North Carolina Nurses Association Swears in New Board of Directors

RALEIGH, N.C. - Oct. 23, 2013 - PRLog -- As the North Carolina Nurses Association (NCNA) enters a new era, it will be doing so with new leadership. At its 106^th Annual Convention earlier this month, NCNA installed Megan Williams, MSN, RN, FNP, of Chapel Hill, as the association’s president, along with the eleven other members from across North Carolina who make up the new Board of Directors. Mary Graff, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, of Raleigh, was elected as President-Elect.

The new board members are as follows:

President: Megan Williams, Chapel Hill
President-Elect: Mary Graff, Raleigh
Secretary/Treasurer: Angie Bertsch, Calabash
Mountain Regional Director: Elaine Scherer, Biltmore Lake
Northeast Regional Director: Ryan Lewis, Winterville
Northwest Regional Director: Cathy Greene, Granite Falls
South Central Regional Director: Maureen Running, Fayetteville
Southeast Regional Director: Jeannette Orr, Maple Hill
Southwest Regional Director: Donna Owen, Charlotte
Triad Regional Director: Lauren Crotts, Mocksville
Triangle Regional Director: Erica Saunders, Apex
Chair, Commission on Advanced Practice Nurses: Dennis Taylor, Lexington

Williams is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the School of Nursing at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, where she also practices as a Family Nurse Practitioner in the acute care after-hours clinic at UNC Campus Health.

“It is an honor to serve the members of the North Carolina Nurses Association as the 51^st President,” said Williams. “As the leading professional association for registered nurses in North Carolina we need to consider not just the future of nursing, but the future for nursing. I look forward to meeting nursing students, nurses at all levels, and citizens of our state and share with them why it is important to invest in nursing.”

The board is taking over at a critical time for nursing. Healthcare is evolving rapidly, and nurses are heavily involved in making sure patients throughout North Carolina maintain access to quality care. Additionally, NCNA itself is undergoing significant changes. Earlier this year, the NCNA House of Delegates voted to move the association to a new governance model allowing every member direct participation in a Membership Forum. NCNA is also in the midst of a rebranding campaign designed to elevate the stature of the association in the ever-changing healthcare environment.

Established in 1902 as the nation’s first professional organization for nurses, NCNA helps lead nursing forward through continuing education, networking and legislative advocacy. For more information, please visit www.ncnurses.org.

MEDIA CONTACT
Chris Cowperthwaite, Manager of Communications & Outreach
(919) 821-4250 or chriscowperthwaite@ncnurses.org

ABOUT NCNA
Since 1902, the North Carolina Nurses Association has been the voice for North Carolina’s registered nurses. Formed by a group of nurses, the first objective of NCNA was the pursuit of the Nursing Practice Act, making North Carolina the first state in the nation to legalize the registration of nurses. Members of the North Carolina Nurses Association continue to be recognized nationally for having a significant impact on the profession and for advancing quality care in a variety of practice settings! NCNA leads the charge in the quest to keep North Carolina nurses on the cutting edge of nursing policy, education, practice and more. NCNA is proud to be the only nursing association in the state that represents all of North Carolina’s Registered Nurses. We encourage you to become a part of professional nursing by joining NCNA!

OUR MISSION
The North Carolina Nurses Association serves the changing needs of its members, addresses nursing issues, and advocates for the health and well-being of all people.