SWPONL Board candidates

I’m Tiffany Conlin and have been a member of SWPONL since 2019. I joined SWPONL to learn, grow, and most importantly connect with other leaders. I have found the connections made with those in SWPONL to be invaluable. Relationships that I have fostered. Over my 18 years as a nurse, I have embedded my positivity throughout every opportunity. I spent 10 years at UPMC Mercy, 6 years as an Advanced Clinical Education Specialist managing the intern and residency programs at UPMC Presbyterian. During this time, I was also the chair of the Greater Pittsburgh Chapter Association of Nursing Professional Development’s conference planning committee for 2 years and have worked throughout Pennsylvania as the chair of the Pennsylvania Action Coalition Nurse Residency Collaborative. My last 2 years have been spent as the unit director for the inpatient oncology unit at UPMC Magee. Moving into a unit director role at Magee has allowed me to be the voice for all the patients and staff through advocacy and initiatives to better our environment. Over the course of my career, I have also had the opportunity to sit on the American Nurse Journal’s Editorial Board and work with brilliant minds throughout the United States. Each experience has afforded me great growth opportunities and invaluable connections. As an enthusiastic leader, I want to work to engage more leaders in SWPONL to share, serve, and strengthen our connections and voices.

Taylor Criste, MSN, MBA, RN, CCRN, NE-BC
Nurse Manager, Cardiothoracic ICU and Telemetry Unit / Allegheny General Hospital 

Over the past several years, the personal value of SWPONL has evolved for me. Being a member of PONL and SWPONL has offered me countless networking, education, and both informal and formal mentoring opportunities. Building these relationships throughout the years has been paramount to my ongoing growth, development, and success as a relatively new leader. Currently, I serve as the Nurse Manager of the Cardiothoracic Surgical ICU and telemetry unit at Allegheny General Hospital but have been a leader in several other areas throughout my tenure. Recently, I completed the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fellowship through the Ohio State University College of Nursing. This fellowship encouraged me to explore the multiple lenses that exist within a challenge while exploring potential solutions. Over the past two years, I have served as Co-Chair of the PONL membership committee, allowing me to continue to build connections throughout the Commonwealth. With this committee and the foundation obtained through the Fellowship, I created an innovative, interactive dashboard to improve transparency and data analytics of membership across all PONL regions, including SWPONL. I have found past experiences serving on board of directors to be rewarding while helping to shape the direction, growth, and member engagement of an organization. I am interested in joining the SWPONL board to continue engaging nurse leaders across the region while prioritizing innovation best practices and leader wellbeing. I appreciate your consideration to represent you, as a member, on the SWPONL board of directors.

Kristie Hast, DNP, RN, NE-BC
Nursing Manager / Allegheny General Hospital

I have had the pleasure of serving as a nurse for the last 13 years in the cardiac world at Allegheny General Hospital. During this time, I was able to develop and grow as a leader through various roles and educational opportunities. I value professional development and have been able to obtain my MSN, Nurse Executive Certification, and DNP in healthcare administration. Along the way, I have been fortunate enough to have some incredible mentors and learning opportunities to help guide my practice and leadership style. As a member, SWPONL has provided various learning opportunities to me throughout my career and I would like to be on the Board of Directors to give back to this community. I enjoy being a part of SWPONL because it provides an excellent leadership community and the ability to network with other leaders across the region. Serving on the Board of Directors would be an honor and privilege where I aim to support the organization and strengthen the voice of nursing leaders. I also hope to be able to grow the organization by mentoring and educating other nurse leaders.

Lauren McLean, BSN, RN, RNC-OB, CBC
Unit Director, Postpartum / UPMC Magee-Womens

A SWPONL membership is valued because it allows leaders to collaborate across hospitals, systems, and specialties, driving the teams and innovation needed in a constantly evolving healthcare environment.

I am a member because I have engaged in my specialties as a nurse, and this organization allows me the opportunity to focus on engaging in the specialty of leadership. Nurse leaders must collaborate and share what is working for their teams, as well as the challenges they are facing. Attending SWPONL meetings, I have learned valuable, relevant information from presenters and attendees that has directly impacted my practice as a nurse leader, and this is why I would like to serve on the Board of Directors. I would be honored to participate on the Board of Directors for the opportunity to advance the practice of nursing administration, pursue collaborative relationships with organizations, and support research in nursing administration.

I have been a nurse for 13 years with experience across a few specialties, serving as an assistant nurse manager and nurse manager of an ER for 2 years, and Unit Director of Postpartum since March of this year. I graduate with an MSN next year and am passionate about my personal growth and the growth of others in their leadership roles. Empowered and informed nurse leaders have a direct impact on their teams and the care they provide to their patient population, and the patient will always be at the center of everything I do and my ultimate “why”.

Thank you for your consideration!

Hope Waltenbaugh, MSN, RN, CNOR, NEA-BC
Vice President, Nursing Operations and Innovation / Allegheny Health Network

I am nominating Hope Waltenbaugh for a Board position within SWPONL. The Value of SWPONL membership is measurable in its value to this individual. The impact this can have on one’s ability to network and serve in a profession that needs more interest can be seen when one shares in her overall delight in being a nurse and wanting to cultivate others in this profession. Hope is a member involved in SWPONL as a speaker, presenter, and conference attendee. Overall, the feeling of inclusion and pride in our profession makes itself known by being associated with her in this organization. Hope is aware that I am nominating her to serve on the Board of Directors as she would like to continue to gain more knowledge, acceptance and individual and group involvement to be a better role model and a better nurse overall.

Hope and I have discussed, and she shares the importance and the need for more knowledge, legislative impact and the networking opportunities to continue and add to the growth of this organization and to the profession of nursing in general. Hope holds a bachelor's degree and master's degree from Waynesburg University. She is dual certified as a CNOR and NEA-BC.

Hope's resume includes being on the Board of directors for 9 years of AORN, Recent committee member of SWPONL legislation committee, 2021- Executive Nurse Fellow for AONL and the Board of Directors and member of Lenape Technical School. (Nominated by Diane Cancilla)

Robin R. Weaver, PhD, RN, CNE
Associate Professor & RN-BSN Coordinator / Pennsylvania Western University

I became a member of SWPONL to facilitate my professional development as a nurse leader and to promote nursing leaders throughout healthcare. I was attracted to the organization due to its mission “to advance contemporary nurse leadership through advocacy, professional networking, education, and implementation of the Institute of Medicine- Future of Nursing Report.” I value the benefit of networking and collaboration to develop innovative ideas that will promote the role of nursing leadership in supporting the development of best practices in nursing. I am interested in serving as a board member so that I may positively impact the educational and professional development of future nurse leaders. For future directions, it is important to provide knowledge, skills, and wellness strategies to support nursing leadership efforts in today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape. Additionally, it is essential to raise the awareness of legislative advocacy to further empower nurses and nurse leaders. I believe the skills I have developed through my experience as a staff nurse, clinical director, district manager, educator, School of Nursing Director, Program Coordinator, and Past Department Chair have prepared me to serve as a valued member of the SWPONL board of directors.

Heidi J Zedlar, DNP, MBA, RN, NE-BC
Chief Nursing Officer / Dedicated Nursing Associates, Inc

As a dedicated member of SWPONL, I deeply value the exceptional opportunities the organization provides for professional growth and networking. The ability to forge meaningful connections with fellow nurse leaders, access cutting-edge research, and engage in collaborative advocacy efforts is truly invaluable. My involvement with the PONL/SWPONL Legislative and Advocacy Committees has allowed me to actively contribute to shaping healthcare policy and advancing the nursing profession.

I am eager to serve on the Board of Directors as a Director at Large to further support the organization’s mission and help drive its future direction. My goal is to contribute to the ongoing growth and development of SWPONL by fostering the next generation of nursing leaders and enhancing our collective impact on healthcare.

With a background in Business Administration, combined with my experience as a Chief Nursing Officer, I bring a comprehensive understanding of both the challenges and opportunities within our field. I am committed to leveraging my skills and experiences to advance our goals and ensure SWPONL continues to thrive and lead in the coming years.