Fellows of the AANA

Jim Alberding’s professional accomplishments are the product of incredible mentorship, the selflessness of others, and a sincere desire to serve his students, the patients, and our profession. His passion for advocacy and mentorship has led him to serve in several state and national leadership roles. He has been married for 26 years to his best friend and has three beautiful daughters.

Jeanne Antolchick led the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthesiology initiative to address the opioid epidemic with the “alternatives to opioids” measure (HB 607, Nonopioid Alternatives), signed into law in Florida in 2019. She fervently believes the way to move our profession forward is by instilling intellectual curiosity in our residents to ensure they engage enthusiastically in genuine lifelong learning inside and outside of the operating room.

For 27 years, Paul Barras has been dedicated to promoting nurse anesthesiology practice. He is an accomplished clinician, soldier, leader, administrator, educator, and author. As a veteran of multiple combat deployments, he shares a wealth of anesthesia experience with students and fellow staff daily. COL Barras led the Army nurse anesthesia community as the Consultant to the Army Surgeon General.

Steven Belmont is an experienced clinician, visionary leader, and dedicated program administrator. He is the program director for the Fairfield University Nurse Anesthesia Program. He has held various leadership and board positions at the university, state, and regional levels. In addition, his experience as a commercial-rated pilot and flight instructor has given him a passion for human factors and patient safety.

Andy Benson is a dedicated advocate, educator, clinician, preceptor and leader for our profession currently serving as an assistant program director. His leadership roles include chief CRNA, State Association president, and AANA Professional Development Committee member. He has a special interest in simulation as an education tool and Enhanced Recovery Protocol implementation.

Sandra Bordi is an educator, clinician, and advocate for the nurse anesthesia profession. She has numerous publications and serves on state and national boards and committees. Noteworthy contributions include her research, the landmark California CRNA Workforce study, and fervent political advocacy. As president of California Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, she leads legislative pursuits for CRNA prescriptive authority while nurturing advocacy in her students.

Leadership Identification Committee (Term: FY24-FY25)

As an educator since 2003, Terri Cahoon sees her primary contribution embodied in 473 CRNA graduates, 95 current RRNAs, and faculty whom she encourages and mentors to excel as clinicians, educators, scholars, and leaders. She strives to model the pursuit of excellence and servant leadership; strong mentors paved her path of professional service through clinical practice, education, leadership, and advocacy.

Jose Castillo, a Filipino American APRN-CRNA, associate professor, practitioner, administrator, and regulator, excels in nursing leadership. As former president of Florida Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, chair of the Florida Board of Nursing, and the Area III Board of Director of National Council of State Boards of Nursing, his contributions to emergency management and commitment to advocacy, health policy, and education were affirmed with the 2021 AANA Ira P. Gunn Award.

Zohn Centimole has had a clinical practice in academic tertiary care centers for over 18 years. His research applied the Cambridge Automated Battery-Mild Cognitive Impairment (CANTAB-MCI) neurocognitive assessment to anesthesia populations, reducing postoperative cognitive dysfunction. His research and speaking on individualized, customized anesthesia strategies focuses on frail and vulnerable populations.

Brian Cornelius has supported the field of nurse anesthesiology through practice, education, and advocacy. He has over 25 years’ experience in pre-hospital/critical care, public safety, and anesthesia. He enjoys opportunities for clinical research and serves on the AANA Journal Editorial Board. His passions are pain management, trauma resuscitation and tactical medicine.

Rachel Davis has more than 15 years of experience as a nurse anesthesia clinician, educator, and leader. She has a passion for teaching and enjoys sharing her knowledge and expertise with learners and junior faculty. She is active in her state association, TxANA, served as AANA Education Committee chair, and currently serves on the COA Board of Directors.

Valerie Diaz has served the profession as an educator and a decorated senior naval officer. She is the 2024 Florida International University Top Scholar in teaching and recipient of the Rewarding Excellence in Teaching incentive. A staunch advocate of Navy CRNAs, she led the Reserve community as the Specialty Leader, Chief Nursing Officer, and Director of Nursing Services.

Angelarosa DiDonato is an educator, advocate, and supporter of all things nursing. As associate program director, she works with her team to build a positive experience for the next generation of CRNAs. As PANA president, she has worked to fight for CRNAs in Pennsylvania. She enjoys sharing her enthusiasm and experiences in advocacy with students inspiring engagement in the profession.

Kevin Driscoll is widely regarded as an expert, innovator, and leader in patient safety. His was an inaugural fellow at Sigma Theta Tau, NBCRNA, and the Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. He led the first Collaborative Unit-Based Safety Program in Surgery at Hopkins translating into the AHRQ framework for the Surgical Unit-Based Safety Program.

As a clinician, educator, advocate, author, and speaker, Robyn Finney has significantly contributed to the nurse anesthesiology profession. Her passion and research focus on improving clinician well-being and patient safety. She is the founder of the Healing Emotional Lives of Peers (HELP) program at Mayo Clinic, a peer support program for over 70k employees involved in stressful clinical events.

AANA Member since 2007
Associate Director | Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Graduate Program in Nurse Anesthesiology Maple Grove, Minnesota
Gauderman has been recognized for being a leader in the advancement of the national healthcare agenda of CRNAs by coordinating grassroots CRNA involvement at the state level or through special contributions to the federal political process.

In her 27 years as a CRNA, Karen Gillikin has impacted the profession as a clinician, educator, assistant program director, state advocate, and the VANA chair of education and programming. Her research has been dedicated to improving patient safety and quality advancement. Her passion is ensuring graduates can practice autonomously at the completion of their education.

Her 20 years of experience promote clinical excellence. A former Chief OB CRNA, her leadership skills paved the roles: faculty, administrator, and Advisor-Nurse Anesthesia Students Association. She received university-level grants for innovations in simulation and peer-to-peer mentorship. 2023 Faculty Mentor of the Year nominee. She advances the profession through clinical practice, research, and medical mission work for fifteen years.

For over four decades, Mark Hamelink has been a staunch advocate for CRNAs and advanced nursing practice. While maintaining a busy clinical practice, he published numerous book chapters, journal articles, participated on the AANA Journal Review Board, various committees and lectured in multiple countries. His passion and networking inspired the formation of the Italian Association of Nurse Anesthetists.

With three decades of CRNA practice and 12 years of nurse anesthesia education, Lisa Herbinger has advanced our profession and shaped the next generation through clinical preceptorship, teaching, and Alabama Association of Nurse Anesthetists service. With dedication to optimizing perioperative care for children, she has authored multiple publications and presented over 70 pediatric-focused lectures to more than 20 state, national, and international organizations.

Lorraine Jordan earned all of her college degrees from The Ohio State University, where she served as Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) faculty member in the Nurse Anesthesiology Program. Dr. Jordan is the former CEO of the AANA Foundation. Her research interests include nurse anesthesiology education, anesthesia quality and outcomes, healthcare economics, cost-effectiveness, anesthesia quality, and healthcare policy.

Meredith Joyner is an accomplished clinician, researcher, lecturer, educator, accreditation surveyor, and nurse anesthesia advocate. She has served the profession on the AANA Bylaws and Resolution Committee and has served in Virginia as the vice president, president-elect, president, and immediate past president. She is currently the Virginia Association of Nurse Anesthetists GRC Director, working fiercely to remove supervision from the Virginia code.

With over 30 years of experience as a nurse anesthesiologist, Trish Juoza-Clark works at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, specifically at the Children’s Hospital for 21 years, where her dissertation on
“Perioperative Care of Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder” led to an institutional advocacy for caring for neurodivergent patients. She has also presented nationally and internationally on this topic.

Terri Kane has 25 years as a clinician, clinical coordinator, faculty, researcher, and program director. She is dedicated to educating her students to practice at their full potential. As a servant leader she enjoys volunteering privately through food banks and health fairs and professionally within NBCRNA and COA.

Jennifer Lanzillotta has served the nurse anesthesiology profession as a clinician, award-winning nurse anesthesia educator, health policy advocate, speaker, and nationally recognized research scientist. She has served on state and AANA committees. She served as project director on $2.7 million in federal funding focusing on substance use disorder. Her peer reviewed publications have a widespread interdisciplinary and international reach.

Virginia Londahl Ramsey, a devoted clinician, educator, and patient advocate, continuously strives for excellence, evidenced by her recent teaching award. With expertise in simulation education and CHSE-A certification, she’s dedicated to advancing healthcare practices. Virginia’s commitment to enhancing care for individuals with disabilities is underscored by her completion of a Fellowship at the Golisano Institute for Intellectual Disability in Nursing.

Connie Lorette is widely regarded as an expert, scholar, and leader in cardiac anesthesia and presents nationally and internationally in her area of expertise. She is the program administrator for Northeastern University DNP NAP, where she has been educating students for 20 years. Connie serves on the board of the New Hampshire Association of Nurse Anesthetists and as a state advocate for the AANA Foundation.

An expert clinician, with leadership roles in administration and education, Erica McCall is dedicated to advancing the profession of nurse anesthesiology. Her passion for education has resulted in innovative curriculum designed to shape future leaders, including program development for the California Association of Nurse Anesthetists. Through commitment to mentorship, she strives to empower fellow practitioners to excel and evolve.

Maureen McCartney Anderson has focused her professional career on leadership in education, advocacy, and advancing clinical practice. She takes great pride in being a leader in nurse anesthesia education at the university and professional practice level. Maureen has been a practice advocate at the state level for over a decade, and acts as a mentor to the future leaders of our profession.

Thomas Minges is a dedicated clinician and passionate educator. He possesses an unwavering commitment to fostering a positive and enriching learning environment. His involvement as DNP project coordinator, OB Coordinator, AANA Foundation reviewer, AANA OB simulation leader, associate editor, peer reviewer, and mentor demonstrate his commitment to the profession. His interests include evidence-based practice integration, obstetrical anesthesia, mental health, and mindfulness.

Jacqueline C. Mitchell is an exemplary leader dedicated to teaching, advocacy, scholarly practice and mentorship. During her tenure as State President, her leadership and testimony were instrumental
to MANA’s defeat of SB-30. Mitchell’s service transcended into her military career. COL (Ret.) Mitchell dedicated 30 years as an Army Nurse Corps officer serving in various leadership roles in peacetime and wartime.

Angela Mund is an accomplished leader, educator, mentor, and nursing advocate. She is an AANA former president. Her greatest accomplishments have been engaging nurse anesthesia residents to remain active in the AANA, uniting AANA members to work together for common purposes, and inspiring others to give their time, energy, and financial support for the advancement of nurse anesthesiology.

Luci New’s service of 29 years includes career-long mentoring, precepting, and recently full-time education of nurse anesthesia residents. Her ongoing scholarship and expertise is on wellness-related threats, and she has worked with healthcare and diverse leadership to develop programming to educate, train, and support nurse anesthesia residents, colleagues, and those in allied professions experiencing consequences of traumatic events.

Hylda Nugent has mentored nurse anesthesiology residents for over 32 years as a dedicated clinician, educator, and leader. She has served on AANA and AANA Foundation committees, as TxANA president, as founding chair of the TX CRNA PAC, and as an educator at Texas Woman’s University, Texas Christian University, and FRANU. Hylda encourages residents and colleagues to be involved in lifelong service and advocacy.

Katrina Vice O’Con is an accomplished clinician, leader, and educator. Having served Louisiana as the LANA president, Dr. O’Con advocated for all CRNAs protecting and promoting full practice authority on all levels. Helping to shape the future of our profession by encouraging education and mentoring nurses and nurse anesthesia students is a responsibility Dr. O’Con embraces and encourages.

A transformational leader and passionate advocate for the advancement of nurse anesthesiology, Lisa Osborne has served the profession as a clinician, founding assistant program administrator, program administrator, associate professor, mentor, AANA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee member, and AANA Practice Committee member. Her greatest contribution and honor is helping shape the future of the profession as an educator.

Julie Pearson, an accomplished clinician, leader, educator and mentor, functioned in many roles, military and civilian. She was assistant director of the Georgetown Anesthesia Program during
its foundational years, director on the COA, led a perianesthesia department during the pandemic, advised the Navy Reserves regarding utilization of CRNAs and educated active-duty students prior to their deployments to combat zones post-9/11.

Kelly Petz has served on multiple AANA committees, including Finance, CE, and as the Bylaws chair. She is a former president of the Maryland Association of Nurse Anesthetists and served as its federal political director for over ten years. A staunch believer in CRNAs, she continues to work to mentor RRNAs and CRNAs, as well as advocating for, and improving, CRNA practice.

Audrey Rosenblatt is a passionate advocate for children and pediatric CRNA practice. She has dedicated her career to safe pediatric anesthesia care through education, leadership, and research. Her commitment to these principles is exemplified through the launch of a CRNA pediatric anesthesia fellowship, research focused on the patient and family experience, and leadership which emphasizes dedication to CRNA excellence.

Cheryl Schosky has dedicated 30+ years advancing our profession as clinician, educator, Ohio State Association of Nurse Anesthetists member, South Carolina Association of Nurse Anesthetists (SCANA) Board of Trustees, five AANA committees, a Foundation Friend for Life, & CRNA-PAC diplomat donor. As SCANA president she initiated the first-ever legislation for supervision removal of CRNAs, stopped AA ratio increases, and ensured CRNA scope includes IV ketamine clinics and advanced pain management with fluoroscopy.

Ashley Showers is an accomplished educator, clinician, and administrator. She is a transformational leader, advancing the profession in pediatric anesthesia. She promotes inclusive mentorship and co-developed a prestigious RN-CRNA mentorship program. She serves as a COA onsite reviewer, state Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion chair, and author of book chapters. Her most notable contribution is her service as academic faculty for over a decade.

Brock Smith inspires those around him with his unwavering commitment to the nurse anesthesiology profession, his selfless service, and appreciative demeanor. As a leader, mentor, clinician, and educator, his impact is realized nationally and globally through his efforts as the consummate independent practitioner in both civilian and military environments. He is blessed and remains eager to serve in this admirable profession.

Martina Steed’s dedication to the specialty of nurse anesthesiology as a clinician, educator and leader has spanned 27 years. She is currently tenured professor and chairperson of the Advanced Clinical Sciences Department at Webster University. She has served as NBCRNA item writer, COA reviewer, AANA Foundation grant reviewer and state director. Mentorship at all levels is her goal and passion.

With over 26 years of experience in academic healthcare, she is a transformational leader serving as an adjunct nurse anesthesia faculty member, clinician, mentor, and executive leader intent on advancing nurse anesthesia on both a local and regional level. She is a lifelong learner focused on how CRNA representation at the executive levels of healthcare can have large-scale impact on CRNA practice.

Dr. Prudentia Worth was born in Grenada and received her preliminary education in Aruba and nursing education from Kent and Canterbury in England. She was one of the first PhD prepared CRNAs in the nation and the Program Director at Wayne State University for over 30 years. Dr. Worth has been an advocate and champion of students throughout her career.

Dr. Zhou serves the nurse anesthesia profession as a clinician, educator, leader, and advocate. During her tenure as AVANA President, her leadership and advocacy ensured equitable VA CRNA compensation, vital for recruitment and retention within the federal system. Dedicated to lifelong learning, she served as an NBCRNA item-writer, Emerging Leader Fellow, and is currently serving as an NBCRNA Board member.