ACEN is honored to recognize the recipients of the 2026 ACEN Lifetime Service Award, celebrating retired Peer Evaluators whose sustained commitment and exceptional contributions have significantly advanced the mission and accreditation work of the ACEN over the course of their service.
Peer Evaluators are central to the strength and integrity of the accreditation process. Their expertise, leadership, and professional dedication support programs across the country and contribute directly to the advancement of quality nursing education. The Lifetime Service Award recognizes individuals whose impact extends across decades — in both their professional careers and their volunteer service to ACEN.
Marilyn Brady dedicated 40 years to associate degree nursing education, retiring as dean of the nursing program at Trident Technical College in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2018. A lifelong advocate for accreditation, she became an ACEN Peer Evaluator in 2002 and continued in that role through January 2025. In recognition of her distinguished service, she was appointed an Emeritus Peer Evaluator in August 2022.
Marilyn’s contributions to ACEN extend well beyond site visits. She served on Evaluation Review Panels, was a member of the ACEN Board of Commissioners (2013–2016), and served as Board Chair from 2015–2016. She contributed to the 2013 Standards and Criteria Revision, served on the Steering Committee for ACEN’s inaugural conference, participated on the nominating committee, and most recently supported ACEN as a second reviewer for candidacy presentations and site visit reports.
Her years of dedication have strengthened programs, supported colleagues, and helped advance the quality of nursing education nationwide.
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Carole Grady’s distinguished career reflects both clinical excellence and academic leadership. Her nursing experience includes maternal newborn nursing and practice as a women’s health care nurse practitioner, grounding her educator and leadership roles in deep clinical expertise.
She served at Utah Tech University as faculty member, program director, associate dean, and dean of health sciences. In the three years prior to her retirement in 2020, she served as director of nursing at Utah State University, overseeing multicampus PN and ADN programs across Utah and leading implementation of a BSN program.
Carole served as an ACEN Peer Evaluator from 2014–2025, contributing nationally and internationally. She consistently viewed peer evaluation as a professional privilege and an opportunity to strengthen nursing education and support programs in their pursuit of excellence.
Anita Reed devoted more than three decades to nursing education as a faculty member at St. Elizabeth School of Nursing in Utica, New York, serving from 1991 to 2022. She taught Fundamentals of Nursing and Community Health Nursing while also serving as Level One Program Chair and Coordinator of Recruitment and Admissions.
Her service to ACEN began in 1995 and continued through 2025 — an extraordinary 30-year commitment. During that time, she served as a Peer Evaluator, Team Chair, Evaluation Review Panelist, Candidacy Program reviewer, and Site Visit Report reviewer.
Anita’s sustained dedication and leadership in peer service have supported countless programs and strengthened the accreditation process for decades.
ACEN extends its deepest appreciation and congratulations to these exceptional leaders. Their legacy of service reflects the very best of peer review and the enduring commitment to excellence in nursing education.
The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) supports the interests of nursing education, nursing practice, and the public by providing specialized accreditation for all levels of nursing education programs.
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