Meet Our Staff
Metropolitan Campus
Melissa Swafford, Director
Melissa Swafford has a long history with Tri-C — her parents met in a Tri-C accounting class, and she spent time in the daycare center while her mother attended classes at the Western Campus. In 2011, Swafford joined the College as the Student Life coordinator at the Metropolitan Campus. Before becoming the Transfer Center director, she served as the interim director of Student Life, Recreation and Athletics, director of Student Engagement at the Eastern Campus and manager of the Metro Campus Transfer Center.
As the director of the Transfer Centers, she provides strategic leadership for transfer services, while championing innovation and advocacy to advance student transfer success. She is also the host of Transfer Take 5, an educational podcast highlighting transfer partnerships and planning. An active leader in the Ohio Transfer Council (OTC), Swafford has served as the president and chair of Events and Professional Development and will soon host the OTC podcast, PodTC.
Swafford earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Kent State University and a Master of Arts in College Student Personnel from Bowling Green State University. After completing her graduate degree, she visited more than 35 colleges and universities nationwide as a regional consultant for Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity. Her professional background also includes serving as the director of Student Activities and Greek Life at Marietta College and assistant director for Student and Recent Graduate Programs at Kent State University.
A dedicated transfer champion, Swafford has been actively engaged with the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students (NISTS) as a member of the National Transfer Student Week Planning Committee, a conference proposal reviewer and a representative on the CAS Standards Committee for Transfer Student Programs and Services. She has presented at numerous professional conferences, including NISTS, the Ohio Undergraduate Education Conference, the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development, the OTC Annual Conference, NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education, the Tri-C Faculty Colloquium and the Ohio Association of Two-Year Colleges.
Outside of work, Swafford enjoys spending time with her husband, Mark, and son, Owen. She is the reigning household champion in MLB The Show, Mario Tennis Aces, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Mario Golf, and Super Smash Bros. During football season, you'll often find her at a game with her dad or cheering alongside her son. She also loves true crime shows, podcasts and books as a favorite escape from the day-to-day.
HerBrina Shepherd, Transfer Specialist
HerBrina Shepherd's Tri-C journey began in 2017 when she joined the College as a Student Life coordinator. Since then, she has also served as a Student Success Specialist, an admissions specialist and an engineering program manager. She is part of several committees and programs, including the Stand for Racial Justice Alliance, Leadership Integration for Tomorrow and the Frances M. Franklin Academic Alliance, to name a few.
Shepherd earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from The Ohio State University and a Master of Science in College Student Personnel Administration from the University of Central Missouri. She has lived and worked all over the Midwest, including Michigan (Hope College), Illinois (Illinois State University), Indiana (Butler University) and Ohio (Muskingum University, The College of Wooster and, of course, Tri-C).
Inspired by Maya Angelou, Shepherd's mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive — and to do so with passion, compassion, humor and style.
A woman of her word, filled with purpose, devotion and diligence, Shepherd looks for and creates opportunities to be of service to others. Her passion for education and literacy is evident through her community service and her work as a higher education professional. She belongs to the Alpha Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha and serves on the boards of the Maple Education Foundation and the Young Professionals Kids' Book Bank. She has also been a mentor and volunteer for College Now, True2U and the Cuyahoga County Public Library.
From enjoying Tiffany D. Jackson's latest book to working on her fitness, Shepherd's voracious appetite for life is undeniable!
Western Campus
Julie Weyer, Transfer Specialist
Julie Weyer joined Tri-C in February 2024 as a Career Services specialist at the Eastern Campus Career Center. Being co-located with the Transfer Center sparked a deeper interest in supporting students through academic transitions. She brings a passion for providing students with the resources and guidance they need for success, fostering a welcoming environment and empowering them to make informed, confident decisions.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from Kent State University and a Master of Science in Higher Education Administration from the University of Akron. From 2017 to 2024, Weyer served as a Career Services specialist at Lakeland Community College, where she supported both traditional and nontraditional students by connecting them with resources to support their career development.
Outside of work, Weyer enjoys spending time with her husband, Tim, and their two children, Liam and Bridget. When time allows, she loves traveling and never misses a chance to catch a good football game!
Westshore Campus/Brunswick University Center
Allison Morgan, Transfer Specialist
Allison Morgan joined Tri-C in May 2022. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, and a Master of Arts in Art History from Case Western Reserve University.
From 2015 to 2021, Morgan served as program manager for the Cleveland Humanities Collaborative at CWRU, where she supported local community college students as they completed their associate degrees and applied to CWRU and also served as their advisor once they transferred. In addition, she served as staff advisor for CWRU's Alliance for Nontraditional and Transfer Students and was a member of the university's food insecurity task force. Most recently, she was the assistant dean for academic support at Oberlin College and Conservatory.
"I definitely got the 'transfer bug' during my time at CWRU, and I've seen how transfer can literally change lives," she said. "I'm so happy to be working with Tri-C students again!"
Outside of work, Morgan spends time with her husband, Dave, and their two dogs, Zelda and Indiana Bones. She is an avid reader of fantasy and historical fiction, and she loves traveling and visiting museums. Originally from Philadelphia, she has managed to balance cheering for the Phillies and the Eagles alongside her adopted teams, the Guardians and the Browns.