NLN Board of Governors

BOG Engagement Expectations

NLN Chair

Yolanda M. VanRiel, PhD, RN, MEDSURG-BC, OCN, CNE, ANEF, FAAN
Chair of the Department of Nursing, North Carolina Central University and Patient Placement Coordinator at First Health of the Carolinas-Moore Regional Hospital

Yolanda M. VanRiel, PhD, RN, MEDSURG-BC, OCN, CNE, ANEF, chair of the Department of Nursing at North Carolina Central University and a patient placement coordinator at First Health of the Carolinas-Moore Regional Hospital, has 25 years of nursing experience, including two decades as a nurse educator. The author of numerous presentations, publications and grants, Dr. VanRiel has focused her scholarship on nursing education, provider-patient communications, health disparities and oncology. Her achievements have been recognized with professional accolades, among them the Richmond Community College Outstanding Alumni Award, NCNA Nurse Educator of the Year Award, Gamma Zeta Chapter STTI Excellence in Nursing Education Award, and the UNC-Greensboro School of Nursing Teaching Excellence Award. A fellow in the NLN Academy of Nursing Education, Dr. VanRiel is a certified nurse educator (CNE), with additional certifications in oncology and medical-surgical nursing. Along with the National League for Nursing and the North Carolina League for Nursing, Dr. VanRiel holds memberships in the American Nurses Association; Oncology Nursing Society; and the Gamma Zeta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International. She has served as vice chair of the North Carolina Board of Nursing in 2019.

NLN Chair-Elect 

Paul Smith, PhD, RN, CNE
Dean and Professor, Linfield University School of Nursing

Dr. Paul S. Smith is Dean and Professor at Linfield University School of Nursing in Portland, Oregon. He began his career as an associate degree–prepared nurse and later completed a Master of Nursing at Washington State University - with a focus in community and public health and a nursing education certificate - and a PhD in Nursing Education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. His leadership spans associate, baccalaureate, and graduate nursing education. He helped develop Oregon’s first Master’s Entry nursing program and served as dean when it launched. He is currently a Co-Principal Investigator on a national Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation grant advancing disability inclusion in nursing and editor/contributing author of Family Health Care Nursing: Theory, Practice, and Research (7th ed., F. A. Davis).

Over many years, Dr. Smith has engaged with the National League for Nursing through committee service and national presentations, including formative participation in the NLN Leadership Institute (LEAD) program and prior service as a member on the NLN Board of Commissioners for the Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) program. His scholarship emphasizes inclusive, learner-centered environments and equity in nursing education. At Linfield, he serves as faculty advisor to the Student Nurses’ Association and continues to teach the undergraduate leadership course, work that reflects a sustained commitment to mentoring emerging professionals.

Treasurer

Mark C. Hand, PhD, RN, CNE
Clinical Professor, East Carolina University – College of Nursing

Dr. Mark Hand is a Clinical Professor at East Carolina University College of Nursing in Greenville, NC. He is the recipient of the 2023 North Carolina Nurses Association Education Nurse of the Year. He has been the recipient of several honors and distinction including Excellence in Research, Excellence in Education, and Excellence in Leadership from the SIGMA chapter of Beta NU. Dr. Hand is a published author and active speaker.  He often collaborates with nursing students, ensuring they get the chance to experience those valuable types of professional development opportunities. He is the faculty mentor for the American Association of Men in Nursing Chapter at ECU. He recently received the AAMN 2023 Gene Tranbarger Research Award for his manuscript “Men as Nursing Faculty: Factors of Recruitment and Retention”. His research interest includes LGBTQ+ health education, men as nursing faculty, and nursing student success. He is a certified nurse educator and editorial board member for the Nursing Education Perspectives of the NLN. He is the Past President of the North Carolina League for Nursing.

Secretary

Martha Scheckel, PhD, RN, CNE
Vice Dean, Associate Professor, Director- Center for Future Faculty, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC

Martha M. Scheckel, PhD, RN, CNE, is Vice Dean and the Director of the Center for Future Faculty in the Conway School of Nursing at The Catholic University of America. She oversees academic programs ranging from the baccalaureate to the doctoral level, as well as professional programs. She is internationally and nationally recognized for her transformative research and leadership in advancing the science of nursing education. She was invited to serve on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Task Force to revise the “Essentials” series, resulting in the new The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education. She completed the foundational literature review for Nurse Educator Competencies: Creating an Evidence-Based Practice for Nurse Educators (2005) and, through invitation, contributed to NLN Core Competencies for Nurse Educators: A Decade of Influence. Dr. Scheckel has served as the Chief Nursing Administrator at two universities: Founding Director of Nursing and Professor, University of St. Thomas, Morrison Family College of Health, Susan S. Morrison School of Nursing in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Dean and Professor, Viterbo University, College of Nursing, Health and Human Behavior in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Her experience in leadership at two Catholic Universities and her commitment to nursing education, grounded in faith with respect for the dignity of the human person, guide her current leadership.

Dr. Scheckel has nearly 20 years of experience in academic nursing. In addition to her national leadership, she has held various state leadership positions to advance nursing education. Her research in nursing education serves as a guide to curriculum reform. For example, her qualitative research examining how nursing students experience the assessment of suicidal ideation revealed how students can be guided to assess the whole patient in every encounter. Dr. Scheckel is an author of seminal texts in nursing education, including Teaching in Nursing: A Guide for Faculty, which has been internationally disseminated and translated into Japanese. Her research program has also focused on improving patient education for underserved populations in rural communities with limited access to healthcare resources. Her study of the patient education experiences of rural community-dwelling individuals following cardiac surgery and recovery at home revealed the numerous challenges faced by this population and the critical need to incorporate these experiences into patient education. She has served as senior personnel for Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)- funded nursing and behavioral health workforce development grants, and has been awarded local, regional, state, and national funding for studies in nursing and patient education. Dr. Scheckel is a sought-after curriculum consultant who has presented on nursing education at international and national nursing conferences.

Governor

Elizabeth "Suzy" Cain
Chief Financial Officer, KFF (The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation)

Elizabeth “Suzy” Cain is the chief financial officer of KFF. Cain serves as the primary business officer for KFF, overseeing accounting, financial and tax reporting, financial analysis and forecasting. Prior to joining KFF, she served as chief financial officer of the San Francisco Chronicle and the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund, as financial adviser for Greenspun Media Group, and as an audit manager for Deloitte & Touche. Cain received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s degree in management from the Stanford University School of Business and is a California-licensed CPA.

Governor

Jane E. Dus, DNP, RN, NE-BC
Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Midwest Region, Advocate Health

Jane Dus, DNP, RN, NE-BC, is the Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer-Midwest Region for Advocate Health. Her responsibilities include the leadership and alignment of nursing practice and standards for the 28 hospital sites and over 20,000 nurses in the Midwest Region with a focus on quality, clinical outcomes, safety, patient experience and financial stewardship along with advancement and innovation in the delivery of care across the continuum. Dr. Dus held several progressive leadership positions, including the Chief Nursing Officer at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center before moving to Chicago to join Advocate Health Care in 2016. She holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University and a Bachelor of Science degree from John Carroll University. She is also ANCC certified Nurse Executive.

Governor

Anne M. Fink, PhD, RN, CNE
Associate Dean for College and Student Services, Director, LEAD Professional Development Program, Villanova University – M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing

Dr. Anne M. Fink is the Associate Dean for College and Student Services at the Villanova University M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing. She is also the Director of the college’s LEAD Professional Development Program, recipient of the 2022 American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Innovations in Professional Nursing Education Award in the Private Colleges and Universities category. Dr. Fink is a Certified Nurse Educator who has practiced in a variety of clinical settings and has over 30 years of experience in nursing education. She has taught students from the pre-licensure level through doctoral study using traditional, simulation and distance education strategies. Her research agenda focuses on elimination of health disparities in maternal-child health. Dr. Fink is a reviewer for The Journal of Maternal Child Nursing, the Journal of Professional Nursing, Nursing Outlook and Nursing Education Today. Dr. Fink is the recipient of the Alpha Nu Chapter STTI Excellence in Nursing Leadership Award. She is an active member of the Pennsylvania Action Coalition’s Nurse Diversity Council. Dr. Fink is also a past member of the National League for Nursing Certified Nurse Educator Commission and is the current chairperson for the Pennsylvania League for Nursing Area I state constituency.

Governor

Rebecca Hill, PhD, DNP, FNP-C, CNE, FAAN
Senior Associate Dean, Academic Affairs Professor, UNC Chapel Hill School of Nursing 

Rebecca Hill, PhD, DNP, FNP-C, CNE, FAAN, earned her BSN from the University of Rhode Island, her MSN, post-master’s certificate in nursing education, and DNP from Duke University and her PhD in nursing from Boston College. She is a family nurse practitioner and certified nurse educator. Dr. Hill currently serves as the associate dean for academic affairs and associate professor at the MGH Institute of Health Professions School of Nursing in Boston, Massachusetts. During her tenure at the MGH Institute of Health Professions, she has taught in the prelicensure and master’s programs, both on campus and online, developed a Master of Science – Nursing Education Program, and has represented the school of nursing across the organization, within academic medical centers, and with the Board of Registration in Nursing for the state of Massachusetts.

In 2019, she was recognized as the recipient of the Nancy T. Watts award – the highest honor bestowed to one faculty member annually, recognizing exceptional teaching. Dr. Hill is an active member of several professional organizations including the American Nurses Association, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the National League for Nursing, and Sigma Theta Tau International. Dr. Hill currently serves on the executive board for the Massachusetts/Rhode Island League for Nursing (MARILN) and as co-chair of the international Committee on Interprofessional Research, Education, and Ankyloglossia Science. She was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing in 2023 and serves on the Breastfeeding Expert Panel. 

Governor

Cheryl Hoying, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAONL, FACHE, FAAN
Interim CEO/CNO

Cheryl Hoying, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAONL, FACHE, FAAN, brings more than 30 years of nursing leadership experience to the Board, including many at the vice president/chief nurse executive/officer level in large academic medical centers and community hospitals. She recently served as chief nurse executive and patient services officer at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and before that as senior vice president for patient Services at Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center. Her portfolio has encompassed acute care, ambulatory, extended care, and health care operations, as well as health care practices related to quality, safety and high reliability. In academia, Dr. Hoying has been an interim dean and associate dean for the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing; assistant dean of clinical affairs for The Ohio State University College of Nursing; adjunct faculty at the Wright State University/Miami Valley School of Nursing and the Mount St. Joseph University College of Nursing; and served on multiple nursing school advisory boards. Professionally active in a number of health care organizations, Dr. Hoying is a past president of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership and has been a valued member of the League; the American Academy of Nursing; Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society; and the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Governor

Voncella McCleary-Jones, PhD, RN-BC, CNE, ANEF, FAAN
Associate Dean, College of Health Professions, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS

Dr. McCleary-Jones is Professor and Associate Dean of Academic, Faculty & Student Affairs in the College of Health Professions at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. She directs academic affairs in the college and is the immediate past chair of its School of Nursing. Dr. McCleary-Jones’s academic leadership experience includes roles as Director of the Master’s in Nursing Education Program and interim Assistant Dean for Educational Excellence in the College of Nursing at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. She has been a registered nurse for 40 years and a nurse educator for 30 years.

Governor

Mark A. Vogt
CEO of Galen College of Nursing

Mark Vogt has served as CEO of Galen College of Nursing since 2004, leading one of the largest nursing colleges in the country with campuses and programs in Louisville, KY; Hazard, KY; Cincinnati, OH; San Antonio, TX; Tampa, FL; and online, through a mission dedicated to expanding access to nursing education. He has guided significant expansion of nursing programs and remains committed to quality outcomes while providing a supportive and inspiring environment for all students as they learn and prepare to become confident, caring nurses. Mr. Vogt is a graduate of Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky.

NLN President and CEO

Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN
President and CEO, National League for Nursing