Board of Directors

I graduated from Houston Baptist University and have been a nurse for over 15 years. My experience includes working in the Transplant, Surgical Liver, and Cardiovascular ICUs. I am currently working bedside at Houston Methodist Hospital, as well as being an ECMO Specialist.

I have been a part of AACN since 2010 and have been on the Board of the Houston Gulf Coast Chapter in some capacity since 2019. I am very excited for the coming year and serving as President!

I am a registered Master's prepared certified nurse with 21 years of clinical, leadership, and teaching experience in critical care. I earned my BS in in Biology and Chemistry from the University of Houston in 1996, and my BSN from UT Health Houston School of Nursing. My specialties include cardiothoracic solid organ transplantation, ECMO specialist, advanced temporary mechanical circulatory support management. Besides my position on this Board, I am also The Methodist Hospital's Sigma Theta Tau Governance counselor. 

I graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 2002 and have been at the bedside for over 20 years. My ICU experience began with the cardiac patient population and has spanned surgical and liver transplant ICU and COVID ICU. I've been in the Cardiac ICU at Houston Methodist Hospital since September of 2021.

Other non-clinical interests include professional development, education, and mentoring. A member of the AACN HGCC board since 2020, I look forward to working hard to provide a valuable year of events this coming year!

I am both excited and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the 2024-2025 Treasurer on the AACN-HGCC Board of Directors. I bring a wealth of experience and expertise to this role, supported by an academic and professional background. Currently, I am pursuing my PhD in Nursing Research at UTHealth Houston, Cizik School of Nursing. I hold a Master of Science in Nursing (Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner) and a post-graduate certification in Nursing Education. I have been practicing nursing in the Texas Medical Center/Gulf Coast Area for nearly 15 years. My extensive experience in critical care and nursing education includes my roles as a faculty member at the Houston Methodist Academic Institute, a Professional Practice Leader at the Houston Methodist Hospital Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, and adjunct faculty for UTHealth Houston Cizik School of Nursing.
I am proud to have been recognized for my contributions to the nursing field with numerous awards, most recently awarded the Faculty Award of Excellence (UTHealth) and the Excellence in Nursing Award (Good Samaritan Foundation). I have been an active member of the AACN-HGCC since 2015 and a board member since 2022. I am thrilled to serve in the new capacity of Treasurer and eagerly anticipate the opportunities and challenges of the upcoming year.

I am currently an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner in the Intensive Care Unit at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. I hold an appointment as an Assistant Professor of Nursing at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston where I have taught undergraduate pathophysiology, High Acuity nursing, and Acute Care Nurse Practitioners for the last 12 years. I attended the University of Rochester in upstate NY for my undergraduate and graduate degrees in nursing. I also hold a PhD from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston with a dissertation focus involving vasopressor titration methods in patients with septic shock. I speak both locally and nationally on topics related to critical care and diversity. I am a fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine and Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

I graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and have been an ICU nurse for the last ten years. Most of my career has been in Houston, TX, and I currently work at Houston Methodist Hospital in the cardiac ICU. I have been a member of the AACN Houston Gulf Coast Chapter since 2014 and look forward to my first year on the chapter board. Outside of nursing, I enjoy cooking, walking my pup Bruno and visiting beautiful places to hike.

I am looking forward to meeting you all at this year's events.

I graduated from Houston Baptist University  (Go Huskies) and have 5 years of experience as an intensive care nurse. I have been a member of the Houston Gulf Coast Chapter since 2017.  In addition to my clinical experience, I have also served as a pressure injury committee co-chair and a member of the code blue committee in the CVICU, where I collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to improve patient care outcomes and streamline processes. I have spearheaded unit-based projects that have resulted in enhanced patient safety and satisfaction. I am passionate about education and teaching, and I strive to empower my colleagues with the knowledge and skills they need to excel in their roles. I am committed to staying current with the latest advancements in critical care.  I am dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of others, both inside and outside of the healthcare setting. I am so excited to learn, meet new people, and help take our chapter to new heights. 

I am from Sugarland, TX. I attended Baylor University and graduated with my BSN from Louise Herrington School of Nursing in 2016. I began my nursing career working with heart transplant patients in the IMU and moved to Houston, where I transitioned to the ICU at Houston Methodist Hospital. During the pandemic, I worked on the front lines with COVID patients. After working as a travel nurse for a while, I am now back at HMH in the Medical ICU. 

I graduated from Western Governors University in 2020 and have been an ICU nurse for 3 years. My ICU experience began in Neuro Trauma ICU and has spanned to Medical ICU and now CVICU at Houston Methodist Hospital where my heart belongs. I have been a member of this chapter of AACN for a year and now a board member. In my free time I enjoy traveling, reading romance novels, and spending time with my family. I’m looking forward to serving on this year’s board and getting to know each and everyone.

As a dedicated learner, I hold a BSN from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, and an MSN in the Clinical Nurse Leader track from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. My thirst for knowledge and professional growth is evident as I am currently pursuing a DNP in the leadership track.
I have worked for Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center as a bedside clinician in the CV recovery room, an Education Specialist, and a Nurse manager. I have been active in shared leadership and am committed to supporting nurses' professional development. I continue to run the Critical Care RN Fellowship Program. Simulation became a passion while working with nurse residents and fellows, prompting me to become certified as a healthcare simulation educator. This passion has led to a new opportunity to work with the Memorial Hermann System Education and Center of Nursing Innovation teams running a state-of-the-art interprofessional simulation lab.
I am a member of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the Clinical Nurse Leader Association, Sigma Theta Tau, the American and Texas Nurses Association, the Association for Nurse Professional Development, the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, and the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning. As a board member of the Houston Gulf Coast Chapter of AACN, I have demonstrated my leadership skills and active involvement in the nursing community. I am currently serving as the seminar committee chair. I volunteer with National AACN whenever possible as an ECCO or exam reviewer and serve as an ambassador. I have been honored as one of the Top 150 nurses in Houston, a bronze medalist from the Good Samaritan Foundation in 2017 and 2022, and a TNA District 9 Twenty Outstanding Nurse honoree in 2022. I have been a podium and poster presenter at local and national conferences.

I have been a nurse for 24 years, earning my BSN from UT-Austin. I immediately began working in critical care, with my first 20 years at the bedside providing critical care for a variety of patients. I earned my MS in Biomedical Informatics in May 2020 and am currently a Quality Manager at Memorial Hermann - TMC.

I have experience in both ICU and ER, most of my experience being in a Level 1 Trauma Center Emergency Department in a large safety net hospital. Currently, I work in the MD Anderson Cancer Center ER and Clinical Decision Unit. In addition to AACN, I am also a member of the Houston ENA chapter. The Houston Gulf Coast Chapter has a great team, and I am excited to be a part of it.

I am a clinical nurse specialist working in the adult ICU.  My passion is moving nursing practice forward through education, evidenced-based practice, and empowering nurses to operate at the full scope of their practice. My hobbies are working out, traveling, and spending quality time with my family. I am excited to see the growth of our AACN Houston Gulf Coast Chapter.