Government Relations

Committee Chair

Nick Grenoble
Senior Associate Director of College Counseling
Waterford School
[email protected]

Our Mission

RMACAC’s Government Relations Committee advocates for policies that expand access to postsecondary education and strengthen the professional capacity of counselors. Our advocacy priorities align with the values of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and reflect the needs of students and educators across the Rocky Mountain region.

Advocacy Grant applications are now open! To learn more and apply, please review this document or visit our Advocacy Grant Webpage. 

• RMACAC GRC’s Advocacy Toolkit
• NACAC Advocacy Resources
• NCAN Advocacy Resources
• American Council on Education’s Policy Updates
• Education Council’s Executive Action Tracker
• Chronicle of Higher Education’s Higher Education Policy Tracker
• NASFAA’s Policy & Legislation Trackers

Advocacy Priorities

Expand College Access and Affordability:

• Provide stability and transparency for educational funding
• Increase need-based financial aid for college students and expand eligibility for the Pell Grant
• Increase state and federal appropriations for public colleges and universities
• Ensure access to rigorous college preparatory courses in all public schools
• Align state graduation requirements and curricula with widely accepted college and career readiness standards
• Support and expand high school/college dual-credit partnerships
• Protect students from predatory and fraudulent institutions, particularly in the for-profit sector, by enacting accountability measures and requiring transparency about student outcomes

• Reduce student-to-counselor ratios in public schools to the recommended maximum student-to-counselor ratio of 250:1.
• Support college access grants, such as the TRIO Program and GEAR UP
• Fund professional development and training programs for college and career advising
• Provide consistent funding to school districts

• Publish clear, consistent standards for Workforce Pell Grant eligibility
• Invest in postsecondary career and technical education programs
• Ensure that career & workforce programs receiving public funding provide clear, accurate information about program costs, credentials earned, transferability, & employment outcomes.
• Support career and technical education programs in public schools  

Committee Members

• *Nick Grenoble | Waterford School (UT)
• Stephanie Brazinsky | Denver South High School (CO)
• Katie Damas | Denver Scholarship Foundation (CO)
• *Catherine Auchter | Xavier College Preparatory (AZ)
• Angelica Lopez-Rodruigez | Denver Scholarship Foundation (CO)
• Damonta Madden | University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
• *John O'Connor | Natrona County High School (WY) | Wyoming Chair
• *Sam Ritter | Davis Scholarship (NM)
• Laura Romer | University of Oregon (based in AZ) | Arizona Chair
• Abby Tudor | Northern Arizona University (AZ)
• Emily Weiss | Denver Scholarship Foundation (CO)
• Allie McManaman | Elon University (based in CO)
• Britt Baker- Brousseau | University of Utah (UT)
• David Feree | Colorado State University (CO)
• *Henry Whipple | DSST Public Schools (CO)
• Julie Correa | Westminster University (UT)
• Katherine Price | College Mindset (CO)
• Lean Schmitz | California Polytechnic State University (based in CO)
• Zen Brewer | University of Montana

*These individuals serve as the chair for their respective state. 

To join the Government Relations Committee or for more information, please email [email protected].