| NLN Foundation Announces Major Expansion of Advisory Council
Additions Include Seasoned Executives in Health Care HR, Global Education, Workforce Solutions in Nursing & Online Education
| | Washington, DC — A chief human resources officer for a multi-state health care system; a nurse-turned CEO of a company seeking solutions to the nursing workforce shortage; a leader in global higher education; and another RN who became the president and CEO of a distance learning college of nursing are bringing the wealth of their broad-based, decades-long experience to the Advisory Council of the National League for Nursing Foundation for Nursing Education. They include:
• Ranil Herath, president of Healthcare at Emeritus and Eruitus
• Janet Smith-Hill, chief human resources officer of SSM Health
• Mikhail Shneyder, president and CEO of Nightingale College
• David Theobald, president and CEO of Davin Healthcare
Collectively, they have devoted nearly 100 years to improving access to nursing education and opportunities for career development in health care. Complete bio information on each below.
“This year has continued to challenge and strain our health care delivery systems and health care professionals, with nurses being the first in line of the frontlines in caring for patients with COVID-19 amid the Delta variant surge. The support for scholarship, grants and other initiatives that provide incentives for nursing workforce recruitment and retention, as well as nurture equity in nursing and nursing education, with a focus on self-care are needed now more than ever before,” said NLN Foundation Board of Trustees Chair Cole Edmonson, DNP, RN, FACHE, NEA-BC, FAAN, FAONL. Dr. Edmonson, the chief experience and clinical officer of AMN Healthcare, also welcomed the new members to the Advisory Council. “We look forward to their powerful, passionate and unique contributions to the plurality of voices and perspectives on the council as they deepen the wisdom and influence that make possible the important work of the NLN Foundation."
With the latest additions, the council now includes 18 leaders from across the health care spectrum, encompassing academia, technology, publishing, human resources, marketing, and health economics and development. The NLN Foundation supports the National League for Nursing’s competitive nursing education research grants and scholarship programs, among other initiatives, that aim to promote excellence in nursing education and expand diversity in the nursing workforce and access to opportunities within higher education for qualified applicants to nursing programs.
Established in 2016, the council has been a guiding force in aligning foundation support of scholarship, research and faculty development with current priorities in nursing education and nursing practice. At the time of its creation, the League’s now president and CEO, Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN, called the council one of the essential building blocks to the expansion and retention of an outstanding nursing education workforce. “One of our reasons for establishing an Advisory Council for the foundation was to build a network of leaders who marry vital and varied perspectives with a spirit of collaboration to develop effective solutions to the challenges facing our profession.”
Members of the NLN Foundation Advisory Council commit to a renewable four-year term. The council schedules semi-annual meetings. Learn more at NLN.org/Foundation.
Bios for the 2021 Additions to the NLN Foundation Advisory Council
Ranil Herath, President, Healthcare at Emeritus
Ranil Herath is the president of health care at Emeritus. He has over 20 years leadership experience in higher education, working in Asia, Canada and the U.S. He has held positions including president, head of marketing/enrollment/global business development, and board chair. In his prior role at Adtalem Global Education, he led transformation and growth across nursing, medical, veterinary, business, and technology universities in Canada, the U.S. and internationally. In his early career, Herath worked in the pharmaceuticals, technology and telecommunications industries. He earned his BA from Delhi University and MBA from Colombo University, and completed executive leadership programs at the University of Chicago - Booth as well as at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto.
Janet Smith-Hill, Chief Human Resources Officer, SSM Health
A registered nurse turned chief human resources officer, Janet Smith-Hill is responsible for the direction and oversight of SSM Health’s Human Resources teams, securing the system’s position as a top employer across its four-state network. Smith-Hill sets the course for the Ministry’s system-wide human resources function focusing on strategy development and implementation of high-impact solutions, which promote high performance and nurture organizational health. She is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and seeks to ensure that SSM Health achieves exceptional engagement and well-being for all team members. Throughout her 35-year career, Smith-Hill has modeled values-based leadership, exhibited strategic business partnering, and cultivated positive workplace environments. Prior to joining SSM Health, Smith-Hill served as chief human resources officer for Novant Health, an integrated delivery system headquartered in North Carolina. Smith-Hill has also served in leadership roles for other health care organizations, including Aetna Health Plans and Duke Health. She earned her BSN from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an MSN in nursing administration from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and has been SPHR-credentialed by the HRCI since 2006.
Mikhail Shneyder, President and CEO, Nightingale College
Mikhail Shneyder is the president and CEO, board member, and a minority owner of Nightingale College, a Salt Lake City-based private, post-secondary distance, education institution, dedicated to advancing geographic, demographic and socioeconomic access to professional nursing education across the U.S. A registered nurse for more than 25 years, Shneyder has a wealth of management experience in post-secondary education for health professions and health care delivery services. He is a published academic author, conference speaker and guest lecturer, specializing in strategic planning, accreditation, forecasting, organizational development, and leadership. Shneyder holds an MBA degree from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.
David Theobald, President and CEO, Davin Healthcare
David Theobald is the owner and CEO of Davin Healthcare, a family of companies that helps to address the healthcare workforce shortages. Starting as a nurse at the bedside, he has worked in the health care field for over 23 years. He combines his experience in patient care with the growing needs and demands of today's health care workforce challenges to find creative, clinical and technology-based solutions for hospitals and schools of higher education across the U.S. An advocate for advancing nursing education, he proudly serves on several committees including the Empire State College Advisory Board, Baldwin Nursing Program Advisory Group, and the Lower Adirondack Wilderness Rescue Group.
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