It is time once again for elections. The followng candidates are running for office.  A link for voting will be sent to current members. If you would like to vote,  please make sure that your dues are current. If you have any questions, please email us at floridanpnetwork@gmail.com.  Thank you again for your participation.

PRESIDENT

Arlene Wright, DNP, ARNP, FNP-BC

Dr. Arlene Wright is a board certified family nurse practitioner who practices in Fort Myers, Florida. She received her MSN from the University of Tampa and her DNP from Florida Atlantic University. Dr. Wright is an active member of her professional organizations serving on the board of directors in various capacities. She received the Florida Nurses Association Advanced Registered Nursing Practice Award (2007) and was the recipient of the AANP Nurse Practitioner Advocate for Florida (2012). Currently she is 2nd vice president of education for the Florida Nurse Practitioner Network as well as executive vice president and co-founder of the Southern Gulf Coast Nurse Practitioner Council. Dr. Wright holds leadership positions in her clinical practice areas and has been a facilitator and coordinator for nurse practitioner student clinical experiences.  She has been instrumental in developing collaborative partnerships as a means to position NP practice for the future.

2nd VICE PRESIDENT

Emily Bell ARNP, PMHNP-BC 

Emily Bell is a board certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner who practices at the C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center in St. Petersburg, Fl.  She works in the Primary Care-Mental Health Integration clinic providing initial evaluations for veterans with mental health needs also working as a consultant within the Emergency Department conducting psychiatric evaluations.  She completed her BSN from the University of Florida and then MSN in Family Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing from Yale University.  Mrs. Bell moved back to Florida in 2013 and has been involved in leadership roles within the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA), Florida Chapter over the past three years.  Currently she is the outgoing Immediate Past President for APNA Florida Chapter and previously represented the chapter at the Florida Coalition of Advanced Practice Nurses while serving as President and President-Elect.  This year she was the recipient of the University of Florida College of Nursing’s Young Alumna award and the Department of Veterans Affairs Bay Pines VA Healthcare System’s Nursing Excellence award. 

 

Since relocating to Florida, she has been committed to the development of consequential advanced practice nurse legislation and regulation.  Previously she worked in states with full practice authority, mostly in child and adolescent psychiatry services.  Upon reviewing her first protocol in Florida, she realized how statutory barriers were going to keep her from providing mental healthcare services to children with ADHD.    Wasting no time she joined the battle in Tallahassee in support of controlled substance prescribing for ARNPs and discovered like-minded colleagues with FNPN members at those hearings.  She is passionate about FNPN’s mission and if elected to serve as the 2nd Vice President, she will help facilitate an important part of that mission to “Provide educational and professional development for nurse practitioners.” 

TREASURER

George Byron Peraza Smith DNP, ARNP, GNP-BC, AGPCNP-C, CNE

George Byron Peraza-Smith is a gerontological and a gerontology-adult nurse practitioner  that specializes in gerontology primary care and gero-psychiatry.  He received his BSN and MSN in Nursing Administration at The University of Texas Medical Branch, Post-Masters GNP Certificate at the University of South Florida, and DNP in Nursing Education at Case Western Reserve University. He is an Associate Dean, Program Director and Associate Professor at United States University. George maintains a private practice in long-term care and with Brandon Outreach Clinic. He is serving his first term as Treasurer of FNPN  and the current Secretary of the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association. George has served as President and Secretary for the Tampa Bay Advanced Practice Nurses Association.

George is committed to the mission of FNPN and we have the opportunity to realize ARNPs impact on the health of Floridians. We must continue to push ahead with an untied voice. The role of the Treasurer is to ensure fiscal responsibility and accountability to our members on decisions impacting the financial viability of FNPN. It would be an honor and privilege to continue to serve as the FNPN Treasurer. I have demonstrated the financial record keeping skills called for in the execution of the role and responsibilities of the Treasurer.  I have served effectively in this capacity with the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association, Florida Nurses Association, Florida Chapter of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, and other local groups. I will complete the duties and responsibilities delegated by the President and Board to the best of my abilities and in a timely manner. I have a passion toward ensuring my colleagues, students and mentees develop a better understanding of advanced practice nursing and our professional responsibilities. One voice and/or one group can make a difference.

Regional Director-Region 1

Julia Pallentino, MSN, JD, ARNP-BC, FAANP

Julia Pallentino is a nurse practitioner with the Child Protection Team in Tallahassee, Florida. She has extensive experience in policy and lobbying related to nurse practitioner issues and was a former medical malpractice attorney. She has served as Regional Director for the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and presently serves as FNPN Regional 1 Representative. She has twice presided over the Tallahassee Area Council of Nurse Practitioners as president having completed her most recent term in December 2016. 

Regional Director-Region 3

Laura Williams ARNP-BSN-BC

"I love waking up every morning knowing I get to start another day doing what I love; getting to care for the needs of this country's most valuable and most vulnerable resource, our elderly. What makes my day even better is being able to work so closely with families and facility staff to provide the highest level of care to each individual patient."

Laura Williams is a certified ARNP, who has masters in Nursing Education and the Science of Nursing from the University of Tampa. Over the last 8 Years, Laura has worked with AGS healthcare, now Bluestone Physicians Services, as an active practitioner serving a number of Assisted Living facilities throughout the greater Tampa area. Along with her work at these facilities she taught for three years at the University of Tampa and continues to mentor students as much as possible.  She served as the president of the Tampa Bay Advanced Practice Counsel for the last four years revitalizing the organization. As president, Laura led the board into a new organizational structure and increased membership from 100 to 300 practitioners. Laura started her career as a registered nurse in 1979 at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, NY; she quickly realized her true specialty and moved on to work at the Veteran's Administration Hospital specializing in Gerontology. This experience marked the beginning of her lifelong dedication to the elderly.  After moving to Florida and raising three beautiful daughters, Laura decided to pick up her calling once more and began to volunteer at Life Path Hospice. Her volunteer work made her realize she wanted to help more and pushed her to go back to school to further her ability to aid the elderly and their families. Throughout her life, Laura has cared for and supported other people in a way that maintains their autonomy and upholds their dignity.

Over the past few years, Laura and her husband have worked to promote Florida nurse practitioner's agenda, educating local and state wide politicians. This work has pushed her to seek out the opportunity to develop the Region Three Director

Mary Lynn Edwards Ulrey, MS, ARNP

I am running for office because your help and engagement in the Opioid Addiction Crisis is so important to improve behavioral health outcomes and health outcomes in general.  Patients with addictive disease typically do not follow through with directions and care provided by other health care professionals so it is important to identify who might have an addiction or abuse of drugs or medications.  How many urine drug screens do you do in primary care?  How attuned to the addiction crisis are you in your practice?  How many referrals do you actually make to addiction treatment. 

Addiction is the most under treated disease in America and I am hoping to make a difference in our collaboration by representing the underrepresented Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners in our association.  In 2015, Addiction Medicine finally became part of the American Medical Specialty's.  Psychiatry had typically treated addiction but only receive one month in a 4 year residency of any addiction training.  Most people don't know that.

I have had a private practice and now lead one of the state's largest co-occurring treatment agencies in the great state of Florida, DACCO in Tampa.

I have worked to make Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners be recognized in the addictions laws, specifically, FS 397 where they were not identified as someone who could be a Qualified Professional to treat addiction and sign treatment plans.  That was in direct conflict with FS 464 for Psych Nurse Practitioners.  And finally, Medicaid and the state came to recognize our field as Qualified.  It has been an uphill battle and I am grateful for all the ARNP's that have worked so hard to get our practice guidelines expanded and recognized.

I will continue to work to promote ARNP's in our state laws and work hard to improve recognition of our expertise in our specialty areas.  Thank you for your vote for a Board Seat.