Speakers

Kacie Salas, BSN, RN, NC-BC

Kacie's experience spans 20 years on night shift in critical care public health and rural healthcare. Her personal and professional experiences with grief, loss, cumulative trauma, and addiction provide a unique perspective on post-traumatic growth that enables her to hold space for those who are sober, sober curious, navigating addition and supporting those through diversion. As Director of Sobriety Support, Kacie facilities daily sober check in's and monthly groups through Debriefing the Front Lines Scholarship-Based Sobriety Support Program

Tara Kosmas, MSN, RN, NC-BC, CHSE

Life as a pediatric burn survivor shaped Tara’s experience and led her to the nursing profession. Tara is the founder and Executive Director of Debriefing the Front Lines. Her nursing experience spans 21 years and includes burn trauma ICU and nursing education with an emphasis on peer support and debriefing to cultivate well-becoming.

Karen Ofafa, EdD, MPH, BSN, RN

Karen Ofafa, EdD, MPH, BSN, RN serves as the Director of Transition to Practice for the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association (AzHHA). In this role she is responsible for providing direction and oversight of the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of the Arizona Statewide Transition to Practice Program for newly licensed Registered Nurses. Karen has demonstrated success with improving nurse retention, implementing competency-based workforce solutions, and empowering the nursing workforce.

Jamil Norman, PhD, RN, CNE

Dr. Jamil Norman is the Associate Dean of the BSN Program at Walden University. She is a Certified Nurse Educator with twenty years of experience in higher education. Throughout her career, Dr. Norman has served as an agent of social change in the roles of educator, researcher, and mentor. As a nurse research, Dr. Norman works to advance the body of evidence in pregnancy-related health disparities among African American women. 

Steven Verrone

Dr. Steven Verrone's background is in marketing management, strategy building, leadership, and higher education where he has served various roles over his 30+ year career. He served as Director of Marketing for a consulting firm developing marketing initiatives for strategic alliances, in Las Vegas NV. He then moved into higher education positions related to developing strategic marketing, leadership, course design, and assessment. At Walden University, he teaches MBA marketing, innovation, and capstone courses.

Bob McWhirt, DNP, MSN, BSN

Dr Robert “Bob” McWhirt is the Academic Program Coordinator at Walden University. He is Board Certified as a Nurse Executive and has over twenty five years experience as a nurse leader including thirteen as a Vice President/Chief Nursing Officer. Bob has been teaching for 11years here at Walden. He is well versed in project management and leadership principles and practices

Erica Ponchot

Erica Ponchot is the Director of International Recruitment and Programs at Health Carousel International, where she’s spent over 12 years helping talented foreign-educated healthcare professionals achieve their dreams. She leads the team that recruits for PassportUSA and supports candidates through exams and visa petitions. When she’s not busy at work, she’s off exploring the world with her husband and two sons, indulging in a little retail therapy, getting lost in a good book, or testing out new recipes in the kitchen.

Amy Guptill, RN, BSN

Amy is a leader focused on fostering a positive and collaborative organizational culture. Enjoys mentoring new nurses and healthcare professionals. Leads with a servant leadership style where I focus on working in the trenches alongside staff to create engagement.

Mary Jo Loughlin, DNP, RN, NEA-BC

Mary Jo Loughlin is the Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services at Hunterdon Healthcare. Prior to this role, Mary Jo served as the Administrative Director of Patient Care Services at the same company. Mary Jo holds a DNP in Systems Level Leadership from Thomas Edison State University and a Master's degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Samantha Wall, LCSW, Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Samantha is a social worker that currently works at a group practice, primarily treating people ages 5-55 for PTSD, anxiety and depression. Samantha also has a focus on treating people who have experienced CPTSD with different therapeutic modalities. She loves to talk about how to help those heal and manage complex triggers and trauma.

Samuel Calvin, LPC, NCC

Before starting his career as a therapist, he worked as a first responder in the Denver Metro Area. He worked collaboratively with some of Colorado’s bravest individuals and saw the importance of putting mental health on the frontlines. He takes great pride in his work with first responders and other members of the medical field. When trying to be open and honest, it can be helpful when you don’t have to explain to your therapist what a Yankauer tip is.

Brenda Byk, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CMSRN, NPD-BC

Brenda A. Byk, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CMSRN, NPD-BC, is the Regional Director of Staffing Operations, Florida and Hospital Care at Home for Cleveland Clinic. Throughout her healthcare career, she has held several positions as a registered nurse that enabled her to provide safe, compassionate and quality care to her community. With more than 25 years of leadership experience, Brenda brings a comprehensive background in building and motivating dynamic teams.

Judi Kuric, RN, BSN, MSN, DNP

Dr. Judi Kuric has over 35 years of experience in providing nursing and advanced practice nursing care. She is board certified as an adult-gerontology nurse practitioner, family nurse practitioner, and emergency nurse practitioner.

Sarah Miller, MSN, RN, CPN

Sarah has been a nurse for a little over 7 years. The majority of these years have focused on the pediatric population. I have completed my MSN in nursing leadership as well as got my CPN (Certified Pediatric Nurse). I also spent a couple of these years travel nursing.

Joyce Fitzpatrick, PhD, MBA, RN, FAAN, FNAP, FAANP(H)

Joyce J. Fitzpatrick, PhD, MBA, RN, FAAN, FNAP, FAANP(H) is Director of the Marian K. Shaughnessy Nurse Leadership Academy, and Elizabeth Brooks Ford Professor of Nursing, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in Cleveland Ohio. Dr. Fitzpatrick is widely published in nursing and health care literature with over 400 publications, including 85 books. She will share insights about opportunities for nurses' career planning and address important facts included in her book, 301 Careers in Nursing.

Emilia Ngozi Iwu, PhD, RN, APNC, FWACN

Dr. Iwu is a Global Health Practitioner, Researcher, Primary Health Provider, and an accomplished Nurse Leader. She is an Associate Professor and Assistant Dean for Global Health at Rutgers University School of Nursing, Newark. Dr. Iwu was selected as a Fellow American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) for 2024. She is a Board Member, past President, the first Education Committee Chair and current Nigerian Liaison, of National Association of Nigerian Nurses in North America (NANNNA). She's a member of the committee for implementation of Advanced Practice Nursing in Nigeria. She's also the Senior Technical Advisor for Nursing, Care and Support Programs at Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, a CDC/PEPFAR-funded organization supporting HIV & TB care in Nigeria. Her research focuses on global health workforce and HIV treatment support to improve access, adherence, and retention in care for Women, Children, Adolescents and Families affected by HIV. Dr. Iwu is the Nigerian Principal Investigator for a four-African country consortium research funded by UK-AID. This 5-year, longitudinal midwifery cohort study in conflict-affected area, examines midwives' education, workforce experience and influence on maternal/newborn mortality and morbidity in Yobe State, Nigeria. She's a two-time Carnegie Foundation African Diaspora Fellow; Robert Wood Johnson; and Jonas Foundation Nurse Leadership alumnus. She served as a CGFNS Alliance Board Member until 2022. She has been a member of the National Academies of Science and Engineering (IOM) Forum on Health Professions Education since 2014. She is married and blessed with children and grandchildren.

Peter Preziosi, PhD, RN, CAE, FAAN

Peter Preziosi, the President and CEO of TruMerit, is a leader in the global effort to strengthen health systems by improving career development and mobility for healthcare workers worldwide. Dr. Preziosi was appointed to lead the organization in early 2023 when it was known as CGFNS International, the world's largest credentials evaluation organization for the nursing and allied health professions. Since then, he has led its transformation into a new era of global impact, expanding its mission toward research and advocacy in support of healthcare workforce development solutions, including global standards and frameworks for certification of nurses and other healthcare professionals. This has included rebranding the organization as TruMerit and enlarging its profile to enable healthcare workers everywhere to work at the top of their capabilities and licensure. Dr. Preziosi has also reinvigorated the organization's global activism as a member of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO) and has guided its induction into the WHO's World Rehabilitation Alliance (WRA), a network of stakeholders that advocates for improving rehabilitation management and investment, building a high-quality rehabilitation workforce, and enhancing data collection on rehabilitation. Prior to joining the organization, Dr. Preziosi led quality, standards development, and credentialing at the World Health Organization's initiative to build a technology-driven global learning center, the WHO Academy, with a goal of upskilling millions of health workers worldwide. After beginning his career as a registered nurse, Dr. Preziosi has spent nearly three decades in high-profile positions at corporations, government agencies and nonprofits. His work has included leading strategic innovation, partnership-building and healthcare reform initiatives for national and international organizations including Verizon's healthcare innovation incubator, Concentrix Corporation, the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the National League for Nursing and the AMDEC Foundation, a New York-based biomedical research consortium. He also worked for the City of New York's Health and Hospital Corporation, and he directed the Mayor's Office of Medicaid Managed Care. Dr. Preziosi holds a PhD in health policy and a master's degree in government administration from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a master's degree in education from Columbia University's Teachers College. His bachelor's degree in nursing is from Florida State University. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Global Partners for Rehabilitation and is a member of the American Society of Association Executives, where he is a Certified Association Executive.

Lea Sims

Lea is Chief Marketing & Communications Officer for TruMerit (formerly CGFNS International). In that role, she oversees brand strategy and communications for the nearly 50-year-old nonprofit, aligning the organizational narrative with its core mission to shape global health workforce development. Lea is also the host of TruMerit's podcast Care Anywhere, launched in 2024. Prior to coming to shape global health workforce development. TruMerit, she served as Global Marketing Lead for Verizon's Healthcare and Life Sciences practice from 2011-2023, overseeing healthcare messaging, marketing and thought leadership for Verizon's enterprise business. From 2002-2011, Lea was Director of Professional Practices for the Association for Healthcare Documentation (AHDI), overseeing practitioner certification, continuing education, legislative advocacy, and marketing strategy for the association's 20,000+ global professional members. She was Editor-in-Chief of the association's two clinical/technical journals and authored the Book of Style for Medical Transcription, 3rd edition, the standards manual used by clinical documentation specialists globally.

Angela Agore Egwele, MRes, BSc, RGN

Angela Agore, MRes, BSc, RGN, is the Lead Research Nurse at a National Health Service (NHS) Trust in the UK, overseeing a portfolio of 40+ clinical studies and advancing inclusive research practices. She champions Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups representation and patient involvement in research through roles within south east regional research delivery network under the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) UK. She is also the UK Lead and Co-Director for Research and Quality Improvement at Ghanaian-Diaspora Nursing Alliance (G-DNA), and contributes to global equity in research as Nurse advisor at CareForMe.

Folake Adelakun, DNP, RN

Dr Folake Adelakun graduated from Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria nursing school in 1989 with Diploma in Nursing and then proceeded to obtain Diploma in Midwifery in 1993, and certificate in Nephrology Nursing from the same institution in 2000. After immigrating to the United States, she obtained bachelor's degree in nursing from Bethel University St Paul in 2004, master's in nursing and business administration degree with concentration in Health Care administration from University of Phoenix, Arizona in 2010, and Doctorate in Nursing practice with concentration in Transcultural Nursing from Augsburg University in 2013. She is a certified Public Health Nurse and Nationally certified as Nurse Educator. Dr Adelakun has worked in long term care setting, as a medical/surgical nurse, pediatric nurse, nurse /midwife, school nurse, home care nurse, gynecological nurse, mental health nurse, and public health nurse. She has taught in various Colleges and Universities since 2010. She is a published author, presenter at conferences, and book reviewer. She is an abstract reviewer for various nursing organizations including the international council of nursing. She is currently the secretary and chief editor of Newsletter of National Association of Nigerian Nurses in North America and on editorial board of Journal of Current Trends in Nursing and Health care. She is a member of Transcultural Nursing Society, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society, and National Association of Nigerian Nurses in North America. She is involved in mentoring other nurses, international, and community work.

Marlon Garzo Saria, PhD, RN, AOCNS, NEA-BC, NPD-BC, FAAN

Dr. Marlon Garzo Saria serves as a Nurse Scientist and Magnet Program Director at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California. Additionally, he holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, assigned to the 452d Aeromedical Staging Squadron at March Air Reserve Base, California. As President of the Philippine Nurses Association of America, Dr. Saria is committed to advocating for improved healthcare across all communities and increasing representation within the nursing profession.

Andrew Lingo

Andrew Lingo has held a variety of leadership roles within Health Carousel over the past 19 years and currently serves as the the Director of Ethical Recruitment & Sustainability. In 2022, Andrew gained the additional responsibility of serving as the executive director of the newly formed Health Carousel Foundation. Andrew's focus is on championing corporate and foundation projects that aim to elevate and transform the nursing workforce globally.

Clara Kassner

Clara Kassner is the Senior Director of International Employee Supervisors, leading the team that supports Nurses and Allied Professionals from around to world once they arrive to the U.S. Clara's leadership ensures that each professional has all the resources needed to help them and their family successfully acclimate to their local community and hospital setting.

Angela Snider, MS, RN, APRN-BC, NEA-BC

Angela M. Snider, MS, RN, APRN-BC, NEA-BC is the Chief Nursing Officer at Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital and a board-certified Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist with over 15 years of experience in nursing leadership, emergency services, and advanced clinical practice. She is known for driving quality outcomes, leading operational improvements, and fostering collaborative clinical environments. Angela previously held key leadership roles at Hennepin County Medical Center, where she worked alongside the Chief Nursing Officer to enhance clinical operations, support emerging leaders, and improve patient care strategies in high-acuity departments. She has led major initiatives, including the opening of a Crisis Services program and a Free-Standing Emergency Department, resulting in measurable improvements in patient flow and satisfaction. An advocate for community health, Angela has spearheaded addiction education programs, Narcan distribution, and hospital-based response teams. Her leadership has earned multiple awards, including the Women of Vision Leadership Award and Leadership Teammate of the Year. Angela holds a Master of Science in Nursing from Mount Carmel College of Nursing and is actively involved in nursing professional organizations and alumni leadership. She remains committed to advancing nursing practice and supporting underserved communities.

Tracy Hankin

Tracy is an experienced Senior Executive and General Manager with a track record of delivering superior results in business growth, revenue generation, customer relationship management, and strategic planning. Developed national, high performing, committed, cross functional teams across consumer products, health care, data technology, sports, and media industry sectors. Leads by example, collaborative, and focuses on driving positive business outcomes.

Debra Morton, DNP, MA, BSN

Highly accomplished Nurse Executive with 30 years of progressive acute care experience leading hospital operations, P&L management, strategic planning, staff empowerment, labor relations, and quality management. A visionary and decisive leader with demonstrated success across the healthcare continuum, from clinical operations to HCAHPS optimization. Recognized for fostering high-reliability organizations and advancing patient-centered care models.

Leah Ramos, DNP, RN, CCRN-K, NE-BC

As the Associate Chief Nursing Officer for the Adult Hospital at MUSC Health, Leah's leadership extends over strategic planning and delivering high-quality nursing services. With a steadfast commitment to patient safety and service, she guides her team towards exemplary care outcomes and continuous quality improvement. Their organization emphasizes a culture of excellence, innovation, and collaboration, embodied by their nursing staff and interdisciplinary teams. As Chapter President of the Philippines Nurses Association - South Carolina Chapter, she also leads efforts to empower Filipino nurses, advocating for their professional development within the healthcare community.

Ron Gonzalez

With over 25 years of experience in healthcare and technology, Ron is the Founder and CEO of UNA Health, a company that creates disruptive and innovative software solutions for acute care organizations and the healthcare staffing market. Ron has a proven track record of leading and growing successful healthcare technology ventures (such as JobRobotix, Prophecy Healthcare, and BlueSky Medical Staffing Software), has published multiple articles on healthcare management and assessment, and served as a strategic advisor and consultant for various healthcare organizations. He is passionate about transforming healthcare through technology, and empowering healthcare professionals and organizations to deliver high-quality care.

Brian LeCount

Brian is the Chief Marketing Officer at Health Carousel, a top 20 leader in healthcare staffing and workforce solutions in the US and the #1 healthcare staffing provider internationally. Brian leads Health Carousel's multi-brand B2C and B2B marketing efforts, digital strategy, corporate strategic planning initiatives, and other innovation programs designed to drive demand, optimize retention and deliver strong lifetime customer value.

Melanie Van Sistine, BSN, RN

Mel, the founder of Mel's Crafty Corner, is a nurse, entrepreneur, and mental health advocate with a passion for creativity and community. Drawing from her own experiences in healthcare, she uses her platform to design products that inspire conversation, promote self-expression, and support mental health awareness. Balancing her love for art, her dedication to others, and her entrepreneurial spirit, Mel has built a brand that's as much about connection and compassion as it is about crafting beautiful, meaningful pieces.

Micheline Fraser, BScN, RN

Micheline lives in a small town in Ontario, Canada. She began my nursing journey as a Registered Practical Nurse in 2011, and continued education through the bridging program. She completed by BSN in 2015, and has since worked in community nursing, stroke rehab, long-term care, and infection control. After a life-changing experience with burnout in 2019, she went through a rough couple of years recovering and she is now settled into a job she enjoys. She has a passion for helping her fellow healthcare workers with burnout prevention and recovery.

Christine Kirmsse, RN

Christine is a Registered Nurse, content creator, and founder of Daisy Social Club, a wellness-driven community for nurses. She shares her journey balancing a healthy lifestyle with the demands of nursing, offering real, relatable inspiration to fellow healthcare professionals. Through her content and community, Christine hopes to inspire and support nurses in every part of their life.

Emma Doherty, BSN, RN

Emma is an emergency department nurse in rural South Carolina. She has always had a passion for mental health and working in the Emergency Department highlights how critical the integration of mental and physical health is. Her favorite stress relievers are hiking, reading and gardening! She hopes to bring Operation Happy Nurse's message to the forefront of discussions regarding mental health within healthcare and healthcare workers.

Shannon McPeek, BSN, RN

Shannon McPeek is a passionate mental health advocate and the founder of Operation Happy Nurse, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting nurses facing stress, anxiety, and depression. After beginning her career in the Neonatal ICU and later transitioning into travel nursing, Shannon's own struggles with anxiety inspired her to create a supportive community for others in the profession. She has been recognized as a 2022 L'Oreal Paris Women of Worth Honoree and a 2023 Purdue University Early Career Achievement Award winner.

Bill Lecher, DNP, MBA, RN, NE-BC

Bill is a doctorally prepared, board certified nurse leader and brings more that 30 years of nursing practice and leadership to Nursing Careers Week. He utilizes his experience in academic medical centers and community hospitals; pediatric and adult care; and acute care, behavioral health, and ambulatory care settings to support and mentor aspiring nursing students and emerging nurse leaders on their career path and journey. In his current role as director on nursing at Health Carousel, Bill provides clinical support and leadership internally to our team and our health care professionals and hospitals that we serve.

Danielle Altares Sarik, PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC, FAAN

Danielle Altares Sarik is Director of Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice at Nicklaus Children's Hospital, Senior Policy Service Professor at George Washington University, and Senior Fellow at the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania. As a pediatric nurse scientist and health services researcher, Dr. Danielle Altares Sarik focuses on improving pediatric systems of care and outcomes through policy, innovation, and research. She developed and implemented the American Academy of Nursing Edge Runner-designated designated Baby Steps model, a transition of care approach to address health equity for neonatal patients and families discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit.

Simmy King, DNP, MS, MBA, RN-BC, NE-BC

Dr. Simmy King serves as the Chief Nursing Informatics and Education Officer at Children's National Hospital. She holds the position of Associate Professor of Pediatrics at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Emphasizing the importance of innovation, she leads initiatives in digital transformation, workforce education, and wellness strategies to improve clinical outcomes and facilitate the adoption of technology into nursing. Through her leadership, Children's National was the first organization in Washington, DC, to achieve recognition as an ANCC Practice Transition Accreditation Program with distinction in 2019, and more recently as one of six organizations globally, and the first pediatric hospital, to achieve the ANCC Well-being Excellence credential.

Deborah Stamps, EdD, MBA, MS, RN, GNP, NE-BC, CDE, FADLN, FAAN

Deborah C. Stamps, EdD, MBA, MS, RN, GNP, NE-BC, CDE, FADLN, FAAN, is the founder and CEO of Deborah Stamps Consulting, LLC, with nearly four decades of progressive healthcare leadership. An internationally recognized authority on workforce development, nursing education, and leadership, she created the Professional Academic Workforce (PAW) model to advance the educational and economic mobility of underrepresented minorities in nursing. Dr. Stamps has held executive, academic, and board leadership roles, is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing, and continues to shape policy, education, and equity in healthcare.

Cole Edmonson, RN, DNP, NEA-BC, FACHE, FNAP, FAONL, FAAN

Dr. Edmonson has a career spanning three decades with roles including clinical nurse, supervisor, manager, director, associate chief nursing office, chief nursing officer in both non-profit / for-profit adult and children's hospitals and a chief clinical officer in workforce solutions. As the chief clinical officer in the nation's largest total talent solution company, he led experience/marketing, quality, education, research, credentialing and clinical organizations He is a scientific advisory to several technology companies including robotics, virtual reality, education and immune-assay companies. Edmonson currently serves as the CEO for the Nurses on Boards Coalition, that's mission is to improve the health of communities through the service of nurses on boards and other entities. He is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, National Academy of Practice, American Organization for Nursing Leadership and the American College of Healthcare Executives; and Nursing Executive Advanced-Board Certified by ANCC. He is a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellow Alum. He completed his BSN and MSN at Oklahoma University College of Nursing and his Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) at Texas Christian University.

Jaclyn Neilly, MHA, BSN, BA, RN

Jaclyn has been an RN for over nine years. She has worked in both travel healthcare staffing as a VP of Clinical Services and in acute care as a Clinical Nurse Coordinator. She is also the Education Committee Nurse Planner and the Speaker Engagement Specialist for TravCon.

Elizabeth Menschner, DNP, MAS, MSN, RN, NEA-BC

Elizabeth Menschner, commonly known as Liz, serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Pennsylvania Organization of Nurse Leaders. With an extensive career spanning over three decades in nursing leadership and hospital operations, Liz has held several pivotal roles. Notably, she has served as the Vice President of Patient Care Services at Riddle Hospital and as the interim Chief Nursing Officer at Temple University Health System. Her professional focus encompasses innovative care delivery, harm prevention, and the mentorship of emerging leaders. Liz possesses advanced degrees in both nursing and business and holds board certification in Nursing Executive Advanced.

Melissa Knybel, BSN, RN

Melissa is the current Director of Education for TravCon responsible for curating high-quality, engaging, and relevant content that supports the professional development of healthcare travelers while ensuring compliance with continuing education (CE) accreditation standards. Additionally Melissa has 26 years of experience in the healthcare staffing industry, primarily focusing on operations, safety, and quality improvement. Melissa earned her BSN from the University of Massachusetts and worked for 10 years at the bedside, primarily in ICU.

Holly Bass

Holly Bass is an accomplished executive with over two decades in healthcare staffing. She served as President of PPR Travel Nursing for over 5 years and as Executive Vice President of Recruitment at Medical Solutions, the industry’s second largest travel nurse staffing company. Holly led PPR through multiple successful recapitalization processes and been recognized nationally. She was named on the 2021 SIA Global Power, Women in Staffing List and won the Best Places To Work, Leader For All Award. She was the President of NATHO and appointed the Board of Directors from 2018-2023. Holly has also been a Panelist at the SIA Healthcare Staffing Summit and Speaker at TravCon.

Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN

President & CEO Dr. Beverly Malone has led the National League for Nursing since 2007. She contributed to the ground-breaking IOM report, "The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health," and served on the Minority Health Federal Advisory Committee. With over 20 honorary degrees and numerous accolades, Dr Malone's distinguished career has blended policy, education, administration, and clinical practice--including the position of Federal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health under President Bill Clinton. Dr. Malone is internationally recognized as the first African American General Secretary of the United Kingdom (UK) Royal College of Nursing representing 400,000 nurses and served as a member of the UK delegation to the World Health Assembly.

Andrew Smith, MSN, RN, CPN, NE-BC

Andrew smith bio

Donita Ross, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CGNC

Donita Ross, Associate Chief Nursing Officer and VP of Health Carousel has 35 years of nursing experience in various leadership roles, from adult health to critical care and perioperative environments. Before joining Health Carousel in 2017, Ross worked for TriHealth, a Cincinnati-based, Magnet-Certified hospital system with a 170-year legacy of exceptional care. Donita is widely regarded as a servant leader who can lead teams to a shared vision. She is passionate about creating and sustaining shared governance structures. She frequently speaks at hospitals and nursing schools during routine trips to the Philippines. Donita’s extensive work in the international nursing industry earned her the prestigious title of Certified Global Nurse Consultant from the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and CGFNS in 2020. In 2021, she was a featured speaker at the National Association for Health Care Recruitment conference, where she presented on creating a culture of magnetism to empower and develop the nursing workforce.

Ryan Eastman

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Abby Zimmerman

Abby Zimmerman serves as HCTN’s Vice President of Recruitment and Client Fulfillment, overseeing our Recruiting and Account Management teams across Cincinnati, Columbus, and Dayton. Abby has spent 12 years in the recruiting and staffing space in recruitment, account management, sales, implementation, and leadership roles. Abby is passionate about providing a world-class experience to both our clients and candidates while supporting our internal employees as they strive to achieve their own career goals. Abby is a Cincinnati native where she lives with her 12-year-old son, Brooks, and two doodles.

Deb Zimmermann, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

Deb Zimmermann serves as the Chief Executive Officer for the DAISY Foundation. Prior to joining DAISY, Deb served in the United States Army Nurse Corps, practiced as a nurse practitioner, and for 25 years served in chief nursing officer positions in New York and Virginia. She is the president of AONL and a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She is the past chair of ANCC Commission on Magnet� and the AONL Foundation.

Sarah Brown

Sarah is big on a few things: entrepreneurship, leadership development and becoming your highest self. She has a master’s degree in counseling, two coaching certifications and was responsible for leading talent development in government and health care organizations. Sarah currently leads People & Culture for Health Carousel, a Cincinnati-based medical staffing company. She is a mindset coach and hosted the podcast Failing Forward. On the podcast, Sarah interviewed over 140 successful people who share the failures that launched them into success. Sarah was a Woman to Watch, a YWCA Rising Star, 40 under 40 recipient and is past board president of Artworks.

Earl Dalton, MHA, MSL, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

Earl Dalton, MHA, MSL, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN Chief Clinical Officer and VP of Clinical Services at Health Carousel, has over 30 years of acute hospital experience in various leadership roles from Adult Health to Emergency and Critical care. In addition, Dalton is an accomplished speaker, author, and innovator in the Healthcare industry. Dalton has worked for several hospital systems, most notably, the Duke University Health System, consistently in the top ten for healthcare delivery in the United States and globally. Dalton is an industry thought leader and has made exceptional work in Work Culture, Quality Improvement, and Customer experience.

Janet Schultz

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DeAnna Hawkins, DNP, RN, NEA-BC

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Jordan Puskar

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Jamie Nixon

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Rowell Cordova, BSN RN - ADON/UR

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Toye Cadiente

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