Getting to Know the Arizona Nurses Foundation Council of Trustees

Arizona Nurse, Jul 2004 by Sasmor, Jeannette

Esther Voorsanger, RN, MA, Chair, is a retired Colonel with the Army Nurse Corps, a retired nurse educator and administrator, and a founding member of AzNF. She brings a family history of fundraising experience to lead the council in it's fundraising efforts.

Rose Gerber, RN, PhD, Chair, AzNF Scholarship Committee, is the founding chair of AzNF. She is responsible for developing the AzNA Holiday Tree Ornament fundraiser that supports the AzNA Capitol Fund. She offers years of fundraising experience to lead the council's efforts of providing scholarships to nursing students.

Jeannette Sasmor, RN, MBA, EdD, FAAN, is the former Director, Development, AzNA, the Communications Secretary for AzNA Chapter 5 and a founding member of AzNF. She offers more than forty years experience in nursing practice, education and organizations, as well as a background in marketing and fundraising, to the council.

Paul Randall, MBA, offers the council his expertise in banking and investments. As the former president of the Lions Foundation of Arizona, his experience provides insight on the opportunities as well as the obstacles to fundraising in Arizona.

Fran Roberts, RN, PhD, Vice Chair, offers experience from her position as the former Executive Director, Arizona State Board of Nursing and as the Vice President, Professional Services of the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association. She provides the council a vast perspective on the needs of nursing in Arizona.

James Sasmor, MBA, PhD, ABMP, ABDA, a diplomat of the American Board of Medical Psychotherapists, a licensed healthcare risk manager, as well as a founding member of AzNF, offers his healthcare and business perspective to the council. His fundraising experience as a member of the Board of Directors for the Lions Foundation is also a benefit to the council.

William Ridenour, Esq., a successful attorney and managing partner at a Phoenix law firm, contributes to the council by blending his professional perspective with his experience as an alumni fundraiser for the University of Arizona.

Gary Gum, RN, MSN, has twenty years of experience as a critical care nurse and as an educator. As the former president of the Peoria Chamber of Commerce and a current member of the Peoria Municipal Sports Complex Authority, he offers expertise in community involvement to the council.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

New Board Member Appointed

Valerie N. Whiteford, RN, BSN, CEN, was recently appointed by the Board of Directors to Director, Appointments/Nominations. Valerie works as the Night Shift Clinical Coordinator, Emergency Department at Carondelet St. Joseph's Hospital in Tucson.

Tucson Nurses Selected to "Fabulous 50"

Since 1994, Tucson nurses have celebrated Nurses Week in a city-wide celebration that emphasizes professionalism, education, research and personal vitality. Each year nurses are nominated by their peers, professional colleagues and patients into the "Fabulous 50". This year three AzNA members from University of Arizona (U of A) were selected. Gerri S. Lamb, RN, PhD, FAAN, Associate Dean for Clinical & Community Services, Dona Pardo, RN, PhD, Continuing Education and Joyce Verran, RN, PhD, FAAN, were also honored by U of A with the ringing of the USS Arizona Bell, May 19th.

Barbara Durand, RN, EdD, FAAN, Dean, Arizona State University College of Nursing recently retired after nearly 12 years in that position. A celebration was held in her honor on May 7th.

Sharon Ewing, PhD, FNP, APRN, BC, President of Chapter 10 Southern Arizona Nurse Practitioners, has been named as AzNA's representative to the State Board of Nursing's Advisory Committee regarding educational requirements for nurse practitioners who will sign death certificates. She is a trainer for the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium and worked for a year as a Deputy Medical Investigator in New Mexico. She is currently on faculty at the U of A and teaches on end-of-life to the nurse practitioner students.

Dona Pardo, RN, PhD, retired from the University of Arizona on June 30. In her roles as a Coordinator of the College of Nursing's Continuing Education programs and most recently, as the Administrator for the U of A Health Sciences Center Continuing Education, Dona has been a champion for quality continuing education for nurses in Tucson and throughout Arizona. Dona also served on AzNA's CE review panel for many years.

AzNA member, Bobbie Wiles, RN, BSN, CCRN, ICU Nurse, Banner Mesa Medical Center, was featured in an article about ICU's in the May 2004 issue of NurseWeek. Photo printed with the permission of NurseWeek.

Jeannette Sasmor, RN, MBA, EdD, FAAN, AzNF Trustee