News

Election results for 2021 – 2023 biennium

This story was published in the Fall 2021 issue of The Washington Nurse magazine.

This story appears in Passing the baton.

210611 web election results web

Observed by remote video, votes are tallied by Integrity Voting Systems on Tuesday, June 8, 2021

Credit: Ben Tilden

Congrat­u­la­tions to these WSNA members elected by their peers to serve in positions of leader­ship during our 2021 – 2023 biennium!

Names of election winners are followed by their regional nurses associ­a­tion and home city.

Board of Directors #

The Board has many respon­si­bil­i­ties, including ensuring the prior­i­ties adopted by the WSNA General Assembly are incor­po­rated in the strategic plan for each biennium. The Board also approves the budget for WSNA and appoints and reviews the execu­tive director. Board members act as ambas­sadors for WSNA, repre­senting the associ­a­tion to the member­ship and other organi­za­tions as appropriate.

The chairs of the Cabinet on Economic and General Welfare, Legisla­tive and Health Policy Council, and Profes­sional Nursing and Health Care Council are elected separately and serve as full members of the Board by virtue of their offices. Two of the director-at-large positions must be filled by non-manage­rial, non-super­vi­­sory, direct patient care providers repre­sented by WSNA for collec­tive bargaining.

  • Presi­dent: Lynnette Vehrs, IENA, Spokane
  • Vice-Presi­dent: Justin Gill, NWRNA, Bothell
  • Secretary/​Treasurer: Martha Goodall, IENA, Mead
  • Chair, Cabinet on Economic and General Welfare: Julia Barcott, CWRNA, Yakima
  • Chair, Legisla­tive Health and Health Policy Council: Erin Allison, NWRNA, Bellingham
  • Chair, Profes­sional Nursing and Health Care Council: Chuck Cumiskey, RONA, Olympia
  • At-Large: Phoebe Dang Lim-Vuong, KCNA, Kent
  • At-Large: John Gustafson, RONA, Poulsbo
  • At-Large: Heather Stephen-Selby, KCNA, Renton
  • Staff Nurse: Sara Bergen­holtz, NCWRN, Wenatchee
  • Staff Nurse: Martha Galvez, SERNA, Pasco

Cabinet on Economic and General Welfare #

The Cabinet is the governing body for WSNA’s union work. The Cabinet develops and reviews policies and proce­dures relating to collec­tive bargaining contract admin­is­tra­tion, contract enforce­ment, organizing and other WSNA labor relations activ­i­ties. Members of the Cabinet must be repre­sented for collec­tive bargaining by WSNA.

  • Chair­person: Julia Barcott, CWRNA, Yakima
  • Vice-Chair: Edna Cortez, KCNA, Edmonds
  • Secretary/​Treasurer: David Jacob Garcia, SERNA, Pasco
  • At-Large: Kathryn Ennis, RONA, Puyallup
  • At-Large: Susan E. Jacobson, CWRNA, Yakima
  • At-Large: Sean Dumas, KCNA, Shoreline
  • At-Large: Darryl Johnson, IENA, Spokane
  • At-Large: Jon Olson, SWRNA, Kelso
  • At-Large: Ruby Crisos­tomo Tan, KCNA, Maple Valley

The Cabinet will appoint 1 – 2 additional members this fall.

Professional Nursing and Health Care Council #

The PNHCC forecasts trends, promotes contin­uing educa­tion programs, addresses issues on nursing practice and collab­o­rates with other nursing and specialty organi­za­tions. The council also develops resources on issues relating to nursing practice, educa­tion, human rights and access to health care.

  • Chair­person: Chuck Cumiskey, RONA, Olympia
  • Admin­is­tra­tion: Rachel Wang, KCNA, Seattle
  • Educa­tion: Antwinett Lee, KCNA, Lynnwood
  • Ethics and Human Rights: Rosa Young, KCNA, Seattle
  • Practice: Angelica Schmidt, KCNA, Seattle
  • Research: Anne Hirsch, KCNA, Seattle
  • At-Large: Pam Pasquale, NCRNA, Wenatchee

Four additional members were appointed by the Board of Direc­tors on Aug. 20, 2021.

Legislative and Health Policy Council #

The Legisla­tive and Health Policy Council sets the annual health policy and legisla­tive agenda for WSNA and plays an active role in reviewing and advancing WSNA’s legisla­tive prior­i­ties. The council also reviews proposed legis­la­tion and makes decisions on WSNA’s stance and actions based on recom­men­da­tions from staff, contract lobby­ists and members. Council members repre­sent the member­ship by serving in a polit­i­cally non-partisan capacity

  • Chair­person: Erin Allison, NWRNA, Bellingham
  • At-Large: Ingrid Anderson, KCNA, Snoqualmie
  • At-Large: Stephanie Wahlgren, NWRNA, Sedro-Woolley
  • At-Large: Jessica Lewellen, IENA, Spokane

Three additional members were appointed by the Board of Direc­tors on Aug. 20, 2021.

WSNA Nominations / Search Committee #

During WSNA elections, the committee requests nomina­tions for office and reviews all completed Consent to Serve forms. Committee members prepare the slate of quali­fied candi­dates and recom­mend chair­per­sons and members for special committees.

  • Suzanne Baek, KCNA, Federal Way
  • Sue Glass, IENA, Spokane
  • Evette Runyan, CWRNA, Yakima
  • Brenda Shaw, IENA, Spokane

E&GW Nominating / Search Committee #

During WSNA elections, the committee requests nomina­tions and prepares the slate of candi­dates for election to the Cabinet on Economic and General Welfare, delegates to the biennial American Feder­a­tion of Teachers (AFT) Conven­tion, and the committee itself. This committee is restricted to members repre­sented by WSNA for collec­tive bargaining.

  • Lisa Bullek, CWRNA, Yakima
  • Anjanette Bryant, CWRNA, Ellensburg

An additional appoint­ment may be made by the Cabinet in the fall.

2022 AFT National Convention Delegates #

Because WSNA is an affil­iate of AFT, a national union, WSNA sends delegates to AFT’s national conven­tion every biennium. These delegates bring the Washington state voice to the national table. As of July 2021, the 2022 AFT Conven­tion is sched­uled to take place in person July 14 – 17, 2022, in Boston. All delegate expenses are paid by WSNA. Delegates are restricted to members repre­sented by WSNA for collec­tive bargaining.

  1. Anjanette Bryant
  2. Clara Bucio-Martinez
  3. Darryl Johnson
  4. David Jacob Garcia
  5. Diane Cantu
  6. Edna Cortez
  7. Evette Runyon
  8. Janie Patterson
  9. Jessica Lewellen
  10. Jon Olson
  11. Julia Barcott
  12. Kathryn Ennis
  13. Tristan Twohig
  14. Lisa Bullek
  15. Martha Galvez
  16. Martha Goodall
  17. Ruby Tan
  18. Sean Dumas
  19. Susan E. Jacobson
  20. Susie Cervantes

1st Alter­nate: Karen Banks

ANA Membership Assembly Delegates #

The ANA Member­ship Assembly is the governing and official voting body of the American Nurses Associ­a­tion (ANA). Because WSNA members are also members of ANA, WSNA sends delegates to the annual assembly to ensure that priority nursing issues are addressed on a national level. The 2022 ANA Member­ship Assembly will take place June 10 – 11, 2022. As of July 2021, the location of the event has not yet been announced (in Washington, D.C., or virtual).

  1. Office of the WSNA Presi­dent (Lynnette Vehrs) by virtue of the Bylaws
  2. Justin Gill
  3. David Jacob Garcia
  4. Rosa Young
  5. Ingrid Anderson
  6. Edna Cortez
  7. John Gustafson
  8. Judy Huntington
  9. Chuck Cumiskey
  10. Antwinett Lee
  11. Jan Bussert
  12. Phoebe Dang Lim-Vuong
  13. Sue Glass

If WSNA is allotted more than 13 repre­sen­ta­tives to the ANA Member­ship Assembly, or one cannot go, additional elected alter­nate repre­sen­ta­tives are chosen to attend. The first five elected alter­nates in order of votes are:

  1. Tristan Twohig
  2. Mikey Anne O’Sullivan
  3. Martha Goodall
  4. Erin Allison
  5. Julia Barcott

Passing the baton

Board of Directors

The Board has many responsibilities, including ensuring the priorities adopted by the WSNA General Assembly are incorporated in the strategic plan for each biennium. The Board also approves the budget for WSNA and appoints and reviews the executive director. Board members act as ambassadors for WSNA, representing the association to…