Current job: Vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at St. Joseph’s Hospital.

Family: “I am blessed with a blended family of husband, Greg (13 years), and four daughters, ages 25, 22, 19 and 17.”

What makes a good leader? “Serving those who serve our community. It is critical to listen and to understand what it is that the team needs from you. I feel my role is to break down the barriers that our nurses have in their practice and to ensure they can provide the highest level of care as efficiently as possible. “I have to listen to them; they are the experts (and) they can tell me how to do it. One of the best ways to do this is to lead by example and always stay grounded to nursing practice. I do this by working with a team member in each area to understand exactly what it is they need from me.”

What are you most proud of in your career? “The ability to mentor and help nurses — from students through leaders — grow and develop in their profession. Watching them be successful is a great reward.”

Who has inspired or mentored you? “Shelly Schwedhelm, MSN, RN, director of ED, trauma and preparedness services at the Nebraska Medical Center, who taught me that it is critical to be visible, transparent (and) willing to jump in and help, and that you don’t have to be the expert but you need to trust in those who are.”

What’s your favorite thing to do away from work? “Spending time with my family and friends enjoying various outdoor activities, such as hiking, cycling and barbecues.”

Who’s your favorite fictional nurse? Why? “While Florence Nightingale is not a fictional nurse, my favorite nursing leadership book has fictional reflections of what Florence would have done in a contrasting situation in her time and displays how those characteristics are still imperative and applicable today.”

What’s your favorite guilty pleasure? “While I have never been an avid shopper, my newest guilty pleasure is online shopping.”

Tell us something that nobody at work knows about you: “My youngest daughter’s middle name is after an oncology patient that I cared for for one-and-a-half years. This gentleman taught me more about faith and what it means to be faithful that studying religion ever could.”