2018 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 in each state by presenting the AANP State Award for Excellence. These awards are distributed to the recipients throughout the year, 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 AANP 2018 State Award winners listed below!

2018 State Award Winners
State	Nurse Practitioners		Advocates
Alabama	Kala Blakely, DNP, CRNP, NP-C		Ian Burge, MSN, FNP-BC, CHPN, CRNP
Alaska	Claire Lewis, WHNP, MHS, BSN, RN		Ursula McVeigh, MD
Arizona	Joan Lazore, MSN, FNP-BC		Denise Link, WHNP, CNE, FAAN, FAANP
Arkansas	Michelle Boone, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, AG-ACNP-BC		Rep. Kim Hammer
California	Denise Perez, MS, RN, FNP-BC		Jeffrey Arnold, MD, FACEP
Colorado	Rosario Medina, PhD, FNP-BC, ACNP, CNS		Kathleen Sanford, DBA, RN, FACHE, FAAN
Connecticut	Kristen Marie Guida, DNP, ANP-C, ACNP-BC, AGACNP-BC		Edward Volpintesta, MD
Delaware	Cynthia Lang-Groening, APRN, NP-C		Ronald Castaldo, Ph.D., MBA, MS, CRNA, APRN, CCRN
District of Columbia	Courtney Pladsen, DNP, FNP-BC		Lauren Inouye, RN, MPP
Florida	Amanda Chaney, DNP, ARNP, FNP-BC, FAANP		Jessica MacIntyre, ARNP, NP-C, AOCNP
Georgia	Janie McGhin, NP-C,CDE		Lucy Marion, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAANP
Hawaii	Jared Medeiros, APRN		Laura Reichhardt, MS, APRN, NP-C
Idaho	William Sabel, DNP, FNP-C, APRN		Michelle Anderson, DNP-FNP
Illinois	Barbara Shaw, DNP, APN, FNP-C		Pamela Haerr, RN, BS, CPNP
Indiana	Kristine Weaver, FNP		Mary Yaggy, GNP-BC
Iowa	Lori Reed, ARNP, FNP-C
Kansas	Karen Lehman, DNPc,MSN,APRN, FNP-C		Charity Clark, MSOHRD, BS, RRT
Kentucky	Sheila Carroll, APRN		Jane Owens, DNP, FNP-C
Louisiana	Mari Wirfs, PhD, APRN, ANP-BC, FNP-BC, CNE		Rhonda Hensley, EdD, DNP
Maine	Margaret (Peggy) Akers, ANP		Robert Howe, MPA
Maryland	Helina Somervell, DNP, MSN, CRNP, FNP-BC		Beverly Lang, MScN, RN, ANP-BC
Massachusetts	Martha Klay , MSN, APRN		Stephanie Ahmed, DNP, FNP-BC
Michigan	Susanna Sirianni, RN, DNP, ACNP-BC, ANP-BC, CCRN		Olivia McLaughlin
Minnesota	Patricia Peschman, DNP, RN, CNP		Renee Dahring, MSN, APRN, CNP
Mississippi	Teresa Hamill, DNP, FNP-BC		Rep. Donnie Scoggin, FNP
Missouri	Anniece Spencer, DNP, RN, FNP-C, BC-ADM		Fmr Rep. Tila Hubrecht, RN
Montana	Kathy Jorgensen , APRN, FNP		Gabrielle Corscadden, RRT
Nebraska	Amy Arndt, DNP, APRN		Linda Lazure, PhD, RN, FAAN
Nevada	Maileen Ulep-Reed, APRN, FNP-BC		Teresa Praus, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC
New Hampshire	Jillian Belmont, DNP, FNP-BC, SCRN		Dorothy Mullaney, DNP, APRN
New Jersey	Mary Krug, MSN,APN		Linda Mowad, RN, PhD
New Mexico	Lisa Taylor, DNP, CRNP, BC-ADM		Michelle Peacock, FNP-BC
New York	William Rosa , MS, AGPCNP-BC, ACHPN, AHN-BC, CCRN-CMC		Mary Callan, FNP
North Carolina	Dennis Taylor, DNP, ACNP-BC		Jean Davison, DNP, FNP-BC
North Dakota	Danielle Skaar, FNP-C		Stacey Pfenning, DNP, APRN, FNP, FAANP
Ohio	Kate Gawlik, DNP, RN, CNP		Meredith Foxx, MBA, MSN, APRN, PCNS-BC, PPCNP-BC
Oklahoma	Leah Melton, MSN, APRN, BC-ADM		Rep. Josh Cockroft
Oregon	Nicole Bennett, PMHNP, DNP		Jenn Baker, BA
Pacific U.S. Territories	Meagan Bamba-Ada, MSN, NP-C		Felix Cabrera, MD
Pennsylvania	Carolyn Garver, RN, CRNP-C, MSN		Sen. Camera Bartolotta
Puerto Rico			Marien Saade, MSN, RN, CNN
Rhode Island	Xristin Maestri, APRN		Madeleine Thibeault, MS
South Carolina	Kristi Miller, MSN, FNP-BC		Judith Zink, MSN, FNP-BC PCPNP WOCN
South Dakota	Diane Kenkel, MS, CNP		Nicole Gibson, DNP, RN, NP-C
Tennessee	Tracie Moore, DNP, FNP/ACNP/ACNS-BC		W. Clay Jackson, MD, DipTh
Texas	Holly Jeffreys, DNP, FNP-BC, APRN		Rep. Stephanie Klick, BSN
U.S. Virgin Islands	Lisa Gay, FNP		JudyAnne Ross, RN, BSN, MSN
Utah	Rodney Newman, MSN, ANP-BC		Deanne Williams, MS, CNM, FACNM
Vermont	Michelle Wade, MSN/ Ed. APRN		Amy O'Meara, DrNP, AGNP, WHNP
Virginia	Megan Hebdon, DNP, RN, FNP-c		Karen Budd, MSN, FNP-C
Washington	Carrie Boom, RN, MN, ARNP		Anne Piazza, MBA
West Virginia	Kendra Barker, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, BC-ADM, CDE		Gaylene Miller
Wisconsin	Mary Beck-Metzger, DNP, MSN, FNP		Debra Casper, MSN, RN, ACNP-BC, CCRN
Wyoming	Mary Cox, MSN, PMHNP-BC, FNP-BC, GNP-BC		Mary Behrens, MSN, FNP-BC, FAANP

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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 248,000 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. For more information about NPs, visit aanp.org.