ISAPN Announces 2024 Slate of Candidates - ISAPN Board of Directors

The ISAPN slate for the Board of Directors can be found below. Candidates are listed alphabetically according to position. 

Board responsibilities include leading ISAPN under its established vision and strategic plan, recruiting and managing volunteers, and assuming responsibility for completing current-year activities.

The term for Board of Director Positions filled in this upcoming election will begin October 19, 2024. A Candidates' Forum will be held on August 29th at 7pm.  You can register for this event at https://isapn.enpnetwork.com/nurse-practitioner-events/143330-candidates-forum#!info 

The election for the ISAPN Board of Directors will be held online from September 5th thru September 19th. 

The election will be conducted electronically. Watch your email and this website www.isapn.org for additional details.

President-Elect

Jenise Farano DNP, APRN-FPA, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC

Palos Park, IL

Hello ISAPN Members, I have been a member of the ISAPN for several years. For the past three years, I have enjoyed serving as the Northeast/South Region Chair. I am seeking election as the President-Elect of ISAPN. My goals are to continue to welcome ISAPN members, improve the APRN practice environment through education, advocacy, and networking opportunities.

Chris Gill PhD, MBA, CRNA, CNP, FACHE

Chicago, IL

Hello Fellow ISAPN members, I'm Chris, a dedicated advanced practice nurse with over 10 years of experience as a CRNA and CNP. I hold a PhD and MBA, and I'm also a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE). My journey in nursing began in 2009, and since then, I've had the privilege of serving on two boards of directors, driving initiatives to improve patient care and operational efficiency. I am passionate about advancing nursing practice and fostering collaborative environments. With my background in management and leadership, I am confident in my ability to contribute to the ISAPN's mission and vision. I kindly ask for your vote to join the ISAPN board, where I will work tirelessly to enhance the practice and impact of Advanced Practice Nurses in Illinois. Thank you for your support. Vote for Christopher Gill

Secretary

Isis R. Reyes DNP, APRN, AG-ACNP-BC

Chicago, IL

My name is Isis Reyes and I am an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner in Cardiac Surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. I am excited to run for Secretary of ISAPN and hope to be considered as a candidate for this position. A little bit about myself: I graduated with my BSN in 2009 from the University of Illinois at Chicago. I received my MSN in Adult-Gerontology/Acute Care Nurse Practitioner from Georgetown University in 2016. Finally, I received my DNP from Rush University in 2022. I have worked in cardiac surgery for 8 years where I am able to use my bilingual skills to educate and promote healthy lifestyle changes in my patients in English and Spanish. My experience has allowed me to precept and mentor several NP students over the years and find it very rewarding to see their careers take off. I have had the privilege of serving on different nursing professional organizations since I graduated in 2009. Locally, I served on the National Association of Hispanic Nurses Illinois Chapter (NAHN-IL) where I held different positions like Secretary, Vice-President, and Interim President. At the national level, I served on the National Association of Hispanic Nurses board as a voting "Board of Director". Most recently, I served as the Illinois State Liaison for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) from 2022-2024. Truthfully, I haven't been super active within ISAPN.  I joined ISAPN to get more involved and engage with NP community but didn't know how to get my name out there or noticed. So what better way to get involved than to run for an elected position on the board?    I believe I can leverage my past board experiences to contribute to ISAPN, serve our members, and have a meaningful impact for NPs in Illinois. Nurse Practitioners are vital to every community they serve, it is important to serve on professional organizations in order to stay current on the issues that affect the profession. I seek to become an advocate for the profession and promote the value of Nurse Practitioners in Illinois. My goal would be to serve on the board and bring innovation, advocacy, and mentorship. I am eager to learn, network and expand my knowledge through ISAPN.   Thank you for considering me as a candidate for Secretary.   Isis R. Reyes, DNP, AG-ACNP-BC

Kellie Grapperhaus APRN

Patoka, IL

Dear fellow ISAPN members, I am announcing my candidacy for the secretary position at ISAPN . I have been a member in good standing since 2009. I graduated from Frontier Nursing University in 2012 with a Master's of Science in Nursing (MSN) and have worked in my current job with Signifyhealth doing in home evaluations for the last 10 years. As a member of ISAPN,  I have attended many conferences. This is the first position I have run for, although I have worked with other groups in the past serving as president and vice president.  I am committed to serving the board and our members of ISAPN with integrity, dedication and transparency.  Throughout my career, I have demonstrated a strong work ethic, effective communication skills and an understanding of the challenges facing the Nursing profession.  I plan to contribute to ISAPN in this new role. Thank you for considering me as a candidate and voting for me.  Kellie Grapperhaus APRN, MSN

Mya Yee Nandar MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC

Schaumburg, IL

In 2019-2020, I served as a student representative at the Coalition of Advanced Practice Nurses of Indiana. As a transfer student from a war-torn country like Burma/Myanmar concepts of promoting the practice of APRNs make me more committed. I graduated from the School of Nursing at the University of Hawaii in 2016 where I served as Vice President of the UH International Students Association and was given University Awards for leadership and the Promotion of Transcultural Nursing.  Later I moved to Indiana to gain professional experience in critical care nursing and to pursue my FNP degree from IUSB and subsequently a post-masters Psychiatry-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner certification.  I subsequently co-founded the Transcultural Nursing Society in Fort Wayne, Indiana where she served the 12,000 strong refugee population, most of whom had experienced trauma from war and displacement.  I am currently working as a dual board-certified family medicine and psychiatry mental health nurse practitioner in a community mental health clinic in Chicago. My work involves caring for underserved communities, in particular homeless populations with multiple comorbidities, substance use disorders, and chronic medical conditions with mental health issues. Therefore, I am highly honored to be able to serve and my goal is to promote, advance, support and advocate for ISAPN. This statement indicates that I will run for secretary position. Previous experiences within Coalition of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses of Indiana, cofounder of the Transcultural Nursing Society, Fort Wayne chapter Indiana and other organizations have prepared me for the role. I have: (a)   Cofounded and served as Vice President of the Fort Wayne, IN transcultural nursing society - new chapter (b)   Attended multiple times at the Annual Conferences of the Transcultural Nursing Society, American Association of Nurse Practitioners (c)   Actively involved in enhancing awareness of role of nurse practitioners and advancement amongst healthcare professionals and healthcare workers locally and internationally via humanitarian work in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Myanmar, and Jamaica.  (d)  Advocate and precept to increase public and professional awareness in Regional Medical centers, health care workers' workshops, health care professionals, and nursing students. (e)   Presented multiple times at transcultural nursing symposium at the University of Hawaii Hilo, women study department, University of Hawaii Hilo, the transcultural nursing symposium at Fort Wayne Indiana transcultural nursing chapter, and health fairs.     My experiences in other organizations include: (a)   Founder and sponsor of Iron women network, Burma/ Myanmar, which attributes nutritional support to mothers and children in civil war areas weekly and provides culturally congruent care and culturally prepared nutrition. (b)  Served as a student representative at the Coalition of Advanced Practice Nurses of Indiana (CAPNI)

Government Relations/PAC Chair

Raechel Ferry-Rooney DNP APRN-ANP

Chicago, IL

My name is Raechel Ferry-Rooney DNP APRN-ANP, and I am running for re-election as chair of the Government Relations and Political Action Committee Chair. I am an Adult Nurse Practitioner in practice in the state of Illinois since 1997. I have seen advanced practice transform from an unrecognized super nurse without title protection, to the fully represented and legally recognized nursing experts that we are today. Indispensable in this transformation has been the leadership of ISAPN, and the means to this transformation has been via the Illinois state legislature.  Throughout my participation in ISAPN, from member to President, and now GR/PAC chair, I have recognized how critical leveraging our voice as nurses is to both the profession of Advanced Practice Nursing and the health of the people of Illinois.  In my previous term as GR/PAC chair, the work was mostly behind the scenes- language, rules, monitoring. And Planning!  In the upcoming legislative session ISAPN has some planned health equity legislation that I am excited to be working on. If successfully implemented it will help advance health equity in our state, and could be another step towards an even fuller practice for APRNs in Illinois.  I humbly ask for your vote to continue this work, further our influence in state health policy, and even the playing field for the people of Illinois.

Jawan Lasley APRN

Chicago, IL

I would love to serve and gain greater insight into this organization. I am open to learn and grow with any role appointed

Membership Committee Chair

Hannah Holmes MS, APRN, FNP-BC

LaGrange Park, IL

Over the last two years, it has been my honor to chair the membership committee for ISAPN. Here are a few of the committee's accomplishments over the past few years: • Development of an Illinois APRN school contact list and speaker request form. • Development and Implementation of a Member Needs Assessment. • Established asynchronous free CE through the recording of APRN 2 APRN calls. • Partnered with the Board and Program committee to revamp MWC pricing structure to enhance member value. • Enhanced member visibility through the popular “Member of the Week” features on social media channels. In deciding to run again for this position, I am interested in working with the committee and board to evaluate the Member Needs Assessment results and get to work enhancing the member experience.  I also would like to continue working on our exposure to student APRNs in the state.  Thank you for considering me when you vote on your ISAPN Board of Directors for the ’24-’26 term.

CNS Representative

Nicholette Andrews MS, APRN, PCNS-BC

Chicago, IL

I am running to represent all Clinical Nurse Specialists in the state of Illinois and make sure that the CNS role is represented at the state level with all bills and amendments passing.

Shara Frankenfeld APRN, AGCNS-BC

Skokie, IL

The role of the CNS is diverse, which can lead to confusion from patients, family members, and fellow nursing professionals.  It is my desire to represent the multiple layers of this role here in the state of Illinois.

Cheryl Herrmann MS, APRN-FPA, CCRN, CCNS-CSC-CMC

Princeville, IL

In 1996, I graduated with my CNS degree and later became certified as CCNS. At that time, CNS was not recognized by Illinois to apply for APN license. ISAPN advocated for CNS to get APN license and in 2004, I received by APN license! And, recently changed it to the Full Authority APN license. ISAPN has advocated for APNs in Illinois in which I have greatly benefited from in my career. I would like to give back to IL APNs by becoming a CNS representative with ISAPN. The CNS is an important role to improve outcomes for our patients, clinics, and institutions. I plan to serve as a liaison between the board of directors and CNS members and be a voice for CNS related issues in Illinois.

CRNA Representative

Maiko Yamashita DNP, APRN, CRNA

Chicago, IL

As a member of the ISAPN Programming Committee and only CRNA, it has been a pleasure working with all APRN specialties to develop educational and engaging conferences. My goal is as the CRNA representative of ISPAN, I can further assist to push all APRNs forward in practice through the power of numbers and collaboration.

Northeast/North (NEN) Region Chair

April DeMito DNP, APRN, FPA, FNP BC

Itasca, IL

Having spent the past year as the region chair of the North Northeast region I have been able to meet so many nurses across the state of Illinois. Our meetings not only provide education but act as a mechanism to bond and move the mission of ISAPN in a forward trajectory. It allows us a voice to promote the mission of ISAPN to advance and support the role of the APRN to the highest level. It has been a great inspiration for me to interact with nurses across our region and connect with them in a greater understanding of the various roles we fill.

Betsy Gamlin APRN-FPA, AGNP-BC

McHenry, IL

As the NORTHEAST/NORTH CHAIR, my primary objective is to exceed our goal of holding at least one quarterly meeting. These meetings will serve as a platform for delivering accurate and up-to-date information that is crucial for our members and the broader ISAPN community. Drawing from my previous experience on the Board of Directors, I understand the paramount importance of effective communication, maintaining confidentiality, and fostering a collaborative team environment. If elected, I am committed to serving ISAPN with dedication and integrity. I aim to be one of the many ambassadors who showcase how our organization has positively impacted Illinois Nurse Practitioners. Through the diligent efforts of our lobbyists, we ensure that the voices of Nurse Practitioners are heard and their needs addressed. Our collective efforts have been instrumental in advocating for and advancing the profession within the state. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to our shared mission, working together to continue making a meaningful difference for Nurse Practitioners in Illinois.

 
Rozina Virani MSN APRN-FPA, FNP-BC

Glenview, IL

My name is Rozina Virani, and I am honored to be a candidate for the Region Chair for the Northeast North-NEN Society for Advanced Practice Nursing (ISAPN). I am an experienced Family Nurse Practitioner with a background as a clinician, and faculty member within varied private and community health service areas. I currently serve as the Vice Chair of the Northeast North NEN region at Illinois. If I were to assume the role of the Illinois Society of Advanced Practice Nurses (ISAPN) Regional Chair, I would approach the position with a steadfast dedication to advancing the profession of nursing across our region. With a focus on collaboration, advocacy, and education, I would strive to amplify the voices of advanced practice nurses. I would ensure their contributions are recognized and valued within our healthcare system by doing frequent meet and greet with our APRNs in the region. I will follow the bylaws of ISAPN, and will collaborate and support fellow regional chairs. My aspiration is to come up with fun filled meetings for our members. I will try my best to foster partnerships with healthcare institutions, policymakers, and community organizations, I intend to work to promote policies that support the highest standards of patient care and professional development for advanced practice nurses. Through mentorship programs and continuing education initiatives, I would empower fellow nurses to excel in their roles, driving innovation and excellence in healthcare delivery. Together, we will navigate the challenges and opportunities facing our profession with unity and determination, and thereby shaping a brighter future for nursing in Illinois.

East Central (EC) Region Chair

Amy Odell DNP APRN, AGPCNP-BC, GS-C

Champaign, IL

 If I am able to serve as regional chair, my goals would be to foster increased participation with the East Central Region through connection and outreach. I would also like to showcase ISAPN members in this region and help to improve networking.

Hediye Scheeler APRN-FPA

Champaign, IL

Happy to help with meetings and educational updates in the East Central IL Region. I’ve enjoyed these meetings throughout the years.

South (S) Region Chair

Ann Altgilbers MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, BC-ADM, CPN

Aviston, IL

My name is Ann Altgilbers, and I am a dedicated Family Nurse Practitioner with over nine years of experience in providing high-quality care. I am board certified in family practice and advanced diabetes management, and I am passionate about supporting advanced practice nurses and advocating for our profession.  Throughout my career, I have been committed to improving patient outcomes and advancing the role of nurse practitioners. I have taken on leadership roles within my practice, leading initiatives to enhance patient care and collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to address complex health issues. As an active member of state and national nursing organizations, I understand the importance of staying connected and involved in the broader nursing community. These memberships have provided me with invaluable insights and opportunities for professional development, and I am eager to bring this experience to the ISAPN Board of Directors. If elected, my vision for the south region is to foster a strong network of advanced practice nurses who support one another in our professional journeys. I am committed to advocating for policies that empower our profession and to developing programs that address the unique needs of our community I believe my experience, skills, and passion for nursing make me an excellent candidate for this position. I am eager to serve the south region and contribute to the continued success of ISAPN. Thank you for considering my candidacy.