- Advocacy
2017 State Award for Excellence
AUSTIN, TX Every year, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) recognizes outstanding achievements by nurse practitioners (NPs) and NP advocates by presenting the annual AANP State Award for Excellence. These awards are presented to the recipients throughout the year in each state, with winners being recognized during the AANP National Conference.
The State Award for Excellence, founded in 1991, recognizes an NP in each state who demonstrates excellence in clinical practice. In 1993, the state award was extended to recognize the efforts of an individual who had made a significant contribution toward increasing the awareness and acceptance of NPs. Examples of past recipients of this award have been physicians, legislators, educators, etc. NPs are also eligible for the advocate award for non-clinical practice initiatives related to leadership, precepting, policy, politics, research, education, or community affairs.
Congratulations to the 2017 AANP State Award Winners listed below!
2017 State Award Winners | ||
| State | Nurse Practitioners | Advocates |
| Alabama | Dr. Michele H. Talley | Dr. Nancy Turnham |
| Alaska | Ann Glasheen | Dr. Kyle Bergquist |
| Arizona | Dr. Sharon Falke | Sen. Nancy Barto |
| Arkansas | Dr. Nycole Oliver | Pipere Brettell |
| California | Evy McNitt Silk | Dr. Susanne J. Phillips |
| Colorado | Dr. Patsy McGuire Cullen | Reenie Zaccardi |
| Connecticut | Dr. Nanette Alexander | Rep. Theresa W. Conroy |
| Delaware | Maria R. Ash | Dr. Stacey K. Graves |
| District of Columbia | Guinevere T. Que | Chioma Nwachukwu |
| Florida | Hillary L. Morgan | Sen. Aaron Bean |
| Georgia | Cheryl Kicklighter | Angela M. Barco |
| Hawaii | Dr. Anne Reynolds Leake | Rep. Della Au Belatti |
| Idaho | Dr. Melanie Nash | |
| Illinois | Jill C. Cash | |
| Indiana | Dr. Nancy E. Edwards | Dr. Erik P. Southard |
| Kansas | Jill Ariagno | Melissa Marie Oropeza-Vail |
| Kentucky | Dr. Deborah V. Thomas | Col. Michele Fennel Shearer |
| Louisiana | Dr. Jennifer Cameron | Rep. Dustin Miller |
| Maine | Ann Elizabeth OBrien | Patricia Hamilton |
| Maryland | S. Dale G. Jafari | Dr. Diane Carole Seibert |
| Massachusetts | Komal Kenkare | Colleen LaBelle |
| Michigan | Dr. Patrick Hawkins | Rep. Ken Yonker |
| Minnesota | Dr. Beth Ann Good | Dr. Brian Keith Goodroad |
| Mississippi | Dr. Shonda Ricks Phelon | Dr. Kristi Henderson |
| Missouri | Dr. Kim K. McGinn-Perryman | Fmr. Rep Jeanne Kirkton |
| Montana | Deborah Kern | Joyce C. Dombrouski |
| Nebraska | Kathy Hoebelheinrich | Dr. LeAnn R. Holmes |
| Nevada | Barbara Jean Ruscingno | Sheryl Giordano |
| New Hampshire | Evelyn M. Stacy | Mary Bidgood-Wilson |
| New Jersey | Victoria Ellen Eftychiou | Dr. Dorothy A. Borrensen |
| New Mexico | Dr. Liana K. Martiinez | Melissa Foster Rietz |
| New York | Dr. Lisa M. Paplanus | Dr. Susan Marks |
| North Carolina | Gerri Morrison | Dr. Sara L. Hubbell |
| North Dakota | Gwen LR Witzel | Cheryl Rising |
| Ohio | Dr. Candy Sue Rinehart | Sally Streiber |
| Oklahoma | Margaret Rosales | Rep. Jonathan D. Echols |
| Oregon | Mary I. Fey | Tracy E. Pozar |
| Pacific U.S. Territories | Anna Maria A. Cruz | Teofila P. Cruz |
| Pennsylvania | Dr. Eugene Thomas Lucas, Jr. | Rep. Jesse Topper |
| Puerto Rico | Jorge Garcia | Dr. Nancy Davila |
| Rhode Island | Eleanor Clapprood | Dr. Andrew Saal |
| South Carolina | Dr. Sheryl Lynn Mitchell | Judith Curfman Thompson |
| South Dakota | Sue Hogue | Rachel Waddell |
| Tennessee | Stan Bevis | Rep. Jeremy Faison |
| Texas | Julia K. Kuzin | Dr. Jan Zdanuk Dodd |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | J. Rakiiba Jackson | |
| Utah | Lacey M. Eden | Sen. David Hinkins |
| Vermont | Dr. Barbara A. Rouleau | Dr. Betty Rambur |
| Virginia | Dr. Rebecca E. Sutter-Barrett | Connie K. Henry (Posthumous) |
| Washington | Dr. Doquyen Le Huynh | Dr. Gary Franklin |
| West Virginia | Deborah Casdorph | Del. Amy Summers |
| Wisconsin | Marilyn Shutte | Burton Wagner |
| Wyoming | Alicia Mae Le Pard | Rep. Sue Wilson |
The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) is the largest professional membership organization for nurse practitioners (NPs) of all specialties. It represents the interests of the more than 234,000 licensed NPs in the U.S. AANP provides legislative leadership at the local, state and national levels, advancing health policy; promoting excellence in practice, education and research; and establishing standards that best serve NP patients and other health care consumers. As The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner, AANP represents the interests of NPs as providers of high-quality, cost-effective, comprehensive, patient-centered health care. To locate a nurse practitioner in your community, go to npfinder.com.