The University of Washington School of Nursing presented Judy Huntington, Executive Director of the Washington State Nurses Association, with the Distinguished Alumni Award during their annual Nurses Recognition Banquet held on May 8th. The Nurses Recognition Banquet celebrates National Nurses Week, held May 6-12, and recognizes four individual leadership award winners for their contributions to nursing. The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes a UW School of Nursing alumna or alumnus whose career in nursing exemplifies excellence in clinical practice, leadership in professional organizations, outstanding accomplishments and contributions to the community.
As declared by the UW School of Nursing, Judy Huntington has played a pivotal role in creating regional, state and national health policies. Among her accomplishments is serving as a founding member of the state Committee for Affordable Health Care, launching the state’s Basic Health Plan. She has been actively involved in nursing association work for nearly 40 years and has served in a variety of elected leadership and staff roles at the local, state and national levels for nursing and health care associations. While working for the American Nurses Association from 1989-1993, she was one of the primary staff responsible for the development, strategic planning and implementation activities related to Nursing’s Agenda for Health Care Reform, the nursing profession’s official platform during the 1992-1994 national debate on health care reform. She is currently on the Board of the Washington Center for Nursing, and has been an active participant in the development of the Master Plan for Education for nurses in the State of Washington. Judy assumed her current position as the Executive Director for WSNA in 1999. She has continued to ensure the enhancement of strong programs in all the focus areas of WSNA working to improve health standards, the availability of health care services for all people, fostering high standards of nursing, and promoting professional development and advancement of the economic and general welfare for the profession of nursing.
Judy Huntington earned her BSN from the UW in 1968 and her MN from the UW in 1985.
