Organization and Staff
Leadership
Mapping Your Future is 501(c)3 organization and has a national Board of Directors and Advisory Committee. Both the Board and Advisory Committee oversee the operations of Mapping Your Future.
The Board of Directors provides strategic direction for the organization, approves major policies and projects, and reviews and approves financials.
Board members:
- Gene Hutchins (retired)
New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority and
Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority - Tracy Ireland
Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia - Will Shaffner
Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA) - Cathy Mueller, Ex-officio Board member
Mapping Your Future
The Advisory Committee assists the board and the executive director with Mapping Your Future’s strategic planning and oversees various functional and project committees.
Staff
Mapping Your Future staff receives assistance and support volunteers from sponsoring organizations and from the higher education community.
Cathy Mueller
Executive Director
Cathy Mueller, a Missouri native, earned a Bachelor of Arts in communication from the University of Delaware. Before working with others to create Mapping Your Future, Cathy was a newspaper reporter and editor, a radio reporter and DJ, a television promotions writer and a public relations writer and director. When she moved to Texas in 1994, Cathy joined Texas Guaranteed as a writer. She helped launch the company’s web site and then work with a team to spearhead the launch of Mapping Your Future, which started as a cooperative venture among the country’s leading financial aid and student loan agencies. Cathy is an APR certified member of the Public Relations Society of America.
Marlene Seeklander
Customer Care Representative
Marlene Seeklander, a South Dakota native, earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Dakota State University and a Master of Education degree from South Dakota State University. Marlene has spent almost her entire career in higher education, primarily in financial aid. She also spent 10 years in the student loan industry at Education Assistance Corporation. After spending 16 years as Director of Financial Aid at Lake Area Technical College, Marlene opted for early retirement in 2023. Since the summer of 2023, she spent the academic year serving in several roles at LATC. This included interim director of financial aid, financial aid consultant, and adjunct instructor in the Business program. Marlene joined Mapping Your Future in June 2024 in a customer care role.
Volunteers
Volunteers from sponsoring agencies and other industry organizations provide input in several areas, such as webinars, content, default prevention, early awareness, and publications. Since the volunteers represent various organizations across the country, Mapping Your Future’s features and services are non-proprietary, providing a neutral source of information for parents and students.