August 25, 2025

Tamy Abernathy,
U.S. Department of Education,
Office of Postsecondary Education,
400 Maryland Avenue SW, 5th floor,
Washington, DC 20202
via email to negregnominations@ed.gov

Docket ID ED-2025-0151

Dear Ms. Abernathy,

The undersigned veterans and military service organizations write to submit the following nominations for the upcoming negotiated rulemaking Committee on Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell (AHEAD) that the Department of Education intends to convene December 2025 and January 2026.

We represent servicemembers, veterans, and family members with a clear stake in the outcome of these regulatory negotiations. The interests represented by our organizations are significantly affected by regulations that the Department plans to develop through this process. We are therefore advancing these nominations to represent U.S. military service members and veterans on the Committee.

These nominees take seriously the honor and distinction of representing the diverse interests of the large and unique veteran and military population with a non-partisan approach. We have taken special care to identify negotiators who can approach the breadth of topics with great expertise.

  • Primary: Ashlynne Haycock-Lohmann, Director for Government & Legislative Affairs, Tragedy Assistance Program For Survivors
    ashlynne.haycock@taps.org, 202-255-3434, 3101 Wilson Blvd., #600, Arlington, VA 22201

    Ashlynne Haycock-Lohmann is the Director for Government and Legislative Affairs for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS). She is the Gold Star daughter of SFC Jeffrey Haycock who died while training to deploy in 2002 and Air Force veteran Nichole Haycock who died by suicide in 2011. Ashlynne has worked for TAPS for 10 years, primarily focusing on access to benefits for surviving spouses and children, including the expansions of benefits under the Forever GI Bill. She was also instrumental in finally ending the SBP/ DIC Offset, better known as the “Widow’s Tax”, in 2019. Ashlynne graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science from American University in 2013 where she was one of the first Marine Gunnery Sergeant John Fry Scholarship recipients. She resides in Virginia with her husband, a Navy veteran, and their two dogs.

  • Alternate: Julie Howell, Associate Legislative Director for Government Relations, Paralyzed Veterans of America
    JulieH@pva.org, 831-252-2575, 1875 Eye Street NW Suite 1100Washington, DC 20006

    Julie Howell is a 5-year Army veteran who deployed twice to Iraq. Transitioning from the military, Julie pursued her passion for culinary arts, honing her skills as a chef for over a decade before returning to academia. Utilizing her GI Bill benefits, she earned a BA in History followed by a master’s degree in public policy through the VR&E program. Julie’s journey into veteran advocacy began during her undergraduate years, where she served as a research and policy intern for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). Continuing her commitment, she worked as the Veteran Program Coordinator at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) while pursuing her graduate studies. Currently, at Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), Julie leads a dynamic portfolio focusing on veteran economic opportunity, disability benefits, and issues affecting women veterans. Her expertise extends to broader policy areas concerning the disability community, particularly in employment and housing.

We believe that together, Ms. Haycock-Lohmann and Ms. Howell, combine deep expertise in these regulatory topics with the direct knowledge of the interests of service members, veterans, families, and survivors that the Department seeks to include in the process. They are both committed to participating in good faith and would do their utmost to contribute to the work of the Committee.

Signed and submitted on behalf of:

Commissioned Officers Association of the US Public Health Service
Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services
Elizabeth Dole Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association
National Association of State Approving Agencies
National Military Family Association
Paralyzed Veterans of America
PsychArmor
Service Women’s Action Network
Student Veterans of America
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors
Veterans Education Success
Veterans for Common Sense

Haycock-Lohmann_Howell Nomination ED Rulemaking 2025-2026