Get to Know the AONL Foundation Board

AONL Foundation board members answer the question, “What is your why? Why do you choose to serve on the Foundation board?” 

Charley Larsen, MSN-L, MBA, RN, NE-BC, Immediate Past Chair

I am a proud graduate of the AONL Nurse Director Fellowship, Class of 2019. I celebrate this accomplishment the same as I celebrate my graduate degrees. I tell everyone I can that the Director Fellowship profoundly impacted my professional confidence, resilience, career trajectory and ultimately my career path. Since the 2019 Nurse Director Fellowship, partially because of the confidence I grew in that program, I co-founded Blackbox Healthcare Solutions, and one of our largest projects focuses on reducing disparities in health care access and providing equity for access to care for all Arizonans. 

None of this would have happened without that Fellowship. I was lucky, and the large organization I worked at, at the time, dubbed me a “high performer” and allowed me to participate in the program. I am perpetually grateful for the opportunity. At the same time, I’m very aware that few people have the same opportunities, and it is challenging for organizations to dedicate funds for an individual’s professional development.

The AONL Foundation provides some equity in access to the Nurse Manager and Nurse Director Fellowship programs through the Pamela Austin Thompson Fellowship Fund, a fund dedicated to providing financial aid to highly qualified but underfunded candidates. 

These candidates don’t have the same opportunity I had as an aspiring fellowship participant. But by going through the Fellowship, because of a financial aid grant, maybe the program provides that person the professional confidence and professional resilience that they need. Maybe it changes their career trajectory or path. Maybe that person really makes a difference and changes health care on a global scale. Maybe they make a really big indent on the challenges we’re facing as nursing leadership. That’s the kind of thing that makes me want to do the “Kool-Aid Man Thing” and run through a wall for them. That’s why I serve.

The Pamela Austin Thompson Fellowship Fund provides financial aid to nurse managers or directors from small, rural or critical access health care organization, or who are from diverse backgrounds. If you’d like to contribute to the Fund, you can give online . After selecting the amount of your gift, please choose “Pamela Austin Thompson Fellowship Fund” in the “My gift is for” dropdown menu.    

Jeff Adams, PHD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

My connection to the Foundation is rather simple from my perspective and I imagine super confusing from everyone else’s perspective. I worked as a clinical informatics consultant in the 1990s (before there really were clinical information systems). I helped organizations select and design systems and learned that Chief Nurses really didn’t participate in the selection of these systems despite nurses being the vast majority of the documenters. 

I started focusing my inquiry as the core of my doctoral study. I ran a couple preliminary studies and learned that influence over CIS selection was not the only topic where Chief Nurses lacked influence. Chief Nurses self-identified as less knowledgeable and influential over a host of topics when compared to their executive colleagues in the same organization.

Since that time I’ve focused my work and career to understand nurse leader influence because it makes work environments better, it makes patients better and it makes the profession better. The Foundation’s mission is perfectly aligned both in research and education. Thus, the decision to serve is an easy one.
 

Jeff received a small research grant from the AONL Foundation toward the start of his research journey. AONL Foundation research grants are made possible thanks to the support of members and friends who choose to donate to the Foundation. If you’d like to support nursing leadership research, you can give online.  After selecting the amount of your gift, please choose “Research” in the “My gift is for” dropdown menu.

Robyn Begley, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

I’ve been a nurse for a long time, and I could probably name lots of situations and scenarios in my career that illuminate my connection to the Foundation’s mission and purpose. These examples happened just this past year, and they stood out and reminded me of my why.

First was International Council of Nurses Congress. It was a truly wonderful experience, but the one keynote speaker, Simon Sinek, talked about how nurses and doctors don’t learn how to be leaders. I reflected that we’re really fortunate AONL exists. He talked about the importance of physicians and nurses being leaders of health care organizations. I came away energized and challenged when he said that. I would like to debate him a little bit about what we’ve done in the United States, but ICN is an international audience.

The second thing that really connects me to the purpose of the Foundation was a conversation I had with a young up-and-comer in nursing. The person who connected me described her as a superstar. She’s a young director and DNP, and attended the regional affiliate’s conference. She was the first person in her family to be a professional or have a profession. She comes from a very modest background. She shared with me how she earned a scholarship to become a nurse, then a young leader, and recently completed her DNP with a focus on community health workers. She wants to pay it forward and to interact with other young people who come from modest means. She recognizes she has been very fortunate in her scholarship and that her organizations supported her advanced degrees. This young nurse leader is the kind of person the Foundation supports through our financial aid program. 

So that’s my why, my connection to purpose – we have strong nurses leading health care in the United States, relying on research and education opportunities to continue to grow, and the AONL Foundation provides both.

Brandy Mathews, DNP, MHA, RN, NEBC, 2022-2023 Board Alumni

When I was first elected to AONL Board of Directors and attended my first meeting and orientation, I was a little overwhelmed.  I am a bit introverted, and there was a lot of information in the meeting. I met Dani, sat next to her at dinner that first night, and found her so welcoming. Then, a day or two later, Dani asked me if I would serve on the Foundation board. Being asked gave me a boost of confidence, despite my reservations. I vowed to give it my attention and best effort.

I think the work that the Foundation does is so important, particularly supporting people who are doing research and working to get best practices into the body of evidence. This is an unmet need in the field, especially around workforce issues. As a nurse leader, there’s sometimes not enough time to conduct a study, or do research, or write a paper. Having a group that is focused on that and encouraging and supporting the work is very important and fulfilling to me.

Lisbeth Votruba MSN, RN

My “why” is about finding my tribe. I made a very risky career decision nine years ago when I moved from hospital-based nursing leadership to an industry nurse executive role. There weren't many peers who I could reach out to as I looked around. A few years later, the AONL Foundation created the Corporate Advisory Council (CAC) and I thought, "Oh, this is it! These are my folks, my peers.” Through the Foundation's CAC, I was able to establish genuine peer connections with Larissa Africa, Nanne Finnis, Heather O-Sullivan, Cheryl McKay and Karlene Kerfoot. Since then, the CAC and my network have grown, and I’ve met many others who have become friends, mentors and coaches. I’m so very grateful for all of them.

The past ten years have taught me that gratitude is an action rather than a feeling. We have a duty to tend to the things we are thankful for. I owe it to the AONL Foundation to take care of it and spread goodwill. It is a true privilege to invest time and resources in promoting the Foundation, since doing so helps guarantee its continued existence for upcoming generations of young leaders in need of role models and mentors.

The AONL Foundation Corporate Advisory Council (CAC) brings together health care industry leaders to help create a healthier tomorrow through nursing leadership. The CAC assists the AONL Foundation in its mission to provide resources that create opportunities to bridge science and practice to shape the future of nursing leadership.

Support the Foundation

The AONL Foundation’s work to support nursing leadership is made possible thanks to donors, volunteers, collaborators, sponsors and partners – both individuals and organizations.  As a 501c3 charitable organization, gifts to the AONL Foundation are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Please consider a gift to support the future of nursing leadership, today.