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, FAAN, 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

Colleen Marzilli, PhD, DNP, MBA, APRN, FNP-BC, CNE, NEA-BC, PHNA-BC, MedSurg-BC, CCN, FNAP
Professor of Nursing, Lead Provider, The University of Maine

Dr. Marzilli brings extensive executive leadership experience in strategic planning, fiscal stewardship, and advancing nursing education. Throughout her distinguished leadership career, she has held numerous roles, including president, president-elect, treasurer, secretary, and counselor within Sigma Theta Tau and the Texas Nurses Association. Additional service includes leadership positions at the University of Texas at Tyler, involvement in professional nursing organizations, and community engagement through the American Heart Association and Alzheimer’s Association. Beyond organizational leadership and National League for Nursing service, she has supported nurses and nursing students through mentorship, curriculum development, and collaborative partnerships at the local, national, and international levels. Her work has focused on strengthening nursing education, fostering professional growth, and building communities that advance the nursing profession and meet stakeholder needs.

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

Leah Binder, MA, MGA
President & CEO, The Leapfrog Group 

Leah Binder, President & CEO of The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit representing employers and other purchasers of health care calling for improved safety and quality in hospitals. Leapfrog publishes free ratings of hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers on how safe they are for their patients, including the Hospital Safety Grade. She is a regular contributor to Forbes.com and consistently named among Modern Healthcare’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in healthcare. Under her leadership, The Leapfrog Group has grown fourfold in size, and launched major new initiatives including the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, which assigns letter grades assessing the safety of general hospitals across the country. She has served on numerous national boards and councils, including the National Quality Forum, Women of Impact, CMMI’s Accountable Care Action Collaborative, and the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions. Prior to her position at The Leapfrog Group, Leah spent eight years as vice president at Franklin Community Health Network, an award-winning rural hospital network in Farmington, Maine. Prior to that she served as senior policy advisor at the New York City Mayor’s Office. She started her career at the National League for Nursing, where she handled policy and communications for more than 6 years. Ms. Binder has a bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University and two master’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, one from the Annenberg School of Communication and the other from the Fels Institute of Government. She was born and raised in Maine and lives in Maryland with her husband and two sons. 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

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

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

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

Steven Palazzo, PhD, MN, RN, CNE, ANEF
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Teaching Professor, Florida State University

Dr. Steven Palazzo is an accomplished nurse educator and academic leader committed to advancing excellence in nursing education. As associate dean for academic affairs at Florida State University, he has led curriculum innovation, faculty development, and student success initiatives. In previous academic leadership roles at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Seattle University, he led curriculum redesign, accreditation efforts, faculty development initiatives, and new program development. He has also served in governance leadership positions with Sigma Theta Tau International and local chapters. His long-standing involvement with the National League for Nursing spans more than a decade. He serves on the Nursing Education Perspectives Editorial Board, hosts the NLN Nursing Edge Unscripted podcast, and contributes through committee service, manuscript review, and scholarly leadership. As a Certified Nurse Educator and Fellow in the Academy of Nursing Education, he remains dedicated to faculty excellence and professional development.

NLN President and CEO

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