Ms. Joan Becker, MA, BSN, RN received her BSN from Hunter College-Bellevue School of Nursing and her Master’s from New York University. Ms. Becker has been an employee of Dallas County Community College District/Dallas College for 35 years and has served in all roles of the Nursing Department. Ms. Becker is active in the North Texas Region Nursing Deans Council and is a member of Texas Deans and Directors and is currently serving as past-president. She is also a member of TOADN (Texas Organization of associate degree nursing) and serves as it’s Treasurer. Ms. Becker served on the Perkins Leadership Grant and is now serving on the advisory committee for both the Nursing Innovation Grant and the Robert Woods Johnson Grant. She has worked with the DFW Hospital Council’s Nurse Collaborative Project which worked on standardized hospital orientation and regionalization of simulation experiences. Ms. Becker has been an ACEN site visitor for 10+ years and a member of the ERP committee for 5+ years. She is currently serving on an advisory committee for the Texas Board of Nursing. The committee is involved with the revision of the Differentiated Essential Competencies of Graduates of Texas Nursing programs.

Dr. Shari Gholson, DNP, RN, CNE has 35 years of nursing experience, including 23 years in nursing education. She is a professor of nursing at West Kentucky Community and Technical College and is serving as Dean of the Nursing Division and program coordinator of the Associate Degree Nursing Program since 2006.

Shari earned her Doctorate in Nurse Practice from Northern Kentucky University, Master’s Degree in Nursing from Vanderbilt University (pediatric clinical nurse specialist) and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Murray State University. She also holds the Certified Nurse Educators credential. She has served the college in a number of leadership roles including faculty representative to the WKCTC Board of Directors, chair of the Kentucky Community and Technical College Nursing Curriculum Committee, and has presented at local, state, national, and international conferences/workshops.

Dr. Gholson has served as an ACEN site visitor since 2013, a team chair since 2015, and an Evaluation Review Panel member since 2016. She is currently serving her first term as Board of Commissioner, chairing ERP panels and serving on the Substantive Change committee. She is a member of several professional associations including Sigma Theta Tau International, American Nurses Association, Kentucky Nurses Association, Kentucky Deans and Directors, Kentucky Council of Associate Degree Nursing, and Kentucky Nurses Action Coalition.

Shari considers it an honor to work with nursing faculty across the nation as they chose to teach those that will follow them into the nursing profession. She values the opportunity to continue and represent nursing education on the Board of Commissioners.

Dr. Cheryl Osler, EdD, MS-CNS, LMHC, MSL, RN, CNE has 32 years of nursing experience, including 19 years in nursing education. She is a nursing professor at Spokane Community College and is serving as the Associate Dean of Nursing since 2015. She is currently working on developing an RN to BSN program option for the college.

Dr. Osler earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California, a Master’s Degree in Community Mental Health Nursing from the University of Hawaii (clinical nurse specialist), a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Argosy University, a Master of Studies in Law from the University of Southern California, and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Seattle Pacific University. She also holds the Certified Nurse Educators credential and worked as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in private practice for ten years.

Dr. Osler has served as an ACEN site visitor since 2013, a team chair since 2018, an Evaluation Review Panel member since 2019, and is an external consultant for nursing schools preparing for an ACEN site visit. She is serving on several boards, including MultiCare Human Subjects Institutional Review Board, Girls Scouts of Eastern Washington & Northern Idaho Board of Directors, Inland Empire Nurses Association Board, the Clinical Placement Northwest Board of Directors as Vice President, Greater Inland Northwest American Red Cross Board of Directors, and serves as a certified Disaster Mental Health Counselor, and youth disaster preparedness educator for the American Red Cross.

Dr. Osler is certified in healthcare compliance and business law. She is passionate about compliance and owns Healthcare Compliance Northwest, a health care compliance and legal nursing consulting company. Her enthusiasm for compliance is one of the main reasons she would like to serve on the ACEN Board of Commissioners.

Dr. Osler is honored to be a candidate for a seat on the ACEN Board of Commissioners, and if elected, will serve to the best of her ability.

Dr. Kristen Barbee, PhD, RN, CNE has 29 years of nursing experience, with 17 of those years in nursing education. As a nurse educator, she has taught and/or directed programs in associate, baccalaureate, and master’s levels. Currently associate professor and program director of the baccalaureate program at Wingate University, Dr. Barbee values the accreditation process and the program improvement that occurs due to ACEN accreditation.

Dr. Barbee received her diploma from Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing, her BSN from Gardner-Webb University, her MSN in Nursing Education from East Carolina University, and her PhD in Nursing from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She has held the CNE certification since 2006 and was an NLN LEAD leadership program participant in 2014. She is currently involved in research examining the relationship of grit and purpose in nursing school applicants and students.

Dr. Barbee is currently serving as a Commissioner. Serving a second term as Commissioner would be such a rewarding experience! She has served as a site visitor for ACEN since 2016 and has a passion and enthusiasm for conducting site visits and serving as team chair. Networking and evaluating other programs is truly a passion. She has also been honored to serve on the Evaluation Review Panel since 2017 and helped plan the Inaugural ACEN Accreditation Conference.

Dr. Barbee is honored to be nominated for a seat on the ACEN Board of Commissioners and will serve it and its members to the best of her ability.

Dr. Donna Mitchell, PhD, RN is the of Dean of the College of Professional and Technical Studies at the University of Rio Grande, a position she has held since 2011. Prior to that appointment she served as the director of the University of Rio Grande Holzer School of Nursing for ten years. She has also served in many other administrative roles such as elected Chair of the Faculty Association and Chair of the School of Nursing. The Holzer School of Nursing has an RN-BSN and associate degree nursing program, with traditional and LPN to RN tracks and an enrollment of approximately 400 students. This School is housed in the College of Professional and Technical Studies.

Dr. Mitchell holds a BSN and MSN, with an emphasis on education and administration, from The Ohio State University, and a PhD in nursing with a focus on research from the University of Cincinnati. She is a clinical specialist in medical surgical nursing which is currently on inactive status. Dr. Mitchell has served as a consultant on nursing curriculum design.

With over 38 years of experience in nursing education, Dr. Mitchell has taught in associate degree, baccalaureate and masters degree programs for a number of different universities both full and part time and she still enjoys teaching on a part time basis. She is also president of the Ohio Council of Deans and Directors of Baccalaureate and Higher Degree Nursing Programs (OCDD) and a member of Ohio Council of A.D.N. Education Administrators (OCADNEA) as well as Sigma Theta Tau International.

Dr. Mitchell has proudly served ACEN as a peer evaluator, team chair for initial, continuing, focused, and multiple program site visits as well as a member of the Evaluation Review Panel for a number of years. She also was a member of the ACEN 2017 Standards and Criteria Revision Team.

Dr. Joy Cole, PhD, RN is a nurse educator who promotes the ongoing development of the nursing profession and the educational process. Dr. Cole knows that an effective, efficient healthcare system must be championed by educated professionals who are unwavering patient advocates, dedicated knowledge builders, and responsible resource stewards. She embraces the challenge to transform healthcare and works collaboratively with other professionals in clinical, educational, and research venues to accomplish this goal. As a registered nurse, Dr. Cole’s experience spans decades and includes direct patient care, education of both undergraduate and graduate level nursing professionals, and service to community members to promote wellness and compassionate inclusion. Dr. Cole holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Nursing Education from the University of Northern Colorado.

Dr. Raquel Pasarón, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC has been a nurse since 1987. She earned her doctorate of nursing practice from the University of Florida in 2011, master’s of nursing degree/nurse practitioner from the University of Miami in 1993, and her bachelor’s of science in nursing from Barry University in 1987. She began her nursing career at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital (NCH) as a staff nurse before pursuing graduate education. She has served in several advanced practice roles in adult and pediatric organizations which included: lead NP for the pediatric surgery service, nursing staff professional development, research NP, and neurosurgical NP/administrator.

Raquel currently works as a Nurse Practitioner (NP) for the Department of Pediatric Surgery/Colorectal Program at NCH. This program was jointly started by Raquel and one of the colorectal surgeons in August 2018, and provides care to a population of children that were going out of state to seek acute and long-term care. This program is the only program of its kind in the State of Florida. She has had the privilege of traveling to Peru on medical missions and caring for the people of that culture providing expert pediatric colorectal care.

Raquel holds a non-physician faculty position in the pediatric surgery fellowship program, providing education and content expertise on multidisciplinary team handoff principles and how these impact healthcare outcomes. She is a NP student practicum preceptor for the University of Miami and University of South Alabama. She was a clinical assistant professor and director of the first foreign physician to BSN program at Florida International University (FIU), and clinical instructor at FIU and Miami Dade College.

She served eight years as a board member of the American Pediatric Surgical Nurses Association, Inc. (APSNA). She was the President of APSNA from 2015-2016.

Her accreditation experience includes service as a site visitor for ACEN since 2008, serving two, three-year terms as a board of commissioner (total of six years), and serving on the ACEN Executive Committee as Secretary.

Raquel chaired a pediatric surgical national nursing workgroup for the last 5 years, and recently completed the first affirmed pediatric surgical NP competencies which were approved by the American Nurses Association. These competencies and document will serve to educate, precept, and orient new pediatric surgical NPs to specialty practices and other entry to practice areas.

She is the recipient of the 2011 Florida Nurses’ Association Advanced Nursing Practice Award, the 2011 March of Dimes Nurse of the Year Award in Advanced Practice for Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties, and the 2012 Miami Children’s Hospital Magnet Nurse of the Year for New Knowledge, Innovation, and Improvement. She was the APSNA Founders recipient in 2016, an award that recognizes excellence in pediatric surgical nursing.

Dr. Demica Williams, DNP, RN, CNE has dedicated 20 years to the nursing profession. She received her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Bowling Green State University (Ohio) and her Masters of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Adult Acute Clinical Nurse Specialist from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, GA. She most recently completed a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nursing Administration with an Educator track at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. Williams has over 10 years of experience as a nursing professor in associate, practical, and BSN programs, and 5 years of experience as a Department Chair of Nursing for ACEN accredited nursing programs. She has served as a program evaluator for ACEN since 2015 and has participated in evaluation review panels for ACEN. Dr. Williams has experience with grant writing; specifically, to assist nurse educators. In 2016 she received a grant for faculty to attend a CNE review course on campus, which resulted in over 90% of her full-time faculty becoming certified nurse educators. Dr. Williams also became a certified nurse educator due to this endeavor and has contributed as a published author to CNE exam preparation review materials.

Dr. Williams transitioned from academia to the full-time nursing practice environment in 2017. Currently, she is a Clinical Nurse Educator for the Intermediate Care service line at University Hospital in Augusta, GA, which holds a Magnet Hospital designation. During her tenure with University Hospital, she has been able to participate in PTAP accreditation as a facilitator for nurses enrolled in the Nurse Residency Program. She spearheaded opening and educating a Discharge Center to assist with patient flow in 2019. She went on to publish an article in Nursing Matters, the hospital newsletter about the logistics of the new center. She has also collaborated with nursing administration to develop programs that focus on retention of new graduate nurses and nursing support staff.

She has been able to maintain a professional relationship with ACEN as a program evaluator representing nursing practice and as a member of the Evaluation Review Panel. She continues to work as an Adjunct Professor for Auburn University. Her professional memberships include the Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN), the Georgia Nurses Association (GNA), the South Carolina Nurses Association (SCNA) and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

As a Catholic priest for the last 33 years, Fr. Larry Hostetter, STD has served in a variety of capacities within the Diocese of Owensboro, including pastor, high school teacher, university professor, and for the last 12 years–President of Brescia University.

He earned a Master of Divinity in Pastoral Theology and a Master of Arts in Systematic Theology from the Pontifical College Josephinum. He continued his education in Rome, Italy where he earned a Licentiate and a Doctorate in Sacred Theology with an emphasis in moral theology at the Alphonsian Academy of the Pontifical Lateran University.

He has taught and written in the areas of Catholic moral theology, health care ethics, social justice, and spirituality.

As President of Brescia University he has served on several local and national boards including the National Association of Independent Athletics (NAIA) Council of Presidents; the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Board of Trustees; The Pontifical College Josephinum Board of Trustees; Owensboro Health Clinical Ethics Committee; and most recently on the Boards of Directors of the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce and the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU).

Dr. Sintich has more than 40 years of higher education administrative experience holding various administrative positions at several community colleges including Union, Morris and Warren. More recently, at Warren County Community College, Dr. Sintich served as Dean of Students, Assistant Dean of Curriculum, Dean of Academic Affairs, Chief Academic Officer and Provost. Following his years of college administration, he became Chairman of the Departments of English, Math, History, Psychology, Science and Sociology while teaching as a full-time Professor of History and Social Science.

At Warren County Community College, Dr. Sintich initiated and helped develop several programs to enhance enrollment goals such as nursing, automotive, food and beverage and a unique offering for veterans known as V.I.P.E.R (Veterans In Pursuit of Educational Readiness). The Viper program recognizes the skill and training that veterans receive in their MOS (military occupational specialty) and other military preparedness and translates these learning experiences into the form of equivalent college credit.

Dr. Sintich obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Scranton, as well as a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling. His doctoral degree was awarded by Rutgers University upon completion of his doctoral thesis which centered on the study of the community college system in the State of New Jersey. He has participated and directed staff in the participation and presentation of many accreditation reports submitted for Diploma and Associate Degree nursing programs. As Provost at Warren County Community College, Washington, New Jersey, he spearheaded launching the nursing program that continues to date, which was the first new nursing associate degree program put forward in New Jersey in 20 years.

Dr. Sintich recognizes that time is a precious commodity. He cannot imagine any other profession that he feels more privileged to serve as a Public Member then that of the ACEN Board of Commissioners.

Dr. Denise McEnroe-Petitte, PhD, MSN, BSN, AS, RN, FAADN attended Akron City Hospital Idabelle Firestone School of Nursing and earned her RN Diploma, then went on for her BSN from Kent State University, her MSN from the University of Akron, earned a post master’s certification in nursing education and then her PhD from Capella University with a specialization in nursing education.

During her time as a RN, Dr. McEnroe-Petitte has worked at Aultman Hospital in the CCU and stepdown units, at Union Hospital as the manager of ICU, stepdown and ED, managed a cardiology practice, worked on a skilled ventilator unit, worked with a home health care agency and volunteers as a parish nurse. Currently, Dr. McEnroe-Petitte has been employed in nursing education for the past 24 years at Kent State University Tuscarawas in New Philadelphia, Ohio. She teaches in the ADN program there as well as the RN to BSN program. In the ADN program, she teaches the second year of the medical/surgical nursing as well as doing clinicals for the psychosocial nursing course. Courses taught in the RN to BSN curriculum include Chronic Illness and Forensic Nursing.

Her PhD dissertation focused on caring with ADN nursing students. In addition, Dr. McEnroe-Petitte has written a number of nursing journal articles related to caring with nursing faculty, nursing faculty teaching characteristics, nursing education, nursing student stress, disaster preparedness, homelessness, evidence-based practice, simulation, and conflict, organizational politics. She focuses on the area of heart failure and these caregivers while coordinating a heart failure support group.

Dr. McEnroe-Petitte belongs to various nursing organizations including: Sigma Theta Tau International, American Association of Critical Care Nurses, Association of Associate Degree Nurses, National League for Nursing, and serves on the Board of Directors for the International Home Care Nurses Organization (IHCNO) as the Membership Coordinator. She is a peer reviewer for the Accreditation Commission for Education In Nursing (ACEN). Dr. McEnroe-Petitte is a Fellow for the Academy of Associate Degree Nursing.

She serves on several nursing journal editorial boards, reviews potential journal articles, has written chapters in various medical/surgical/pharmacological/leadership textbooks, has been on planning committees for conferences, and planned/participated in webinars. Presentations, both podium and poster, have been performed both locally, nationally, and internationally by Dr. McEnroe-Petitte.