GNSA Visionary Leader Award Recipients

Dr. Joy King is a Family Nurse Practitioner, nurse scholar, and transformative nurse leader committed to advancing health equity through clinical practice, policy, and community engagement. She currently serves as President of the Georgia Nurses Association, where she leads statewide initiatives focused on strengthening the nursing workforce, advancing legislative priorities, and improving population health outcomes.

With over a decade of experience, Dr. King is recognized for her ability to bring diverse stakeholders together to drive meaningful and sustainable change across healthcare systems and communities. Her leadership includes mobilizing nurses in advocacy efforts at both the state and national levels, including participation in the American Nurses Association Hill Day, where she engages with policymakers to advance the nursing profession and improve healthcare access.

Dr. King is also dedicated to mentorship and leadership development, serving as a presenter in the Georgia Nurses Association Legislative Institute, a six-month program that prepares nurses to engage in policy and pursue leadership roles. Her commitment to community impact is reflected in her work to expand access to care in underserved areas, including contributions to the development of a school-based health center in rural Georgia.

As a fourth-year PhD student at Georgia State University, her research focuses on sleep quality, body image, and social media use among rural African American women. Through her leadership, scholarship, and advocacy, Dr. King is actively shaping the future of nursing at both the state and national levels.

Dylan Wayne Carpenter is a post MSN to DNP student concentrating in Executive Nursing Leadership at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Nursing. He recently completed a Certificate in Healthcare Quality and Safety from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Health Professions. Additionally, he earned a Master of Science in Nursing concentrating in Nursing Education from the University of North Alabama and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

Professionally, Dylan serves as the Quality Lead for the Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Team at UAB Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. In this role, he leads quality improvement initiatives focused on pressure injury prevention, wound and ostomy care outcomes, and system-level practice improvement across a large academic medical center. He also serves as adjunct clinical faculty and is actively involved in nursing education and mentorship.

Dylan’s work has been recognized nationally through awards from the Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society and the National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel for innovation and quality improvement. Beyond his clinical and academic roles, he serves as Vice President of the Central Alabama WOC Nurses Association, consults with national healthcare organizations, and is an Albert Schweitzer Fellow leading a community foot health initiative focused on underserved populations.