Antwinett O. Lee
From the time she earned her BSN at Michigan State University in 1983 to her Doctor of Education at Seattle University in 2017, Antwinett O. Lee, EdD, MSN-CNS, BSN, RN, has served her patients at the bedside from birth to death and everywhere in between. She continues serving by educating new generations of nurses.
As a public health nurse, she was commended for her caring support of new mothers and babies. As a home health and hospice nurse, she cared for patients in their final days. Her career spans fields as varied as continuing care, surgical oncology, and general medicine.
Dr. Lee is a mentor extraordinaire. Throughout her career, she has supported and encouraged colleagues and students. In her many faculty and administration roles, Dr. Lee has consistently designed and implemented programs to increase and support underserved populations in nursing programs.
Dr. Lee’s commitment to students goes far beyond the classroom. She has mentored many students through her work as President of the Mary Mahoney Professional Nurses Organization and has led efforts to strengthen nursing practice, including recruiting diverse candidates and supporting them in their education.
As a member of WSNA and the King County Nurses Association (KCNA) since 1991, Dr. Lee has helped improve the culture and effectiveness of our organizations. At WSNA, she has served for many years on the Professional Nursing and Health Care Council (PNHCC). At KCNA, she has served in multiple leadership roles, including President.
Dr. Lee is also a passionate advocate for nurse educators, recognizing the critical need to expand pipelines into the profession. In collaboration with colleagues, she created and runs the “So You Want to Be a Professor” program through the Washington Center for Nursing (WCN), for which she currently serves as Board President. She also serves on the Council on Nursing Education in WA State (CNEWS), which brings together education program administrative leadership from across the state to communicate, collaborate, and mentor new leaders.
Today, Dr. Lee serves as Interim Chief Nurse Administrator for the College of Applied and Natural Sciences at Seattle Pacific University. She has held leadership roles across three universities and two colleges.
Dr. Lee lives by one of her favorite quotes, from the author and activist Angela Davis: “I’m no longer accepting the things I cannot change... I’m changing the things I cannot accept.”