Written by Jessica Gibson, BA, Executive Assistant at the ACEN
Please welcome the new members of your Board of Commissioners.
THE VOTES ARE IN! Effective October 1, 2021, there are newly elected and reelected Commissioners who will join the board.
Each Commissioner will serve a three-year term from October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2024. The 17 Board of Commissioners represent the following roles: 11 nursing education representatives, three nursing service representatives, and three public representatives. This diversification ensures your ACEN Board of Commissioners are able to give balanced representation from across identified constituencies insofar as possible.
The Board of Commissioners is and has the authority of a governing board, which is (1) to ensure the financial resources of the ACEN such as setting the fee schedule, budget, and reviewing the audit; (2) to set policy such as the policies found in the ACEN Accreditation Manual and in the Standards and Criteria; and (3) most importantly, to have the sole authority to determine the accreditation status of nursing programs. Members of the Board of Commissioners also serve as Chairpersons at Evaluation Review Panels, guiding the panelists through discussions and asking for status recommendations.
We are very excited to congratulate our new and returning members of the Board of Commissioners!
Nursing Educator Representatives:
Kristen Barbee, PhD, RN, CNE
(Reelected)
Program Director & Associate Professor
Wingate University
Wingate, North Carolina
Joy Cole, PhD, RN
Assistant Professor of Nursing
Utah Valley University
Orem, Utah
Shari Gholson, DNP, RN, CNE
(Reelected)
Dean of Nursing
West Kentucky Community & Technical College
Paducah, Kentucky
Cheryl Osler, EdD, MS-CNS, LMHC, MSL, RN, CNE
Associate Dean of Nursing
Spokane Community College
Spokane, Washington
Nursing Clinician Representatives:
Demica Williams, DNP, RN, CNE
Clinical Nurse Educator for IntermediateServices
University Healthcare System
Augusta, Georgia
Robert Sintich, EdD, MS
Hancock, New York