post-secondary Education
Michael Marion, Jr.
Bureau Chief
(916) 574-8900
michael.marion@dca.ca.gov
http://www.bppe.ca.gov/

COLORADO

Colorado Department of Higher Education
Heather DeLange
Director, Office of Private Post-secondary Education
(303) 862-3005
heather.delange@dhe.state.co.us
http://highered.colorado.gov

Colorado Division of Private Occupational Schools
Lorna Candler
Director of the Division of Private Occupational Schools
(303) 862-3016
lorna.candler@dhe.state.co.us
https://highered.colorado.gov

CONNECTICUT

Connecticut Office of Higher Education
Sean Seepersad
Division Director, Academic Affairs
(860) 947-1837
sean.seepersad@ct.gov
https://www.ctohe.org

DELAWARE

Delaware Department of Education, Higher Education Office
Shana Payne
Director
(302) 735-4120
shana.payne@doe.k12.de.us
https://www.doe.k12.de.us/

Nicholas Buono
Education Specialist, College Success Program Administrator
(302) 735-4193
nicholas.buono@doe.k12.de.us
https://www.doe.k12.de.us/

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Higher Education Licensure Commission
Angela Lee
Executive Director
(202) 724-2905
angela.lee@dc.gov
https://osse.dc.gov

Jocelyn Harris
Education Compliance Specialist
(202) 727-6436
jocelyn.harris@dc.gov
https://osse.dc.gov

FLORIDA

Florida Department of Education, Commission for Independent Education
Samuel Ferguson
Executive Director
(850) 245-3206
sam.ferguson@fldoe.org
http://www.fldoe.org

GEORGIA

Georgia Nonpublic Post-secondary Education Commission
Laura S. Vieth
Deputy Director
(770) 414-3306
lauras@gnpec.org
https://gnpec.georgia.gov

HAWAII

Hawaii Post-Secondary Education Authorization Program (HPEAP)
Bobbi Lum-Mew
HPEAP Program Administrator
(808) 586-7327
blummew@dcca.hawaii.gov
https://cca.hawaii.gov

IDAHO

Idaho State Board of Education
Valerie Fenske
Private Post-secondary and Proprietary Schools Coordinator
(208) 332-1587
valerie.fenske@osbe.idaho.gov
https://boardofed.idaho.gov/higher-education-private/

ILLINOIS

Illinois Board of Higher Education
Nkechi Onwuameze
Associate Director for Academic Affairs Illinois SARA Coordinator
(217) 557-7382
sara@ibhe.org
http://www.ibhe.org

INDIANA

Indiana Commission for Higher Education
Ken Sauer
Senior Associate Commissioner and Chief Academic Officer
(317) 232-1090
ksauer@che.in.gov
https://www.in.gov

Indiana Office for Career and Technical Schools
Stephen Turner
Director of Institution Accreditation and Compliance
(317) 232-6702
OCTS@dwd.in.gov
https://www.in.gov/dwd/octs.htm

IOWA

Iowa College Student Aid Commission
Carolyn Small
Post-secondary Authorization Administrator
(515) 725-3413
carolyn.small@iowa.gov
https://www.iowacollegeaid.gov/

Lisa Pundt
Post-secondary Authorization Compliance Officer / SARA State Portal Agent
(515) 725-3426
lisa.pundt@iowa.gov
https://www.iowacollegeaid.gov

KANSAS

Kansas Board of Regents
Crystal Puderbaugh
Director for Academic Affairs
(785) 430-4287
cpuderbaugh@ksbor.org
https://www.kansasregents.org

KENTUCKY

Kentucky Commission on Proprietary Education & Kentucky Council on Post-secondary Education
Sarah Levy
Licensure
(502) 573-1555
sarah.levy@ky.gov
http://cpe.ky.gov
http://www.kcpe.ky.gov

LOUISIANA

Louisiana Board of Regents
Courtney Britton
Proprietary Schools Program Administrator
(225) 219-7150
courtney.britton@laregents.edu
https://regents.la.gov/

MAINE

Maine Department of Education
Angel Martinez Loredo
Director of Higher Education and Educator Support Services
(207) 624-6846
angel.loredo@maine.gov
http://www.maine.gov/doe/highered

Jason Libby
Higher Education Specialist
(207) 624-6856
jason.libby@maine.gov
http://www.maine.gov/doe/highered

MARYLAND

Maryland Higher Education Commission
Emily Dow
Assistant Secretary of Academic Affairs
(410) 767-3041
emily.dow@maryland.gov
http://mhec.maryland.gov

MASSACHUSETTS

Massachusetts Department of Higher Education
Kristen Stone
Assistant Director for Academic and Veterans Affairs
(617) 994-6959
kstone@dhe.mass.edu
http://www.mass.edu/

Massachusetts Division of Professional Licensure
Clinton Dick
General Council
(617) 701-8719
clinton.w.dick@mass.gov
https://www.mass.gov/orgs/division-of-professional-licensure

MICHIGAN

Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO)/ Employment & Training
James Farhat
Departmental Specialist
(517) 256-8670
farhat@michigan.gov
https://www.michigan.gov/leo/

MINNESOTA

Minnesota Office of Higher Education
Betsy Talbot
Manager, Private Institution Registration and Licensing
(651) 259-3965
betsy.talbot@state.mn.us
www.ohe.state.mn.us

MISSISSIPPI

Mississippi Commission of Proprietary Schools and College Registration
Kim Verneuille
Director of the Commission on Proprietary Schools and College Registration / MOA Compliance
(601) 432-6185
kverneuille@mccb.edu
https://www.mccb.edu/

Megan Akins
Administrative Assistant – AE, Proprietary, and Workforce
(601) 432-6518
makins@mccb.edu
https://www.mccb.edu/

Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation
Menia Dykes
Director of Accreditation
(601) 432-6372
mdykes@mississippi.edu
http://www.mississippi.edu/mcca/

MISSOURI

Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development
Leroy Wade
Deputy Commissioner
(573) 751-1776
leroy.wade@dhe.mo.gov
https://dhewd.mo.gov/

MONTANA

Montana Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education
Joe Thiel
Director of Academic Policy and Research
(406) 449-9134
stateauthroization@montana.edu
https://mus.edu/

NEBRASKA

Nebraska Department of Education – Private Post-secondary Career Schools
Marisol Birth
Program Director, Private Post-secondary Career Schools and Veterans Education
(402) 471-4825

Marisol.birth@nebraska.gov
https://www.education.ne.gov/ppcs/

Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Post-secondary Education
Kathleen Fimple
Academic Programs Officer
(402) 471-0030
kathleen.fimple@nebraska.gov
https://ccpe.nebraska.gov

NEVADA

Nevada Commission on Post-secondary Education
Kelly D. Wuest
Administrator, CPE
(702) 486-7330, ext. 229
kdquest@detr.nv.gov
http://cpe.nv.gov/

NEW HAMPSHIRE

New Hampshire Department of Education, Division of Educator Support and Higher Education
Patti Edes
Program Specialist, Higher Education Commission
(603) 271-0256
patricia.edes@doe.nh.gov
https://www.education.nh.gov/

NEW JERSEY

New Jersey Center for Occupational Employment Information
Robert Grimmie
Executive Director
(609) 292-8658
Robert.grimmie@dol.state.nj.us
https://www.nj.gov/labor/lwdhome/coei/coei_index.html

New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education
Eric Taylor
Director of Licensure
(609) 984-3738
eric.taylor@oshe.nj.gov
http://www.state.nj.us/highereducation/index.shtml

NEW MEXICO

New Mexico Higher Education Department
Pascal Buser
Director of the Private Post-Secondary Schools Division
(505) 476-8409
pascal.buser@state.nm.us
https://hed.state.nm.us/

NEW YORK

Office of College and University Evaluation
Institutional Approval and Program Registration
(518) 474-1551
ocueinfo@nysed.gov
IHEauthorize@nysed.gov
http://www.highered.nysed.gov

New York State Education Department
Lisa Stiles-Roy
Licensing Supervisor
Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision
(518) 474-3969
Lisa.Stiles-Roy@nysed.gov
BPSS@nysed.gov
http://www.acces.nysed.gov/bpss

NORTH CAROLINA

North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints
c/o Student Complaints
University of North Carolina Systems Office
(919) 962-4558
studentcomplaint@northcarolina.edu
https://www.northcarolina.edu/offices-and-services/academic-affairs/licensure-department/

For information about Student Complaints you can go directly to that site:
https://www.northcarolina.edu/post-secondary-education-complaints/

NORTH DAKOTA

North Dakota Department of Career and Technical Education
Michael Netzloff
Administrator in Educational Equity, Private Career Schools, & Special Populations
(701) 328-3187
dehuber@nd.gov
https://www.cte.nd.gov/

North Dakota University System
Cheryl Thompson
Outreach Manager, Core Technology Services of the North Dakota University System
(701) 239-6676
cheryl.thompson@ndus.edu
https://www.ndus.edu

Lisa Johnson
Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs
(701) 328-4143
lisa.a.johnson@ndus.edu
https://www.ndus.edu

Puerto Rico State Department – Board of Post-secondary Institutions
Departmento de Estado Oficina de Registro y Licenciamiento de Instituciones de Educación
Damaris Nolasco-Ortiz
Executive Director Assistant
(787) 722-2121, ext. 3801
dnolasco@estado.pr.gov
http://www.agencias.pr.gov/agencias/cepr/inicio

Texas Workforce Commission
Milan George
Director
(512) 463-5728
milan.george@twc.state.tx.us
https://www.twc.texas.gov/