American Nurses Association Elects New National Leaders at 2025 Membership Assembly

New members elected to serve on ANA Board of Directors and Nominations and Elections Committee beginning January 1, 2026  

MEDIA CONTACT: newsroom@ana.org 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, June 28, 2025, the Membership Assembly voted to elect leaders to serve on American Nurses Association Board of Directors and the Nominations and Elections Committee. All office terms begin on January 1, 2026.  

ANA’s Membership Assembly elected the following members to serve on the 9-member Board of Directors:  

• Vice President: Anita Girard, DNP, RN, CNL, CPHQ, NEA-BC, of ANA\California 
• Treasurer: Trish Richardson, MSN, BSBA, RN, NE-BC, CMSRN, of North Carolina Nurses Association 
• Director-at-Large: Amanda Savage, DNP, M.ED., RN, of ANA-Maine;  
• Director-at-Large, Recent Graduate: Nikule Abel, BSN, RN, of the Minnesota Organization of Registered Nurses. 

Those continuing their terms on the ANA Board of Directors in 2026 are: ANA President Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN of the Oregon Nurses Association; Secretary Amanda Oliver, BSN, RN, CCRN, CPST, of ANA – Illinois; Director-at-Large Edward Briggs, DNP, MS, APRN, of the Florida Nurses Association; Director-at-Large Ahnyel Burkes, DNP, RN-BC, NEA-BC, of the Louisiana State Nurses Association; and, Director-at-Large, Staff Nurse Josephine Agyei, BSN, RN, of ANA-New York. 

Elected to serve on the Nominations and Elections Committee are:  

• Sandra Foley, DNP, MSN, RN, of the New Jersey State Nurses Association 
• Gem Priddy, MN, RN, CCRN, PCCN, of the Virginia Nurses Association 
• Emily Rocha, MBA, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CHCQM, of the Individual Member Division 
• Joan Widmer, MS, MSBA, RN, of the New Hampshire Nurses Association 

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About the American Nurses Association 

As the oldest organization representing more than 5 million registered nurses, the American Nurses Association stands at the forefront of advancing nursing excellence. The association harnesses The Power of Nurses™ to champion the profession and drive transformation in healthcare. Through legislative and political advocacy, comprehensive educational services, and the profession’s leading Code of Ethics and Scope and Standards, the association empowers nurses across every specialty and practice setting. The association is committed to ensuring healthy work environments, shaping pioneering policies, and cultivating partnerships that enhance both the nursing profession and the broader healthcare experience.