About us.

It's all in the name. When it comes to compliance, every institution needs a game plan. Setting direction. Building capacity. Due diligence, assessment, assurance. At HEC Game Plan, we demystify compliance and advance administrative proficiency across higher education.

A little more about our values and services.

We care about your students, your institution, your faculty and staff, and your institutional goals.

Our services are always tailored to your institution’s needs.

We offer support with Title IV compliance, remote staffing on an interim short or long-term basis, process evaluations and compliance audits, policy development/review, training development and implementation, and communication strategies.

We have combined experience of over 35 years in higher education administration, compliance, and training. We take the confusion out of compliance!

Leadership Team

Annette Linders - Chief Executive Officer, HEC Partners

Annette Linders

Chief Executive Officer

Annette has 25 years of experience in higher education administration with a demonstrated track record in successful leadership and executive roles in financial aid administration, compliance, and operations. Annette’s expertise includes all areas of financial aid operations and compliance, system automation, streamlined processing and communications to ensure optimal student service, while meeting applicable compliance and Federal Student Aid administrative capability requirements. Annette has helped countless students across the country access higher education through financial aid, scholarship, and grant opportunities.

Annette has extensive experience in higher education, profit and non-profit organizations, grant writing and administration, veteran’s education benefits, scholarship best practice to ensure equity, while meeting the needs of students and institutional goals. Annette is skilled in athletics administration and compliance with financial aid at the Division I, II, and III level, relative to all aspects of federal student aid, collegiate associations and conference governance over federal, state, and institutional financial aid and scholarships. NCAA legislative authority and operating bylaws, as well as comprehensive experience and expert knowledge in athletic equivalency and head count sports, calculations, and exemptions.

Annette has proven success in building and maintaining positive relationships, commended throughout her professional career for outstanding interpersonal communication, organization, and problem solving skills, as well as the ability to work constructively under pressure while successfully meeting deadlines.

Annette earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of South Florida, Master of Business Administration from Saint Leo University, and is currently PhD Candidate in Higher Education Leadership with Grand Canyon University.

Consulting Specialties:

  • Federal Student Aid (Title IV)
  • Enrollment Services
  • Emergency relief funding, administration, and compliance
  • Athletic association and conference compliance
  • Institutional effectiveness and data analysis
  • Internal / external audit and program reviews
Karla - Chief Operating Officer, HEC Partners.

Karla Fisher, Ph.D.

Chief Operating Officer

Karla Fisher brings 22 years of experience in higher education leadership, as well as more than a decade of corporate experience. Having led transformational initiatives at multiple institutions, her expertise lies in helping leaders and teams honestly assess their current state, envision future success, and create strategic and tactical plans using data-informed, interest-based problem solving and inclusive change management. She provides team training and support, as well as individual coaching and mentoring, recognizing that sustainable change begins and ends with people.

Karla served as an HLC Accreditation Peer-Reviewer for more than a decade. She has been actively involved at the state and national levels through active roles with American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Commissions on Marketing/Outreach and Transformation; the AACC 21st-Century Initiative; and the National Community College Benchmark Project. She graduated from the Advance Kansas diversity leadership program in 2011; was named the National Council of Instructional Administrators (NCIA) Chief Academic Officer of the Year in 2015; and is a 2018 Aspen Presidential Fellow alum.

Karla earned her Bachelor of Arts in English and Master of Arts in Communication from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from The University of Texas at Austin.

Consulting Specialties:

  • Leadership and culture development
  • Strategic planning and initiatives
  • Interest-based problem-solving and negotiation
  • Data-informed decision-making
  • Academic affairs and accreditation
  • Institutional effectiveness
Melissa Flores - Chief Legal Officer, HEC Partners.

Melissa Flores

Chief Legal Officer

Melissa has been practicing law for over two decades--the last 12 years has been exclusively in education law. Melissa’s expertise lies in protecting civil rights of students and employees while balancing policy/procedure adherence, advising on employer responsibilities and employee rights related to discipline and discharge, managing the interactive process related to accommodating students and employees with disabilities, and responding to Office for Civil Rights complaints and program reviews. Melissa understands the unique and diverse needs of academic institutions (both private and public, four-year and two-year) and can provide efficient and cost-effective legal advice and counsel for institutions with limited or no in-house legal teams.

Given the financial pressures and heightened regulatory burdens imposed upon institutions of higher education, Melissa advises on Title IX, Title VI, Title IV, Campus SaVE, Clery, and EDGAR Part 86 policy development, practical implementation, and on-going internal/external audits and program reviews. Melissa also advises on obtaining and maintaining federal financial aid under Title IV of the Higher Education Act. Melissa works closely with clients to develop comprehensive legal compliance programs that address the institution’s particular needs, including the various COVID-19 issues institutions of higher education currently face. Melissa also updates student handbooks and provides comprehensive training on scenarios related to student discipline, student complaints of discrimination in the classroom, and engaging in the interactive ADA/504 process. Melissa conducts investigations of alleged student misconduct and recommends options for resolution under existing institutional policies.

Melissa has served as Chief Legal Officer/General Counsel at both two-and four-year, public and private institutions of higher education and has served as the Chief Civil Rights Officer at a K-12 public school district.

Melissa graduated from Brigham Young University in 1994 with a degree in English and from the J. Reuben Clark Law School in 1997. Melissa is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Utah’s Education, Culture, and Society Department. When not working or studying, Melissa spends time with her extended family and her five dogs.

Consulting Specialties:

  • Civil rights (Title IX, Title VI, ADA/504, etc.)
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Human Resources
  • Policy Development
Lauralee Flores - Chief Operating Officer, HEC Partners.

Lauralee Flores

Chief Product Officer

Lauralee Flores is a product manager, product designer, and usability professional. Her role at HEC is project and product management, product positioning, and branding.

She has extensive experience planning, coordinating, and overseeing projects while ensuring they are completed on time, within both budget and scope.