Admission Counselors

Jeanie Zagar
Director, Career Planning Center

Jeanie works with students from the time they first express interest in enrolling at Meridian throughout the completion of a career major and beyond. She is highly involved in the processes of recruitment and enrollment and oversees the areas of enrollment, assessment, college alliance, student organizations and testing. Jeanie is a liaison between Meridian and the community and district high schools.

Jeanie’s professional background includes more than 20 years of working with adolescents in the psychiatric, higher education and career and technology education sectors. Jeanie holds a bachelor’s in Social Work and a master’s in Educational Administration.

Judy Sindelar
Transition Coordinator

Judy oversees adults and high school students who are enrolled in the Cooperative Alliance Program and assists them in transitioning from high school and Meridian to college. She coordinates and assists with recruiting efforts as well as provides a presence in district schools with career development activities and test interpretation.

Judy’s professional background includes 22 years in public school teaching, coaching and career and technology education. Judy holds a bachelor’s in Health and Physical Education and a master’s in Applied Behavioral Studies.

Teri Roberts
Career Counselor/Student Organizations Coordinator

Teri works with adult students. She provides assistance in the area of career counseling to help individuals explore realistic career choices. She also coordinates Student Organization activities and helps students to develop leadership skills through various training opportunities.

Teri holds a master’s of Education in School Counseling and master’s In Education Leadership. Prior to joining Meridian she taught in the CareerTech system and used her training to promote student organizations.

Gayla Bates
Financial Aid Officer

As Financial Aid Officer, Gayla assists students with obtaining Pell grants from the Federal Student Aid Office of the U.S. Department of Education. The Federal Pell Grant program (Title IV) provides aid for tuition, books, room, board and transportation needs. The Financial Aid Office supports students with the Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant, Oklahoma’s Promise, Workforce Investment Act, Veteran’s Educational Benefits and other scholarship applications.

Gayla brings with her more than 15 years of experience in school finance for public education and 6 years in public accounting. She has an associate’s in business from Oklahoma State University.

Anne Belanus
Career Development Specialist

As Career Development Specialist, Anne provides a variety of services to students and prospective students. She specializes in assisting individuals with disabilities. She administers and interprets a wide range of assessments. She assists individuals needing career guidance or wanting help improving their study skills and test taking strategies.

Anne holds a bachelor’s in American Studies from the University of Texas and a master’s in Rehabilitation Services Administration from the University of North Texas. She has worked at Meridian Technology Center for more than 14 years. Prior to that, she worked as a grief counselor, a rehabilitation counselor and a Social Security Administration representative.

Tammy Baker
Bursar 

Tammy is responsible for the collection and tracking of student tuition in all programs. The Bursar sends out tuition reminders and accounts receivable invoicing. Other duties include managing Activity Fund purchase orders, disbursing federal aid checks to students and daily reconciliation of accounts.

Tammy’s professional background includes 20 years of experience in business, financial and non-profit organizations. She has a bachelor’s in Management Science and Computer Systems from Oklahoma State University.