2025 AAPINA Conference

A sought-after presenter and prolific author, Jennifer S. Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, serves as the 38th president of the American Nurses Association. In this national leadership role, Mensik Kennedy boldly advocates for the nation’s 5.5 million RNs. In 2023, she was named by Modern Healthcare as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare and in 2024, named one of the 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives.

Mensik Kennedy is a sought-after presenter and prolific author based on her insights about and experience involving key nursing issues. Her books include Lead, Drive, and Thrive in the System, 2nd edition, and The Nurse Manager’s Guide to Innovative Staffing, 3rd edition. She co-authored Lead like a Nurse, A Nurse’s Step-By-Step Guide to Transitioning to the Professional Nurse Role, and The Power of Ten, 2nd edition, and contributed a chapter to The Career Handoff: A Healthcare Leader’s Guide to Knowledge & Wisdom Transfer across Generations.

Prior to her presidency, Mensik Kennedy held key leadership positions within the nursing profession, including serving the American Nurses Association as Treasurer, Second Vice President, and Director-at-Large. She also served as President of the Arizona Nurses Association from 2007 to 2010. Additionally, Mensik Kennedy held the role of governor of nursing practice for the Western Institute of Nursing in 2010-2014.

Mensik Kennedy earned a PhD from the University of Arizona College of Nursing with a focus on health systems and a minor in public administration from the Eller College of Management. She holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix and a BSN from Washington State University. Mensik Kennedy also earned an ADN from Wenatchee Valley College-North. She is an assistant clinical professor at the Oregon Health and Science University School of Nursing.

Mensik Kennedy was inducted in 2014 as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She has been recognized as Alumna of the Year by both University of Arizona College of Nursing and Washington State University College of Nursing.

Prisca joins TAAF from the private sector, where she led numerous impactful philanthropic and social initiatives. Before her work at PepsiCo, she advised major companies and nonprofits on strategic initiatives and served as the inaugural Director of the Women in the World Foundation.

Prisca began her career as an attorney at Latham & Watkins, LLP. She holds a B.A. from Columbia University and a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.

She serves on multiple prestigious boards, including The Roger Lehecka Double Discovery Center, the Korean American Community Foundation, and The Li.st, a network of high-impact women in business, media, and tech.

Dr. Choy is an esteemed nursing leader with over 29 years of experience in clinical education, leadership, and nursing practice. As the Regional Nursing Director for Baylor Scott & White Health in Plano, Texas, she oversees nursing professional development, wound care, and leadership development across multiple sites, aligning education with quality and strategic initiatives. Dr. Choy earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice and holds multiple certifications. A recognized advocate for evidence-based practice and mentoring in healthcare, she has been a podium presenter at numerous national conferences. Dr. Choy is widely published on topics such as evidence-based nursing, contributing significantly to advancing nursing education and clinical standards. She was recognized as one of 25 Texas Nursing Association Outstanding Nurse Award in 2024 and the D Magazine Excellence in Nursing Award.