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Dear Members of Theta Alpha, We have embarked on a new year for the Theta Alpha Chapter. I am grateful for the opportunity to be your chapter president for this year. I enjoy the support of a wonderful group of nurse leaders elected to serve on the Board of our Chapter. Richard Ruel has been an outstanding President over the past two years and remains on the board as Past President. Richard's wisdom and guidance has developed and strengthened our chapter; and he is appreciated by all who have worked with him. Marina Donahue continues as our hard working secretary. Marina is a Certified Diabetes Nurse Educator and FNP at Boston Medical Center. Although very busy with her career, Marina remains committed to the work of the chapter. We want to welcome our new treasurer, Jenn Rifenburg. who has a new nursing position at the Beth Israel Deaconess. Jenn is an outstanding nurse leader and has been asked to precept and mentor new nurses. We want to thank our past treasurer, Marion Winfrey who has given so much of her time to our chapter over the past six years. We are all grateful for the work she has done to streamline banking and record keeping. We also want to acknowledge the leadership provided by Victoria Palmer-Erbs as past chair of the Research and Awards committee. Karen Dick, a very busy Graduate Program Director at the CNHS, remains as faculty counselor and is joined by Edit Barrett, PhD student and part time faculty member. Together these faculty will work with the membership committee to invite our students to join the chapter. Diane Gillis, Past President of Theta Alpha is Vice President and Chair of the Programs committee joined by Stephanie Devik Past President, and Susan DeSanto-Madeya, busy mother, clinical nurse specialist, and tenure track faculty at the CNHS. Carol Allen, pediatric faculty member, is our Publicity Chair.and is working as well with the Programs Committee. Although Diana Newman has been appointed Professor of Nursing, Mass College of Pharmacy, she remains as Chair of Governance and our representative to Sigma Theta Tau International as chapter delegate. We also want to thank Susan Frazier for chairing the Leadership Succession Committee and Publicity Committee during the past year. Her contributions are most noteworthy in advancing the chapter in so many ways. Our membership has been steadily increasing. We currently have 325 active members, but we have many inactive members. Encourage your colleagues to reactivate their membership with our chapter by visiting link at www.nursingsociety.org/renew or call 1-888-634-7575. Special dues rates are available now based on your income. Did you know that paying dues for the current year is all that is needed to activate your membership? Enjoy the benefits of membership which include receiving the Journal of Nursing Scholarship and a copy of the electronic news letter. We invite you as active members to nominate community leaders for membership in Theta Alpha. We invite all members interested in serving on a committee to contact yours truly at margaretmcallister@msn.com. As noted there is a Program committee, a Publicity committee, and a Research and Awards Committee headed by Dr. Deborah Mahony together with Victoria Palmer Erbs and Jacqueline Fawcett. Other committees include: the Governance Committee (formerly by-laws committee) and Leadership Succession Committee (formerly Nominating Committee). Seth, Katz, the Chair of the Leadership Succession Committee, will call for nominations soon. Please consider nominating a colleague with strong leadership skills and interest in Theta Alpha to serve as a member of our Board. We will hold election of officers at the annual business meeting on Wednesday, March 7, 2006. Join us on this special occasion. In the past, we have always held elections by mail, and we hope that holding them "live" will add new excitement to our annual meeting. Please continue to visit our website http://www.sigmathetalphachapter.org/ for event announcements. We held our first chapter business meeting on Sunday September 17th at the home of yours truly followed by a second board meeting on October 25. Much has been accomplished, including planning our induction ceremony for spring 2007. We are please to announce that Dean, Geer Glazer has accepted the invitation to be our honorary induction speaker. All members are welcome to purchase tickets to attend the induction ceremony and brunch. The induction is scheduled for April 21, 2007, 10 a..m at the Phillips Old Colony House on Morrissey Blvd in Dorchester. This winter we are again co-sponsoring an educational program with Dana Farber on Wednesday, December 6, 2006, at the Bay View Conference Room, Campus Center, UMASS Boston Campus. from 6-9 p.m. A light supper will be served. We are planning events for the spring that will give you an opportunity to visit the new Campus Center. View the winter program and reserve your space for this event. DF/HCC Nursing Lecture Series Finally, visit our web site often and watch for future program announcements. Please consider nominating colleagues for awards, and applying for research grants. An important function of our chapter is recognizing and helping to advance the careers of our outstanding member colleagues. Most recently, the chapter sponsored Susan DeSanto-Maydeyo for The Grant Institute: Certificate in Professional Program Development and Grant Communication held at the Conference Centeras at Harvard University in Boston. Greetings to all of you and your families this holiday season, Margaret McAllister PhD, FNP, FAANP President, Theta Alpha Chapter University of Massachusetts, Boston Chapter # 191 To renew membership, update your information,, post your email address, or transfer to Theta Alpha Chapter 191 go to: http://www.nursingsociety.org/membership/new_member.html Visit this member orientation: http://www.nursingsociety.org/chapters/New_member.swf |