Board of Commissioners

Dr. Jennifer Sugg, EdD, MSN, RN, CCRN, CNE currently serves as a Clinical Associate Professor at East Carolina University in the Advanced Nursing Practice and Education Department, where she serves as the MSN Nursing Education Clinical Placement Coordinator and specializes in the nursing education concentration. She also maintains current practice in acute care at UNC Health Wayne through positions in Organizational Learning and Clinical Administration. She is dedicated to nursing education and passionate about developing practice-ready, entry-level nurses and graduate level nurse educators to meet workforce needs. Dr. Sugg is also passionate about the accreditation process and strives to make site visits a positive experience for all involved and encourages faculty members to volunteer as a peer evaluator. She is dedicated to ensuring nursing education programs meet the needs of the communities they serve through appropriate educational objectives, outcomes, and the collaborative peer review accreditation process.

With over 26 years of nursing experience, Dr. Sugg has held previous academic and acute care leadership and education roles including Department Chair of Nursing Education Programs (ADN & PN) within the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS), acute care Clinical Administrator, Progressive Care Unit (Cardiac) Director, Organizational Learning educator, as well as critical care clinical educator and supervisory roles. Dr. Sugg is a member of numerous professional organizations such as the American Nurses Association, North Carolina Nurses Association, North Carolina Organization of Nurse Leaders, National League for Nursing, Association of Critical-Care Nurses, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) Honor Society of Nursing, and Delta Cappa Gamma to name a few. Dr. Sugg served as the Vice President of the Beta Nu Chapter of STTI from 2018-2021. Her experience with the nursing education accreditation process began in 2007. She has served the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) in the roles of Peer Evaluator, Team Chair, and member of the Evaluation Review Panel. In 2024, she was honored as one of the Great 100 Nurses of North Carolina. In addition, Dr. Sugg volunteers as a member of Nightingale Farewell within her local community and participates in tribute services to honor the dedication of nurse colleagues at the end of life's earthly journey.

Dr. Sugg holds the following degrees, three of which are in nursing: Doctor of Education, Master of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and Associate in Applied Science - Associte Degree Nursing. She is nationally certified in critical care (CCRN) and as a nurse educator (CNE). Dr. Sugg has taught at the PN, ADN, BSN, RN-to-BSN, MSN, and DNP levels througout her career.

When not working, she enjoys reading, outdoor walking, vacationing in the mountains, and spending time with her husband of 38 years (Charles), two adult children (Stephanie and Charlie), son-in-law (Austen), and grandchildren (Liam and Maggie Rose). In addition, her Goldendoodle (Cinnamon Sugar aka Minnie), and Maltese pups (Molly May and Maddy Lynn) are never far from her side.