Featured Speakers


Opening Plenary: Integrating AI and Innovation: Uncovering the Critical Issues | Saturday, November 1 | 1:30–2:30 pm

  • Kenya Beard

    Dr. Kenya V. Beard

    Dean and Chief Nursing Office
    School of Nursing
    Mercy University

    Kenya V. Beard, EdD, AGACNP-BC, ANEF, FAAN, FADLN is the inaugural Dean and Chief Nursing Officer at Mercy University’s School of Nursing and a nationally recognized visionary leader in health equity, policy, and nursing education. Her leadership extends across policy reform, curriculum innovation, artificial intelligence in nursing, and institutional transformation. Dr. Beard is driving the integration of AI into curricula to…

  • Deborah Jones

    Dr. Deborah Jones

    Senior Vice President and Dean, School of Nursing
    Chief Integration Officer, University of Texas Medical Branch, Health

    Dr. Deborah J. Jones is a nationally recognized healthcare leader who serves as Senior Vice President and Dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) and the inaugural Chief Integration Officer for UTMB Health. In these dual roles, she has advanced innovation, strengthened faculty development, expanded academic programs, and positioned UTMB as a leader in nursing education and health sciences integration.

  • Jerry Mansfield

    Dr. Jerry A. Mansfield

    Vice President and System Chief Nursing Executive
    University of Texas Medical Branch, Health

    Dr. Jerry Mansfield has worked in healthcare for more than 40 years including 26 years in senior nurse executive positions in four major health systems in three states. Throughout seven successive inaugural leadership roles in for-profit and non-profit, inpatient and outpatient settings, union and non-union environments, multi-hospital systems and academic medical centers, he has guided improvements in patient and staff outcomes regionally and nationally.

  • Susan Grant

    Dr. Susan Grant

    Chief Clinical Officer
    symplr

    Dr. Susan Grant brings a wealth of expertise to symplr, having held executive leadership positions at prominent healthcare organizations such as Wellstar Health System, Beaumont Health, Emory Healthcare, and the University of Washington Medical Center. Her distinguished career includes a strong focus on integrating clinical best practices with technology to drive meaningful change in healthcare delivery.

Plenary Session | Sunday, November 2 | 3:00–4:00 pm

  • Susan Resneck Pierce

    Susan Resneck Pierce, PhD

    President of SRP Consulting, LLC
    President Emerita of University of Puget Sound

    Susan Resneck Pierce is President of SRP CONSULTING, LLC and President Emerita of the University of Puget Sound, where she served from 1992-2003. Under her leadership, Puget Sound entered the ranks of the national liberal arts colleges. Susan Pierce also served as Vice President for Academic Affairs at Lewis & Clark College, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tulsa, Assistant Director of Educatio…

  • Lee Gardner

    Lee Gardner

    Senior Writer
    The Chronicles of Higher Education

    Lee Gardner is a senior writer for The Chronicles of Higher Education. Gardner joined The Chronicle in 2012 and served as editor of the now-defunct Finance and Policy section. Two years later, Gardner’s role in the newsroom shifted, and Gardner went back to the best job there is — reporter. Prior to The Chronicle, Gardner was editor in chief of the now-defunct Baltimore City Paper for a decade, and served in various roles at C…

John P. McGovern Lectureship Award | Sunday, November 2  | 4:30–5:30 pm

  • Mary Wakefield

    Dr. Mary K. Wakefield

    Mary K. Wakefield, PhD, RN, FAAN, is one of the nation’s preeminent nurse leaders and an authority on health policy, rural healthcare, patient safety, and workforce development. Building on her career in academic nursing, she has served the nation in high-profile federal appointments, including Acting Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administrat…

For questions, contact the AACN Conference Team today!

Phone: 202-463-6930    |     Email: conferences@aacnnursing.org     |    Website: www.aacnnursing.org/conferences