The Board of Nursing (BON) held a reception in Naples on Thursday, October 3rd to celebrate its Centennial. Current and former board members, staff and guests joined together for the celebration. Legislation creating what is now known as the Board of Nursing became law on June 13, 1913. Ms. Lavigne Kirkpatrick, BON Chair, observed, “The BON Centennial event sponsored by Avow in Naples, Florida was a wonderful reminder of all the nurses over the past 100 years who have provided for the health and safety of the people of Florida. Nurses are the first hands that touch us in our lives and the last, and with the Board’s support the nursing professional will continue to be the most trusted of professions.”

Board Members: (back row) Elmira Gainey; Jody Newman, EdD, EdS; Cathy Gordon, LPN, BPS; JoAnn Trybulski, PhD, ARNP, DPNAP (second row) Mary Jane Herrera, LPN (former member); Jessie M. Colin, PhD, RN, FRE, FAAN; Linda Horton, PhD, EdD, MSN, RN, JD (front row) Ann-Lynn Denker, PhD, ARNP; Lavigne Kirkpatrick, BS, RN

Board Staff: (from left) Margaret Coburn, RN, BSN, MBA; Janet Doke, BSN, RN; Robert Johnson; Sherri Sutton-Johnson, MSN, RN; Joe Baker Jr.; Amanda Bowen