American Student Assistance Expands Executive Leadership Team to Drive Deeper Impact in Youth Career Readiness and Prepare All Young People for Success After High School

Expanded ELT includes newly promoted Executive Vice President Julie Lammers and Chief Operating Officer and CPO Angie Castera, in addition to new hires Chief Strategy Officer William Shaw and Chief Product Officer Alex Bulis

BOSTON, March 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- American Student Assistance® (ASA), a national nonprofit changing the way kids learn about careers and prepare for their futures, today announced its executive leadership team (ELT) expansion in an effort to scale access to services, resources, and experiences needed for every middle and high schooler to explore and experiment with careers, acquire durable and technology skills that employers value, and navigate their path to success after high school. As part of the expanded ELT, Julie Lammers has been named Executive Vice President, and Angie Castera's role has been expanded to include Chief Operating Officer and Chief People Officer. In addition, ASA recently welcomed its new Chief Strategy Officer William Shaw and Chief Product Officer Alex Bulis. All four executives report to President and CEO Jean Eddy.

"At ASA, our efforts are guided by a commitment to create meaningful change and support young people in their educational and career journeys. The expansion of our executive leadership team marks an important step in clarifying roles, strengthening leadership, and aligning resources to position ASA for growth, sustainability, and long-term success. With these new positions, we're building a high-performing organization equipped to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future," said Jean Eddy.

In her new position as Executive Vice President of ASA, Lammers is responsible for driving the organization's mission to transform education systems and create lasting change so that all young people can access career-connected learning. Lammers is responsible for the stewardship of ASA's grantmaking and advocacy initiatives as well as for the research, marketing, and communications teams that are driving innovative career education programs for middle and high school students. Lammers joined ASA in 2010 and has held numerous leadership roles in the organization. Most recently, she served as Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Corporate Social Responsibility, where she led ASA's philanthropic strategy and advocacy efforts on both the federal and state levels. Lammers' efforts earned ASA an Anthem Award in 2024 for a national awareness campaign, in collaboration with Jobs for the Future, focused on increasing awareness, understanding, and acceptance of nondegree pathways to career and economic success for all young people. Prior to ASA, Lammers spent more than nine years as Congressional Aide to Senator Edward M. Kennedy and his successor, Senator Paul Kirk, Jr. She is a graduate of Northeastern University, the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University, and Suffolk University Law School, and is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association.

In her expanded role, COO and CPO Angie Castera will continue to lead ASA's People & Culture team and take on oversight of Finance, Technology, and Facilities, driving operational efficiency and continuing to foster a workplace culture that aligns with ASA's mission and values. Since joining ASA as CPO in 2022, Castera has been instrumental in redefining the organization's culture, strengthening leadership capabilities, and aligning ASA's people strategy with business goals. Her ability to inspire, engage, and develop leaders has had a profound impact on ASA's growth and performance. Under Castera's leadership as CPO, ASA has undergone a cultural transformation, embedding a people-first approach that prioritizes inclusiveness and belonging. She has cultivated a workplace that fosters high performance, collaboration and inclusivity, ensuring that employees thrive within the organization. Her initiatives—such as refreshing the company's core values, establishing a robust competency framework, and enhancing leadership development—have positioned the organization for sustained growth. Castera is deeply passionate about the power of skills-based education and career opportunity to transform lives. Prior to ASA, Castera held leadership roles in both the nonprofit and corporate sectors, where she developed deep expertise in human resources strategy, change management, and organizational leadership. Her efforts earned ASA an Anthem Award in 2024 for its employee retention initiatives, further solidifying her impact on the organization. Castera earned her B.A. from Emmanuel College and holds a Certificate in Human Resources Management from Eastern Nazarene College.

To ensure long-term innovation and strategic success, Chief Strategy Officer William Shaw will oversee strategic planning and partnerships, and organizational progress. He will be charged with driving the overall strategic direction and long-term planning of ASA including defining, communicating, and overseeing the execution of strategic initiatives that ensure ASA's growth, competitiveness, sustainability, and monitoring the execution of the strategies against plan. Prior to joining ASA, Shaw was the Vice Provost for Innovation at Tufts University, where he was responsible for business development activities across the university with a particular focus on establishing strategic partnerships, cultivating entrepreneurship, enhancing the physical infrastructure, and engaging the global innovation ecosystem. He also oversaw several key programs including the Office of the Board of Advisors, Tufts Launchpad | BioLabs and Tufts Launchpad | Accelerator. He was previously the Executive Director of the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital, a Harvard-affiliated medical school. Shaw earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from WPI and a J.D. from the University of New Hampshire School of Law. He also studied Intellectual Property Law at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.

Chief Product Officer Alex Bulis will play a pivotal role in shaping the roadmap for ASA's free suite of digital-first, self-led career readiness experiences. In this role, Bulis will also lead ASA's program and product vision, design, and execution of new programs and product solutions including a multi-pronged approach to support Gen Z learners in making navigation decisions for postsecondary education. He is an accomplished leader in education and community development with extensive experience in technical training and product management across various technology companies. Previously, Bulis served as Vice President of Education and Community at BigID since December 2018, spearheading the company's educational strategy, overseeing the creation of training content, and the launch of BigID University, a comprehensive learning platform. Bulis earned an MBA from Boston University's Questrom School of Business and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology.

About American Student Assistance® (ASA)

American Student Assistance® (ASA) is a national nonprofit at the forefront of changing the way kids learn about careers and prepare for their futures through access to career readiness information and experiences for all. ASA helps middle and high school students to know themselves—their strengths and their interests— and understand their education and career options so that they can make informed decisions. ASA fulfills its mission–in schools and beyond the classroom–by providing free digital experiences, including Futurescape®, Next Voice™, and EvolveMe®, directly to millions of students, and through advocacy, impact investing, research, thought leadership, and philanthropic support for educators, intermediaries, and others. ASA fosters a generation of confident, crisis-proof young people who are ready for whatever path comes next after high school. To learn more about ASA, visit www.asa.org/about-asa.

SOURCE American Student Assistance (ASA)