Board of Directors

Holly is a System Learning & Development Specialist RN for WellStar Health System in Atlanta, Georgia. She graduated from Georgia Medical's Surgical Technologist Program, received her ASN from Floyd College, obtained her BSN from Kennesaw State University, and received her MSN from Walden University. As a nursing student at Floyd College, Holly was recognized with the Leadership Award in 2001 for Outstanding Leadership and selected for Who's Who in American Junior Colleges. After nursing school, Holly joined AORN and became an involved member of the Northwest Georgia Chapter and has held various positions in the chapter, including committees, Board of Directors, and President. She is currently serving her chapter on the Nominating Committee. Holly has been selected by her chapter as the Perioperative Nurse of the Year five times. In Georgia, Holly has been a member of the Georgia Council of PeriOperative Nurses and has served on the Board of Directors and Chair twice. She is currently serving Georgia Council as the Past Chair. Nationally, Holly has served on numerous national committees and is a member of the Leadership Specialty Assembly and the Clinical Nurse Educator Specialty Assembly. Holly began her leadership journey with AORN when she was elected to the AORN Nominating and Leadership Development Committee (2011-2013) and was selected as the Chair (2012-2013). Since then, she has been elected to the AORN Board of Directors (2014-2016); Secretary (2016-2018); Vice President (2018-2020); and President-elect (2020-2021). Holly is currently serving as the AORN President.

Holly has had the honor to offer podium presentations, both live and virtually, to chapters, state councils, and national conferences on many topics, such as: malignant hyperthermia, leadership, team building, patient culture, engagement, onboarding, the history of AORN, and many more. She has received two National AORN awards: the Next Generation Achievement Award in 2007 and Outstanding Volunteer Leadership in 2014. Holly received her CNOR certification in 2004 and her Board Certification by the ANCC in Nursing Professional Development in 2018.

Vangie Dennis is the Assistant Vice President for AnMed Health System located in Anderson County South Carolina. Professional organizations include the Association of Operating Room Nurses (AORN), Laser Institute of America, AORN Specialty Assemblies, Laser Institute of America, American Association of Gynecological Laparoscopist, and the American Society for Lasers in Medicine and Surgery. She is on the editorial board for the Journal for Clinical Laser Medicine and Surgery, Outpatient Surgery and for OR Today. Vangie has been published and cited in publications such as “OR Nurse, American Health, Laparoscopic Update, Surgical Services Management, Infection Control Today, OR Manager, Today’s OR, Outpatient Surgery, and Same Day Surgery. She is also the author for the “Medcom Module: Laparoscopic Approach for Treatment of Urinary Stress Incontinence", referenced in “The Joint Commission's 2003 National Patient Safety Goals”, co-published the nursing Chapter 9, “The Team-Nursing’s Perspective” in the book Principles of Laparoscopic Surgery, Chapter 20 Laser Risks and Perioperative Safety: Donna Watson's Perioperative Safety, Author of the 2011 AORN Recommended Practices for Lasers, author for the AORN Laser Study Guide, Module, and video. Published Chapter 14 Lasers in Radiology Nursing: Advanced Practice and Leadership in Radiology Nursing. Vangie sits on the Clinical Advisory Boards for the Gwinnett Technical School.

Ms. Dennis is an independent consultant, lectures on lasers and nursing practice. Vangie has lectured nationally and internationally for AORN, AORN Chapters, Advanced Technology Specialty Assembly, American Society for Lasers in Medicine and Surgery, The International Laser Safety Conference, Canadian Nurses Association, American Trial Lawyers Association, American Association Gynecological Laparoscopists, MedSun CODA Conference, and Medical Societies and facilities. Vangie is on the Board of Directors for Laser Institute of America, the chair for the National Certification on Lasers, Board of Directors for AORN National, Past President of the NW AORN Chapter, Past Treasurer for the Georgia Council of Nurses and committee representative for the American National Standards Institute. She is a recipient named in Strathmore’s WHO’s WHO, the recipient of the 1996 Nursing Excellence Award from the American Society for Lasers in Medicine and Surgery, awarded the 2011 R. James Rockwell Jr. Educational Achievement Award, and the 2011 AORN Award for Outstanding Achievement in Perioperative Clinical Nursing Education. She is the recipient of the 2018 Distinguished Nurse of the Year for the Georgia March of Dimes and 2019 Manager of the year for OR Manager. Vangie was also awarded Perioperative nurse of the year for the Georgia Council of Perioperative Nurses and for the AORN Northwest Chapter. Vangie is a member of Emory Alpha Epsilon Chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

Elizabeth Pincus, MSN, MBA, RN, ACNS-BC, CNS-CP, CNOR, is a Nursing Professional Development Specialist at Stanford Health Care, Palo Alto, California. She earned her bachelor of arts in psychology from the University of Hartford, West Hartford, Connecticut; her bachelor of science in nursing from Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York; her master of science in nursing as an adult health clinical nurse specialist and her post-master’s certificate in nursing education from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; and her master of business administration in health care administration from City University of New York, Baruch College, New York.

Lizz has worked as a Clinical Nurse Specialist, Nurse Educator, Team Leader, Circulator and Scrub Nurse. She is currently serving as the AORN Vice President and as the co-chair of the New York State Council. Previously, Lizz has served as Secretary and as a member of the Board of Directors. She is a peer reviewer for the AORN Journal and has been a mentor to AORN Foundation scholarship winners. Lizz is currently a mentor for the ANA Mentorship program focused on supporting new nurses. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau and the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS), where she serves as a volunteer on the NACNS Legislative/Regulatory Committee. Lizz has served as a medical volunteer for Global Smile Foundation and the NY Road Runners. She has volunteered with CCI for both the CNOR and CNS-CP examinations.

Darlene Murdock resume underscores many years of perioperative clinical experience and volunteer leadership experience. She is an award-winning and certified perioperative registered nurse at Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center specializing in the care of the critically injured and provides leadership for shared governance committees functioning as an effective change agent. Darlene is a devout AORN member involved at all levels, currently serving as AORN’s Secretary, where she is a strong voice for the membership. She is an AORN Journal author and editor-in-chief of multiple newsletters. Darlene has spoken nationally on the care of trauma patients and other subjects, including diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Darlene holds a BSN from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and is currently pursuing an MSN in Education from the Western Governors University. She is committed to lifelong learning, giving back to her community, and the pursuit of excellence. She is dedicated to providing safe, compassionate care to all patients. She believes in spoiling her two dogs and is a devoted mother to her son, Ryan.

Nakeisha Archer has over 15 years of formal leadership experience in various progressive roles and has led several teams successfully. She has a Masters in Business and Healthcare Management, is in the process of obtaining her DNP, as well as has attended many conferences, and Quality training courses to master this concept. She is currently in an organization that has many change initiatives underway at which she is leading teams to integrate Perioperative services policies, procedures, and standards in everyday practice. She is past President of the Greater Houston chapter of AORN, and she is always on the cusp of change and innovation in her chapter and her organization.

Lisa A. Bailey, BSN, BS, RN, CNOR, is a Nursing Professional Development - Generalist at Baylor Scott and White Medical Center, Temple, Texas. She earned her Bachelor of Nursing from Walden University, Minneapolis, Minnesota, a Bachelor of Science in Health Management from Bellevue University, Nebraska, and attended Central Texas College, Killeen, Texas where she earned her Associates in Nursing. She is currently working on her Master of Science in Nursing. Ms. Bailey has been a perioperative nurse for 18 years in roles ranging from staff nurse, manager, director, and currently in the Nursing Professional Development role for the past eight years. In this role, she oversees Periop 101 for new Perioperative nurses and has been instrumental in providing support for the nurse residency program for perioperative services. Ms. Bailey currently serves as the perioperative liaison for several nursing schools in her community. She is a lifetime member of AORN and has been a member for 17 years. Active in her local AORN chapter, she is serving as vice president and has served in the offices of president, secretary, and board member. She is a member of the Clinical Nurse Educator Specialty Assembly where she served as the Chair for Communications since 2016, as well as a member of the Ambulatory Surgery Specialty Assembly and the Leadership Specialty Assembly. In other leadership roles, Ms. Bailey has served as secretary of the Texas Council of Perioperative Registered Nurses. She was a member of the Green Task Force and the National Committee on Education for AORN. Ms. Bailey was elected to the Nominating and Leadership Development Committee in 2012. In her community, Ms. Bailey currently serves as the Chair of the Surgical Technologist Advisory Committee, Temple College, Texas, and has been on the advisory council for eight years.

J. Stephen Balog, MSN, RN, CNOR, has been involved in a variety of local, state, and national activities. He has served as the chair of VCORN and on the Board of Directors of his local AORN chapter in South Carolina. Nationally, he has served on a variety of committees and task forces. He was a member of the Nominating Committee and helped to develop a tool to evaluate potential national candidates for office. He currently serves on the AORN Board of Directors.

William "Bill" J. Duffy, RN, MJ, CNOR, FAAN, is the program director for the Nursing and Healthcare Administration masters of science in nursing at Loyola University of Chicago. Bill was the 2004-2005 National President of the AORN, where he led the Association's initiative for National Time Out Day to eliminate wrong site surgery. He has spoken nationally and internationally on health law and nursing leadership topics in addition to being an accomplished author of many articles in nursing journals and publications. Mr. Duffy has received numerous recognitions including the Nursing Spectrum's National Award for Excellence in Leading the Profession, the Loyola University's School of Nursing Distinguished Alumnae Award, AORN's Award for Excellence in Perioperative Nursing, and, in 2011, he was inducted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing. Bill is a firm believer in the power of nurses to touch the lives of their patients and to shape the future of healthcare.

Brandy Miller, MHA, MSN, RN, CNOR, is the Director of Surgical Services for Southwest Surgical Suites in Fort Wayne, IN. She has been a perioperative nurse for 22 years and a member of AORN for 20 years. She was a member of AORN Twin Cities, Illinois Chapter 1416 (1999-2006) and over the last 14 years, she has served the AORN of Greater Fort Wayne, Indiana Chapter 1503 in roles as Treasurer, Board Member, and President numerous times. Brandy served on the AORN National Leadership Task Force and is a member of the AORN the Ambulatory Surgery Specialty Assembly (2010-present), the Pediatric Specialty Assembly (2010-present), the Leadership Specialty Assembly (2010-present), and the Sterile Processing/Supply Chain Management Specialty Assembly (2011-present). Brandy developed and presented “AORN Membership: What’s it All About?” to her local chapter in 2010 and completed the research project “Understanding the Value of and Perceived Barriers for Earning Specialty Certification in Perioperative Nurses” for her master of science in nursing degree (2008-2009). In other leadership roles, she has served as a CCI Champion for the promotion of CNOR certification, a nurse mentor for both baccalaureate and master in nursing degree students, and served on the University of Saint Francis, Fort Wayne, IN Nurse Advisory Council (2013-2014). In her community, Brandy is active in the 100+ Women Who Care, NeighborLink, and enjoys attending and supporting area non-profit fundraisers.

Heidi L. Nanavati, MSN, CRNP, CNOR, has worked as a CRNP and registered nurse first assistant for the past 15 years, and an OR nurse for an additional five years previously. She currently works as an NP/RNFA for Idaho Shoulder to Hand Specialists in Boise. As an NP, she has worked mainly in orthopedics following the patient through the whole continuum of care. She currently works as an adjunct faculty member for Delaware County Community College’s RNFA program founded by Dr. Jane Rothrock, in Media, Pennsylvania.

In 2012 she was asked to be a contributing author for the RNFA Core Curriculum. Following, she chaired the task force to rewrite the position statements for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses in the Perioperative Environment. She has been very active with the RNFA Specialty Assembly for the past seven years. She served as the communications chair of the SA from 2015-2017 and overall chair of the coordinating council 2016-2017. She continues to mentor the council members today. She also serves as the communication chair for the APN Specialty Assembly. She was selected as a subject matter expert for the first Periop 202 Course- Orthopedics of which she wrote the Shoulder and Elbow Module. In March of 2020 she concluded her term serving nationally on the 2018-2019 Nominating Committee as well as the chair for the 2019-2020 term.

Before moving to Idaho, Heidi was very active in her local chapter, AORN of Baltimore Chapter 2101. She has served on many committees including education, fundraising and charitable giving. She also served a two year term as President from 2016-2018. She is looking forward to revitalizing the Treasure Valley Chapter in Boise. She has presented nationally at Expo, chapter and state council meetings around the country and the Issues and Answers Conference for RNFA's for a number of years. She is honored to take the next step and serve on the AORN Board of Directors.

Kristy Simmons, MSN, RN, CNOR, is a clinical nurse III specializing in neonatal surgery. She's a pediatric team leader and the ANCC Magnet nurse ambassador chair for Woman's Hospital, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She received diploma in Nursing from Our Lady of Lake School of Nursing, her BSN from Loyola University New Orleans, and Masters of Science in Nursing from Southeastern Louisiana University.

Kristy has been a perioperative nurse for over 38 years and a member of AORN for over 30 years, serving as chapter president, vice-president, and treasurer, of the Baton Rouge Chapter if AORN 1904 and chair of the Louisiana State Council of AORN Chapters. Kristy is currently serving her second term as a member of the national AORN Board of Directors. Kristy is a former member of the Nominating and Leadership and Development committee. Kristy has coauthored several AORN Pulseline, Connections and Journal articles, and spoken at both national and international conferences on perioperative research, disaster nursing, pediatric and neonatal surgery, Leadership, ANCC Magnet process, fetal surgery EXIT procedure, Nursing Storytelling and the Future Nurse Club she established in her community. Kristy has presented numerous research and clinical posters at numerous nursing organizations at the local, state and national level. Kristy has served on numerous AORN task-forces and committees at the local, state and national level including the membership committee, nominating committee, award committee, Policy and By-Laws, Ambulatory Surgery Specialty Assembly, and served on the coordinating council of the Pediatric Specialty Assembly. Other professional memberships include Baton Rouge District Nursing Association, Louisiana State Nurses Association, ANA, and Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society of Nursing. Kristy has been honored to receive the very first ANCC National Magnet Nurse of the Year for Exemplary Professional Practice and the AORN National Researcher of the Year and AORN Outstanding Volunteer of the Year, along with being honored in her state by receiving the Louisiana Nightingale Award. She has participated in numerous medical missions trips in Mexico and Honduras.

Karen Y. Edwards (White), BSN, RN, MBA, CNOR, is a professional development leader for Perioperative Services Administration at Houston Methodist Hospital, Texas. She earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of South Florida, Tampa; and a Master of Business Administration in health care management from Our Lady of the Lake University, San Antonio, Texas. She has been a periOperative nurse for 30 years and a member of AORN for 28 years. She is a member of AORN Greater Houston #4407 Chapter. She has served in several positions, two times as President and President Elect., Treasure, Board of Directors, Chairman of Ambassador Committee, Chairman of Mentorship Committee, Legislative Committee, and Advisor to the Board of Directors.

AORN National Board of Directors, Clinical Educator Specialty Assembly Committee, Leadership Specialty Assembly, Ambulatory Surgery Specialty Assembly and on the Nominating Committee (2007-2009) Chairman (2009), AORN on Call Work Electronic Task Force, (2005-2006), Member of the AORN Legislative Committee (2020-2021). Karen is a member of Texas Collaboration of periOperative Registered Nurses (TCORN).

She served on the board of competency and credentialing institute (CCI), and served in roles as board member, vice president and president. (2012-2014).

She is a 2016, 2017, and 2018 Bronze award recipient for mentorship in excellence through the Good Samaritan Foundation. In 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 The Houston Chronicle, selected her as one of the top one hundred and fifty nurses in Houston. Karen’s, current role is the facilitator of the six month OR Nurse Residency Program at Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX.