Welcome your new WSNA President

Jan has served WSNA in numerous positions over the years, including as Board President 1997-2001 and as First Vice President 1979-1983 and 1993-1997. Jan has been involved in leadership activities at all levels of the association throughout her career, including as Chair of her local unit in Yakima, and President of her district association, during which she organized the first WSNA District Presidents Council (now the Constituent Representative Council.)

Most recently, Jan worked on staff as a Nurse Organizer at WSNA from 2006 through 2014.

“I am really excited to serve as President at this time,” Jan said. “We have a great Board, with a nice mix of experienced board members and new board members to lead the organization forward.”

Jan has also been active on the national level. She served on the board of the American Nurses Association, beginning in 2000. She was appointed ANA Treasurer to fill a vacancy, then successfully ran for the position, serving 2004-2006. She also served as Treasurer of the American Nurses Foundation and has held several other national offices in ANA including member of the ANA Finance Committee Chair of the ANA Appointments Committee Vice-chair of Constituent Assembly, member of the Advisory Committee on the ANA Code of Ethics, member of the Task Force on Work Place Advocacy, member of the ANA Futures Task Force, and member of the ANA Board Task Force on Affiliation. Jan also served as an ANA delegate from WSNA for many years.

Jan received her nursing diploma from St. Elizabeth School of Nursing in Yakima and her BSN from Gonzaga University. She has more than 40 years of nursing experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Jan worked in Psychiatry at Harborview Medical Center, in Critical Care at St. Elizabeth Hospital, in Cardiac Rehab and Out-Patient Cardiovascular nursing for the Yakima Heart Center and in Out-Patient Primary Care at the Vashon Health Center.

Jan is a past recipient of WSNA’s Leadership Award, in 1999 WSNA awarded Jan the ANA Honorary Recognition Pin Award for her outstanding leadership and contributions to nurses and nursing in Washington State.

Jan has been active in legislative and political action on behalf of nursing and has testified on many nursing and health care issues before the State Legislature and state agencies. Jan has also presented at many educational sessions and speaker panels at the state and national level and is a frequently sought-after speaker at many state, district and local unit meetings.

“I have seen the success we have had in the past when nurses come together for a common purpose. My role, moving forward, is to engage those nurses in our work and to lead those nurses to speak with one voice at any table where we can make a difference.”