American Nurses Association Elects Jennifer Mensik Kennedy As New National President

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Shannon McClendon, shannon.mcclendon@ana.org
Keziah Proctor, keziah.proctor@ana.org

SILVER SPRING, MD - Today, the American Nurses Association (ANA) Membership Assembly elected Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, of the Oregon Nurses Association as the association’s next president to represent the interests of the nation’s more than 4.3 million registered nurses. Mensik has more than 25 years of nursing experience in a variety of settings ranging from rural critical access hospitals and home health to hospital administration, and academia. She has served as President of the Arizona Nurses Association and 2nd Vice President and Treasurer of ANA. The term of service for Dr. Mensik and all other newly elected leaders will begin January 1, 2023.

ANA’s Membership Assembly also elected four members to serve as officers of the 9-member board of directors. The newly elected board members are: Secretary Amanda Oliver, BSN, RN, CCRN, of ANA – Illinois; Director-at-Large, Edward Briggs, DNP, MS, APRN, of the Florida Nurses Association; Director-at-Large, Jennifer Gil, MSN, RN, of the New Jersey State Nurses Association; and Director-at-Large, Staff Nurse, David Garcia, MSN, BSN, RN, PCCN, of the Washington State Nurses Association.

The following ANA board members will continue their terms: Susan Swart, EdD, MS, RN, CAE, of ANA-Illinois as Vice President; Joan Widmer, MS, MSBA, RN, CEN, of the New Hampshire Nurses Association as Treasurer; Amy McCarthy, MSN, RNC-MNN, NE-BC, of the Texas Nurses Association as Director-at-Large; and Marcus Henderson, MSN, RN, of the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association as Director-at-Large, Recent Graduate.

Elected to serve on the Nominations and Elections Committee are: MaryLee Pakieser, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, of ANA Michigan; Jennifer Tucker, MA, RN, of the Minnesota Organization of Registered Nurses; and Kimberly Velez, MSN, RN, of ANA - New York.

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About the American Nurses Association
The American Nurses Association (ANA) is the premier organization representing the interests of the nation's 4.3 million registered nurses. ANA advances the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting a safe and ethical work environment, bolstering the health and wellness of nurses, and advocating on health care issues that affect nurses and the public. ANA is at the forefront of improving the quality of health care for all. For more information, visit www.nursingworld.org