The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) announces new leadership and members of its board of directors for fiscal year 2013, effective July 1, 2012.

Kathryn E. Roberts, president of the AACN board of directors

Kathryn E. Roberts, RN, CNS, MSN, CCRN, CCNS, begins a term as president of the AACN board of directors. Roberts — a clinical nurse specialist in the pediatric ICU at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia since 1998 — began her career at the hospital as a nurse extern in 1990, before working as a staff nurse in the cardiac step-down, cardiac intensive care and pediatric intensive care units.

Vicki Good, RN, MSN, CENP, begins a one-year term as president-elect. Good served on the AACN board from 2008 to 2011, acting as treasurer in 2009-2010. As administrative director of patient safety for CoxHealth in Springfield, Missouri, she conceptualizes and develops various safety programs, including the patient safety, medication safety and infection prevention offices.

Current board member Melissa Hutchinson, RN, MN, CCNS, CCRN, CWCN, begins a one-year term as secretary. A clinical nurse specialist in the medical intensive care unit at VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Hutchinson also serves as an adjunct clinical faculty member at the University of Washington, Seattle.

Mary Bylone, RN, MSM, CNML, also a current board member, begins a one-year term as treasurer. Vice president for patient care services and chief nursing officer at The William W. Backus Hospital, Norwich, Connecticut, Bylone is co-author of AACN’s Essentials of Nurse Manager Orientation, an e-learning program developed with the American Organization of Nurse Executives.

Joining the board as directors are Linda M. Bay, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC, CCRN, PCCN; Riza V. Mauricio, RN, MS, CCRN, CPNP; Kathleen K. Peavy, RN, MS, CCRN, CNS-BC, and Mary Zellinger, RN, MN, ANP, CCRN-CSC, CCNS. They each serve a three-year term through June 30, 2015.

Returning to the board are the following directors:

• Leary, RN, PhD(c), CCRN, CCNS, PCCN, clinical nurse specialist, VA San Diego Healthcare System;
• Karen McQuillan, RN, MS, CNS-BC, CCRN, CNRN, FAAN, clinical nurse specialist, R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore;
• Pamela Popplewell, RN, MSN, CCRN, ANP-BC, director of nursing, surgery, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle;
• Maureen Seckel, RN, MSN, APN, ACNS-BC, CCNS, CCRN, clinical nurse specialist, Medical Pulmonary Critical Care, Christiana Care Health System, Newark, Delaware; and
• Clareen Wiencek, RN, PhD, ACHPN, ACNP, nurse manager, Thomas Palliative Care Unit, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, Richmond, Virginia.

AACN members elect the board through a process initiated by AACN’s Nominating Committee. Newly elected officers and directors begin their terms July 1 and conclude them June 30.

Source: American Association of Critical-Care Nurses