In late 2022, the Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD) conducted its annual election for new board members and President-Elect. Nominees were solicited through a public call to ANPD's membership. An ANPD member could self-nominate or nominate a colleague for any of the open positions on the Board of Directors (BOD). There were four open positions, President-Elect and three Directors. A member cannot hold more than one office at a time, and no member shall be eligible to serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office (ANPD, 2018). ANPD is excited to welcome both new and familiar faces to the BOD! Transitions will occur in March 2023, after ANPD's annual convention.
Before welcoming the new BOD members, the ANPD would like to thank those who have served so effectively over the last several years. The BOD would like to thank Mandi Walker, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, CCRN-K, NEA-BC, for her service as she completes her second term as Director. Mandi helped the BOD lead the organization through the uncertainty of the pandemic. She helped make sure we stayed relevant to our members by consulting on the Implementation Committee from 2019 to 2021 and on the Content Planning Committee in 2022. She has been the voice of the ANPD BOD in the Journal for Nurses in Professional Development (JNPD), coauthoring ANPD Update since 2020 with Dale Callicutt. When asked about her time on the BOD, Mandi reflected:
I was first elected to the Board at a pivotal point in my own career, where I was taking on a system leadership role with more responsibility. Being able to bring my skills and talents to the BOD while also bringing home new skills learned from my peers has really helped me excel in my career. I am so proud of all that NPD practitioners did throughout the pandemic, and how it highlighted our much-needed expertise within nursing. I was amazed to see ANPD membership and utilization of our resources actually grow during this same time, which tells us we are hitting the mark with our members. But I know the BOD is going to continue to grow, develop and meet even more of the needs of all the NPD practitioners out there!
As for Dale Callicutt, PhD, RN, CV-BC, NPD-BC, CCRN-K, he has served as a BOD for the last two terms and has been recently elected as ANPD President-Elect. He will serve 1 year as President-Elect and then a 2-year term as President of ANPD. Dale serves as the Manager for the Center for Professional Practice and Development at Novant Health in North Carolina. In this role, he primarily oversees nurse educators as he provides guidance for nursing professional development activities. He has been a national ANPD member since 2013 and has been a local ANPD affiliate member (Cardinal) since 2014. He attended the ANPD Leadership Academy in 2017 and was elected to the ANPD BOD in 2019. As the elected ANPD President-Elect, Dale looks forward to continuing the work of the current ANPD BOD while also increasing efforts to promote our membership growth to reach over 7,000 members.
I am honored that the ANPD constituency has chosen me to serve as president-elect. As I have served in the capacity as a ANPD BOD these last four years, I look forward to carrying on the work and mission that it set before us as we embark on a new journey for ANPD. I look forward to assisting on our new BOD team and working with the ANPD team to provide more products for our nursing profession. I am passionate about growth and development, and I want to be able to assist everyone to thrive in our current nursing environment. I am looking forward to all that is coming these next three years and beyond! Thank you for this opportunity to serve you.
Serving with Dale will be three directors elected to ANPD BOD. Starting her second term on the BOD, Stephanie Zidek, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BC, NPD-BC, NEA-BC, has been involved in nursing professional development and has been a member of ANPD since 2015. This is her second term as Director. Stephanie serves as the system director for nursing education and professional development at Advocate Aurora in Downers Grove, Illinois, implementing educational programs and initiatives for 28 hospitals in Illinois and Wisconsin. Stephanie says, "ANPD serves as the thought and practice leader for NPD, and I want to provide a voice[horizontal ellipsis]for underrepresented populations within NPD, incoming Generation Z and Millennials interested or practicing in the specialty, and the rapidly growing multi-site/health system NPD professionals."
There are two new Directors on the ANPD Board. Elizabeth Fritz, PhD, RN, NPD-BC, NPDA-BC, has been active in ANPD since 2014. She has served as a member of the Diversity Task Force, a mentor in the EBP Academy, NPD Scope and Standards workgroup, section editor for the Core Curriculum, and an instructor for the Certification Prep course. Elizabeth is also active in her South-Central Wisconsin ANPD Affiliate as chair of the conference planning committee and as President for two terms. Fritz says, "I am so thankful for the many ways in which ANPD has helped me grow and develop in my professional career. Now I want to give back by using my skills and experience to help lead our organization forward."
Ashlee O'Meara, MSN-NL, RN, NPD-BC, has been an ANPD member since 2012. She was a member of the Products and Services Committee and an active member of her local affiliate. Ashlee is the Regional Director of Nursing Professional Practice and Development for Kaiser Northwest Hospitals in Oregon. She has acted as an emergency department clinical educator, an ambulatory care nursing professional practice consultant, and a regional manager before becoming regional director. O'Meara says, "I want to contribute and shape the role of the NPD Practitioner to innovate and optimize their practice to be able to influence our current nursing workforce development."
Serving on the ANPD BOD is a volunteer position. Responsibilities include governance for the organization, financial stewardship, envisioning the future of the ANPD, and giving direction to staff and volunteers to accomplish that vision. ANPD BOD thoughtfully listens, analyzes, and assesses ideas within the organization. They serve as role models within the profession of nursing and the NPD specialty. The board members promote the organization to others, while staying current on issues and trends impacting the association and its membership responsibilities. The 2023 BOD looks forward to representing and guiding the organization as ANPD moves into the future (ANPD, 2018).
The BOD would also like to welcome the two new ANPD staff members, Naomi Fox, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CCRN, Director of Education, and Mary Smith, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, NC-BC, AMB-BC, C-EFM, CCE, NPD Program Manager. The ANPD BOD redesigned support on the NPD side of the enterprise to have a director and two program managers to better meet the needs of the organization and our members.
Naomi Fox, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CCRN, is ANPD's new Director of Education. Naomi started her career as an emergency medical technician for the New York City Fire Department. She has critical care experience such as burn, cardiothoracic, and general intensive care units. She is very honored to be selected for a position with ANPD, and she ranks this as one her highest accomplishments, along with teaching courses, assisting with accreditation with distinction honors, or publishing articles. She believes in instilling the vision of "advancing the profession" as NPD practitioners are vital in maintaining the culture of nursing (ANPD, 2022).
Mary Smith began her career in 1998 as a labor and delivery nurse and has worn many hats since then. She believes that all nurses are leaders and part of our role as NPD practitioners is to help foster that in nurses everywhere! She enjoys the role NPD practitioners play in, caring for the carers, and ensuring they have what they need to provide high-quality patient care! Mary is looking forward to helping to continue to elevate ANPD, asking herself, "What else can we do, and do better?" (ANPD, 2022).
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