Meet the Speaker!

Dr. Kathy Andresen is an Associate Clinical Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of West Florida. She has been a nurse educator since 2009 and has served in numerous program development and leadership roles throughout her 36-year nursing career, the majority of which has been in community-based settings. She teaches in both undergraduate and graduate programs across a variety of courses, including public health, health promotion, leadership, and evidence-based practice. 

She earned a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Iowa, a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Rush University in Chicago, and a Master of Public Health from St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. Her scholarly work focuses on workforce development. She is passionate about supporting nurses at all levels and is actively engaged in initiatives that empower nurses to make a meaningful impact.

Dr. Edwin Aroke is an internationally recognized leader, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), and nurse scientist specializing in pain research and health disparities. He currently serves as a tenured Professor and Interim Assistant Dean for Research and Scholarship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing. Before taking on the role of Interim Assistant Dean, Dr. Aroke served as Director of the PhD Program and Director of the Dual DNP-PhD Program, where he championed innovative curricula in PhD education.

Dr. Aroke's NIH-funded research program focuses on examining the role of epigenomic changes in chronic pain and pain disparities. His leadership has fostered diversity in nurse anesthesia and improved anesthesia outcomes at local, state, national, and international levels. He currently chairs the Education Committee of the International Federation of Nurse Anesthetists (IFNA) and serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the AANA Journal. Among his numerous accolades are the Founders Award for Excellence in Genomic Nursing Research from the International Society of Nurses in Genetics (ISONG) and the Mitchell Max Award for Research Excellence from the NIH. Dr. Aroke is a Fellow of the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing, Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, and Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. He is also a member of the Sigma International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame. 

Meet the Speaker!

Dr. Maureen J. Baker is an Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina School of Nursing, where she is a passionate educator dedicated to inspiring the next generation of nurses to elevate both the art and science of nursing. As an internationally recognized Apple Distinguished Educator, Dr. Baker leads UNC's EmpowerEd program, a transformative initiative that leverages iPad technology to enhance student engagement, learning, and scholarly productivity in nursing education.

With a research focus on patient engagement and innovation in teaching, Dr. Baker has published on cutting-edge strategies such as digital escape rooms and AI-infused apps designed to improve interpersonal communication and clinical decision-making. Her work exemplifies the integration of technology as a vehicle to advance nursing practice, communication, and education.

Dr. Baker’s dynamic teaching style, commitment to digital scholarship, and leadership in evidence-based innovation continue to shape the future of nursing education both nationally and internationally.

Meet the Speaker!

Dr. Emily Helbick is a Doctor of Nursing Practice-prepared nurse leader with 15 years of experience spanning critical care, public health operations, and value-based healthcare strategy. She spent a decade at the bedside in adult intensive care before transitioning in 2021 to Florida’s emergency management response, where she led statewide nursing operations for COVID-19 vaccine administration.

She currently serves as Vice President of Network Operations for a Florida-based national Accountable Care Organization (ACO), where she leads strategic network operations, performance improvement, and population health initiatives. During her tenure, she developed and implemented a predictive analytics and machine-learning program to proactively manage advanced care populations, an experience that catalyzed her focused work at the intersection of nursing leadership and artificial intelligence.

Dr. Helbick earned her DNP in Leadership from Jacksonville University in 2024 and now serves as adjunct faculty for DNP students. She also sits on the university’s AI Task Force, contributing to curriculum development and the ethical integration of artificial intelligence in nursing education. She has completed advanced coursework and certifications in AI in healthcare through Stanford Online and the American Board of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine.

She is passionate about ensuring nurses are not passive recipients of technology, but informed leaders in its design, governance, and implementation. Dr. Helbick advocates for AI literacy in nursing education and believes that when nurses are equipped with both systems thinking and technological fluency, they are uniquely positioned to shape the future of healthcare.

Meet the Speaker!

Jennifer S. Mensik Kennedy is a nationally recognized nursing leader and the 38th president of the American Nurses Association, where she advocates on behalf of the nation’s 5.5 million registered nurses. A sought-after presenter and prolific author, her work focuses on nursing leadership, workforce innovation, and professional practice. In 2026, TIME named Dr. Mensik Kennedy to the TIME100 Health list in the Titan category for her global influence on the nursing profession. She was also named one of Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare for the third consecutive year in 2025.

Prior to her presidency, Dr. Mensik Kennedy served the American Nurses Association as Treasurer, Second Vice President, and Director-at-Large, and was President of the Arizona Nurses Association. She is an assistant clinical professor at Oregon Health and Science University School of Nursing, a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, and an alumna of the University of Arizona, University of Phoenix, Washington State University, and Wenatchee Valley College-North.

Dr. Wendy Garvin Mayo is a healthcare executive and nationally recognized expert in stress management, emotional intelligence, and nurse wellness. She is the founder of WenWell - Making Wellness the Standard of Care, a platform focused on embedding mental and emotional well-being into healthcare delivery, leadership development, and workforce strategy.

Dr. Garvin Mayo holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Quinnipiac University, a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Connecticut, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Saint Joseph. She is a board-certified Adult Nurse Practitioner (ANP-BC) and brings more than 20 years of experience across clinical practice, executive leadership, academia, research, and the pharmaceutical industry. She applies a systems-level approach grounded in three essential conditions, capacity, safety, and connection, to support sustainable performance in high-demand healthcare environments.

She serves as Chief Executive Officer of Collaborative Cancer Care and The Stress Blueprint, and is the Founder of the Connecticut Nurse Wellness Project, the first statewide nurse wellness initiative advancing integrated mental health, leadership capacity, and nurse wellness at scale. Dr. Garvin Mayo is the author of SHAPE Your Life: A 5-Step Blueprint for Sustainable Stress Management. Her work is grounded in a simple truth: when we protect capacity, safety, and connection, people and systems can function optimally.

Dr. Dean Prentice is the Dean of the College of Health Sciences at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with 38 years of experience in nursing and healthcare. A retired Colonel in the United States Air Force Nurse Corps, Dr. Prentice's career has taken him across the globe — from ICUs and emergency departments to executive leadership roles as a Chief Nurse Executive, clinic CEO, and Deputy Command Surgeon for Air Forces Central Command, where he oversaw health services for U.S. and coalition forces in the Middle East. Since returning to ORU in 2018, he has devoted himself to developing the next generation of nursing leaders. A sought-after speaker nationally and internationally, Dr. Prentice is passionate about leadership development, mentorship, and collaboration, helping nurses at every level discover their purpose and lead with excellence.