The Board


The Florida Board of Nursing plays an integral role in health care regulation as the board members and staff interact regularly with other nursing affiliated groups in Florida, as well as the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.

The board is made up of 13 members: seven Registered Nurses who have been engaged in the practice of professional nursing at least four years (one must be an advanced registered nurse practitioner, one must be a nurse executive, and one must be a nurse educator member of an approved program); three Licensed Practical Nurses who have been engaged in the practice of practical nursing at least four years; three consumer members who have never been connected with the practice of nursing. All board members must be Florida residents and one must be at least 60 years old.

Members of the Board
Ann-Lynn Denker
PhD, ARNP
RN Seat
 Miami
Term Ends:
10/31/2012
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Lavigne A. Kirkpatrick
BS, RN
Chair
Nurse Executive Seat
 Naples
Term Ends:
10/31/2014
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Jessie M. Colin
PhD, RN, FRE, FAAN
Nurse Educator Seat
 Cooper City
Term Ends:
10/31/2012
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Jody Bryant Newman
EdD, EdS
Consumer
 Winter Garden
Term Ends:
10/31/2013
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Linda Horton
PhD, EdD, MSN, RN, JD
Vice-Chair
 Lakeland
Term Ends:
10/31/2012
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Cathy Oles Gordon
LPN, BPS
LPN Seat
 Royal Palm Beach
Term Ends:
10/31/2013
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Leonard Connors
Esquire
Consumer
 Plant City
Term Ends:
10/31/2014
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Kathryn Whitson
MSN, RN
RN Seat
 Ocala
Term Ends:
10/31/2015
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JoAnn Trybulski
PhD, ARNP, DPNAP
ARNP Seat
 Doral
Term Ends:
10/31/2015
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Deborah Wakefield McKeen
LPN
LPN Seat
 Greenwood, FL
Term Ends:
10/31/2017
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Diana Forst
BA, RN
RN Seat
 Palm City, FL
Term Ends:
10/31/2014
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Todd Katz
JD
Consumer
 Punta Gorda, FL
Term Ends:
10/31/2015
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Vacant LPN Seat

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Organizational Structure of the Board

The Department of Health's Division of Medical Quality Assurance serves as the principle administrative support unit for the board. The board is supported by a full-time professional staff based in Tallahassee, and its regulatory functions are funded in full by fees paid by its licensees. Board members are appointed by the Governor and subject to confirmation by the Senate. Members of the board can serve two four-year terms. Despite the expiration of a term, board members can continue to serve until they have been either replaced or reappointed. To learn more about becoming a member of the board, visit the Governor’s Appointments Office website, call 850-717-9243 or email appointments@eog.myflorida.com.

Board Councils & Committees

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Credentials “A” Committee

This committee reviews applications for licensure and makes recommendations to the full board on approval or denial of applications.

Chair
Ann-Lynn Denker, PhD, ARNP

Member(s)
Lavigne A. Kirkpatrick, BS, RN
Leonard Connors, Esq.
Kathryn Whitson MSN, RN
Todd Katz, JD, Consumer
Deborah Wakefield McKeen, LPN

Education and Credentials “B” Committee

This committee reviews and makes recommendations to the full board for approval or denial on applications for nursing education programs and licensure.

Chair
Jessie M. Colin, PhD, RN, FRE, FAAN

Member(s)
Cathy Oles Gordon, LPN, BPS
Jody Bryant Newman, EdD, EdS
Linda Horton, PhD, EdD, MSN, RN, JD
JoAnn Trybulski Ph.D., ARNP, DPNAP
Diana Forst, BA, RN

Council on Certified Nursing Assistants

The Council on Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) is composed of five (5) members:  two (2) RNs and one (1) LPN appointed by the chair of the Board of Nursing and two (2) CNAs appointed by the State Surgeon General.  The Council makes recommendations to the Department of Health on policies and procedures relating to CNAs.  It also develops rules relating to the education, training, and certification of nursing assistants in recommendations to the Board of Nursing. The Council is also responsible for making recommendations to the board relating to the certification of nursing assistants who have applied for licensure in Florida.

Chair
Lois Gackenheimer, PhD Ed, MSN, RN

Member(s)
Lydel Anthony Wright, LPN, RN
Amy Sutton, CNA
Board Staff

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Joe Baker, Jr.
Executive Director
Responsibilities: Coordination of Budget; Analyzes & Tracks Legislation; Liaison with National Council of State Boards of Nursing; Interaction with Board Members; Chief Administrative Officer
Sherri Sutton-Johnson, MSN, RN
Director of Nursing Education
Section: Education Unit of the Florida Board of Nursing
Responsibilities: Regulation of Nursing Education Programs, CNA Training Programs and Continuing Education Providers
William Spooner
Program Operations Administrator
Section: Nursing Licensure Unit
Responsibilities: Manages the Initial Licensure Section.
Vickie Boyd
Regulatory Supervisor
Section: Nursing Licensure Unit
Responsibilities: Manages the Endorsement application process. Also responsible for monitoring "Conditional" licensees (For Last name H-O) NURSYS data Research and Corrections.
Joann Hartmann
Regulatory Supervisor
Section: Nursing Licensure Unit
Responsibilities: Manages the Exam application process. Also responsible for monitoring "Conditional" licensees (For Last name P-Z) and Special Accommodations.
Tiffany Robinson
Regulatory Supervisor
Section: Nursing Licensure Unit
Responsibilities: Manages the functions of the History/ARNP Team within the Licensure Unit. This team specializes in processing examination and endorsement applications that contain criminal, discipline and health history. They also review applications for CNS and ARNP. Also responsible for monitoring "Conditional" licensees (For Last name A-G).
Sarah Starling
Program Operations Administrator
Section: CNA Registry & Administrative Support
Responsibilities: Manages the Certified Nursing Assistant Registry; supervises CNA criminal history review team; analyzes & tracks legislation pertaining to Certified Nursing Assistants and liaison to the CNA Council.
Amanda Bowen
Regulatory Supervisor
Section: Administrative Support Section
Responsibilities: Board Meeting coordinator, BON Call Center supervisor, website liaison
Tihara Rozier
Regulatory Supervisor
Section: CNA Registry
Responsibilities: Supervises the CNA processing team for Examination and Reciprocity applications.
Legal Counsel

Lee Ann Gustafson
Senior Assistant Attorney General
Rachel Clark
Assistant Attorney General