WV Organization for Nursing Leadership - WVONL

This week, WVONL is excited to announce the final of our three main speakers for our fall conference, Joe Zeff!

Joel Zeff creates energy. His spontaneous humor and vital messages have thrilled audiences for more than 25 years. As a national speaker, work culture expert, author, and humorist, Joel captivates audiences with a unique blend of hilarious improvisational comedy and essential ideas on work and life. He has shared his experience and insight on collaboration, leadership, change, communication, innovation, fun and passion at more than 2,500 events. His book, “Make the Right Choice: Lead with Passion, Elevate Your Team, and Unleash the Fun at Work”, is consistently listed as one of the top work/life balance books on Amazon. He has appeared on CNBC and featured in the Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle, The Kansas City Star, and many other media outlets.

Learn more here: https://wvonl.org/2026-fall-conference/

This week, WVONL wants to highlight another of the amazing speakers for our Fall 2026 conference!

Rebecca Graystone, PhD, MBA, RN, NE-BC, is the Senior Vice President, Accreditation & Organization Credentialing at the American Nurses Credentialing Center. In her role, Rebecca has responsibility for the overall strategic growth, direction, and operations of ANCC’s accreditation and organization credentialing programs and teams.

Rebecca is a registered nurse and has 33 years of acute care nursing practice and leadership experience primarily in the Washington, D.C. region. She has written and presented extensively both domestically and internationally on nursing excellence topics. Rebecca is a doctorly-prepared nurse with a PhD in Health Services. Additionally, she has a Masters of Science in Health Care Administration and Masters in Business Administration from the University of Maryland, University College. She has a certificate in Health Care Management from Georgetown University and is ANCC board certified as a Nurse Executive.

Learn more about our conference here: https://wvonl.org/2026-fall-conference/

WVONL is excited to announce that the keynote speaker for our fall conference "Care, Lead, Inspire… Repeat" is Deb Zimmermann!

Deb Zimmermann, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, is the Chief Executive Officer for the DAISY Foundation, the worldwide leader in the meaningful recognition of nurses. Before joining DAISY, Deb served in the United States Army Nurse Corps, practiced as a nurse
practitioner, and served in chief nursing officer positions in New York and Virginia. She is the past president of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL), serves on the board of directors at the University of Maryland Medical Center, and is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. Deb is dedicated to strengthening the education and influence of nurses, creating collaborative, thriving, interprofessional care environments, and quantifying the contribution of nurses in improving health outcomes.

Learn more about our fall conference here: https://wvonl.org/2026-fall-conference/

Registration is now open for the WVONL 2026 Annual Fall Conference, "Care, Lead, Inspire… Repeat.”

This event will take place on November 19-20 at Stonewall Resort, Roanoke, West Virginia. We have an outstanding agenda lined up for you, including a keynote address by Deb Zimmermann, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, Chief Executive Officer for the DAISY Foundation. In addition, Rebecca Graystone, PhD, MBA, RN, NE-BC, Senior Vice President, ANCC Accreditation and Organization Credentialing as a featured speaker and Joel Zeff, a dynamic speaker, work culture expert and improvisational humorist as well as other great presentations, interaction with healthcare vendors and discussions with nurse leaders across West Virginia. It's a fantastic opportunity to gain insights, network, and be inspired.

To learn more about the conference, register, and make hotel reservations, please visit our website at wvonl.org. A gentle reminder to pay your 2026/2027 membership dues first to receive a $75 discount code for the conference registration. Membership dues are $50 per year.

Hotel registration can also be found at: https://be.synxis.com/?Hotel=35494&Chain=21123&arrive=2026-11-18&depart=2026-11-20&adult=1&child=0&group=889477

Early registration is available now until October 23 at 5pm. After that, registration with an additional $25 fee will be open from October 24 to November 6 at 5pm. Please note that registration will close after November 6 at 5pm.

We hope you will join us at Stonewall Resort to learn and be inspired together. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity!

Exciting times for the West Virginia Nurses Association (WVNA) President-Elect Lya Cartwright-Stroupe and CEO, Julie Huron are at the 2026 ANA C/SNA State Health Policy Meeting! As you can see, Lizard Brain is here!

Yesterday, we received important updates on the Department of Education lawsuit, highlighting nursing as a professional degree and its impact on loan limits. We also had insightful discussions with Stephanie Carlton, Deputy Administrator at CMS, about the role of Clinical AI and the modernization of Medicaid quality.

Today, we heard from Anna Heard, Policy Director for Health at the National Governors Association, and Lauren Kallins, Senior Legislative Director at the National Conference of State Legislatures. We are engaged in meaningful conversations that aim to elevate the nursing profession and tackle critical healthcare policy issues.



Lya Cartwright-Stroupe

The deadline for our fall conference's call for papers has been extended! You now have until Friday, August 21st to submit your abstracts.

Visit our website to learn more: https://wvonl.org/2026-poster-presentations/

📢📢📢 WVONL is accepting abstracts for poster presentations for our 2026 Annual Fall Conference! Are you currently working projects relating so nursing leadership and advocacy? We encourage everyone who is passionate about change in healthcare to submit an abstract!

Abstracts on the following topics are invited:
-Leading Change
-Well-being and self-care
-Shaping healthcare through innovation, expert leadership, and collaborative partnerships
-Policy & Advocacy- Legislative and public policy pertaining to nursing and healthcare issues
-Partnerships to support a healthy work environment
-Workplace Violence
-Collaboration and communication among professional healthcare organizations, and excellence in nurse/physician relationships
-Nursing leadership development
-Nursing research related to healthcare, practice, and public policy
-Academic institution and practice setting partnerships
-Transforming care at the bedside, patient-driven care, and exemplars of patient-centered care
-Nurses transition to practice
-Nursing and support services in the clinical setting

Abstract Submissions are due by August 17, 2026 by 5pm.
Acceptance notification will be sent out by September 15, 2026.
More information: https://wvonl.org/2026-poster-presentations/