ANA Enterprise CEO

An accomplished health care leader who has more than 30 years of nursing and management experience, Dr. Loressa Cole, DNP, MBA, RN, FACHE, NEA-BC, FAAN, became the ANCC Executive Director and Executive Vice President in 2016. Dr. Cole was appointed as the ANA Enterprise CEO in 2018.

Most recently, she served as the Chief Nursing Executive for Lewis Gale Regional Health System in Salem, Virginia, where she directed system-wide clinical operations, partnering with other C-suite leaders on strategic and tactical planning, and execution.

Previously, she served as Chief Nursing Officer at Lewis Gale Montgomery Hospital in Blacksburg, Virginia, where she led the hospital to achieve its initial Magnet® designation in 2009 and its redesignation in 2013. Dr. Cole began her career as a staff nurse in medical/surgical and critical care settings.

Active in many professional organizations, Dr. Cole served as President of the Virginia Nurses Association from 2012 until 2014. She is a member of the American Organization of Nurse Executives, the Virginia Organization of Nurse Executives, and the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).

She has presented at a wide range of conferences, including the 2011 and 2012 ANCC National Magnet Conference. She earned her DNP at Case Western Reserve University, her Master's in Business Administration (MBA) at Averett University, and her BSN at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is ANCC board-certified as a nurse executive, advanced, and is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.