Gayle Harrell, NP-C, CWCN
President

Gayle Harrell, NP-C, CWCN, is a Family Nurse Practitioner and Wound Specialist. She received her BSN and MSN from the University of Mississippi School of Nursing. She is an active MNA member and presently sits on the MNF Board of Trustees. She was the MNA Treasurer for five years, has been an ANA and MNA delegate, has been a presenter at the convention many times, and has served on many other committees. She has served on the Health Affairs Committee for thirteen years and join others in working with our lobbyist and legislators to promote and resolve nursing and health care issues at the Capitol. She has recently joined the Wound Management Group of Mississippi and is working at the Wound Care Clinic at River Oaks in Jackson.

Carl Mangum, RN, MSN, PhD(c), CHS, CVFF
Vice President

Carl Mangum lives in Byram and currently is an assistant professor and an Emergency Preparedness and Response Specialist at the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing. Carl serves as Team Commander for the National Nurse Response Team (NNRT) for the Central United States. The NNRT is part of the National Disaster Medical System (NDS) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS.) Carl has a certification in Homeland Security and is a certified volunteer firefighter. He serves on the Mississippi State Citizen Corps Advisory Council and is a trainer fro Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT.)

Linda Todd, RN, BS, MS
Secretary

Linda Todd is the vice president of Nursing at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center, Meridian. Her nursing career began as a diploma nurse graduate from Methodist Hospital School of Nursing in Memphis, Tenn. She received a Bachelor's degree from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Ark., and Master's in Community Health from Memphis State University, Memphis. Positions she has held over the past 40 years have included staff nurse, nurse manager, nursing Instructor in school of nursing, and chief nursing officer. Areas of her work have included emergency room, critical care, medical surgical, and community outreach. Linda developed the first three-phase Cardio-Pulmonary Rehabilitation program in Memphis which continues to be steadily growing. She assisted in the development of the Memphis State University Fitness and Wellness program. For a number of years, she held the position of Hospital Systems Director of Staff and Patient Education for nine hospitals in Methodist Hospitals of Memphis Health Systems.

Jeffrey Hallman, MSN, RN
Treasurer

Jeffrey Hallman is manager of the Nursing Service Administration at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He has worked as training coordinator for the Mississippi Hospital Association, a nursing supervisor at Brentwood Behavioral Healthcare and a staff nurse at St. Dominic Memorial Hospital. He is a past president of MNA's District 13 and a member of Sigma Theta Tau. He is an active member of the Mississippi Organization of Nurse Executives, a member of the Mississippi Chapter of ACHE and a candidate in the Cambridge Who's Who among Executives in Healthcare. He is a certified training professional and is certified in Critical Incident Stress Management.

Amy Forsythe, RNC
Director of Council on Organizational Affairs

Amy is currently employed at the University of Mississippi medical Center as a nurse practitioner in the Children's Cancer Clinic. Previously, she worked in the UMC Bone Marrow Transplant Unit as an educator and staff nurse and in the UMC Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Unit as an inpatient nurse. Before joining UMC in1998, Amy worked at Methodist Hospital in medical/surgical as an inpatient nurse. She is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi School of Nursing and the University Medical Center School of Nursing. She is a member of Mississippi Nurses Association and the American Nurses Association, the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, the Oncology Nursing Society and NMADE - Nurses Making a Difference Everyday. In spring 2005, she was listed in Who's Who among Students in American Universities and Colleges. She received the National Collegiate Nursing Award in February 2005. She is a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Sigma Theta Tau honor societies. She received the MNA Celebrating Nursing Award in October 2002. She is currently serving her third term as president of the MNA Convention and Planning Committee and has assisted with updating the bylaws for the Central Mississippi Chapter of the Oncology Nursing Society.

Laura Schenk, RN, BS, MSN, NNP-BC, Ph.D.
Director, Council on Nursing Research

Laura Schenk serves as an Associate Professor with a Full Graduate Appointment (as of June 30, 2009) at the University of Mississippi School of Nursing, where she has been employed since 1992. Laura was educated at the College of Saint Teresa (BS), the University of Mississippi School of Nursing (MSN, CNNP) and the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing (PhD). She has served on the Public Affairs Committee for the Mississippi March of Dimes and has served on the Closing the Gap Initiative on Infant Mortality with the Mississippi State Health Department. She is currently active on the University Hospital and Clinics Research and Quality Council and the Batson Children's Hospital Sub Council. Laura has presented her research on national and international levels. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International, the National Association of Neonatal Nurses, as well as MNA. She has served MNA in the past on the Council on Nursing Research and as District 13 Legislative Chair.

Cindy Luther, DSN, FNP
Director of Council on Nursing Education

Cindy Luther is an Assistant Professor at the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing. She is the Director of the Geriatric NP and Psychiatric Mental Health NP programs at UMMC and serves as the PI for the HRSA grant that supports a state-wide collaborative program for geriatric and psychiatric mental health education, MECSAPN. She has been a nurse educator for ten years, with experience in RN-BSN and graduate education. Dr. Luther practices as a FNP with Rush Health Systems in Meridian. Her clinical practice focuses on care of adults and their caregivers . She is nationally certified to interpret 2009 Mississippi Nurses Association

Bone Density tests and her clinical practice includes assessment and management of people with osteoporosis . Her dissertation research at The University of Alabama in Birmingham focused on health promotion behaviors of women at risk for osteoporosis; her role emphasis was Health Policy Analyst . Her preparation as a NP was achieved at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She earned the BSN and MSN at The University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Luther also maintains certification in Nursing Service Administration, and has experience in leadership roles including Chief Nursing Officer. She has been a member of MNA since 1977, and holds membership in GAPNA, AACN, and ACNP. She has served as President of District XVI and has served on several committees of MNA, including the Provider Unit and Health Affairs Committee. She served on the Board of Directors of MNA in the roles of Secretary and President. She is currently a member of the Advanced Practice Council. She represents MNA on the state's Mental Health Advisory Committee and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Alzheimer's Association of Mississippi. Cindy and Jerald are the parents of three and grandparents of two granddaughters.

Bess C. Blackwell, MSN, RN, CNA, BC
Director, Council on Health Affairs

Bess C. Blackwell is a registered nurse retired from The University of Mississippi Medical Center where she worked for 33 years. As a graduate student from UMC SON, Blackwell was honored with the Nursing Alumni of the Decade Award Bess C. Blackwell Nurse Executive Award. She is a member of the American Nurses' Association, the Mississippi Nurses' Association, Eliza Pillars Registered Nurses of Mississippi, the University of Mississippi Alumni Association, Sigma Theta Tau - Theta Beta Chapter, National Black Nurses' Association, and the American Association University Women and a volunteer for Sta-Home Hospice. She served on the Advisory Board for LPN students, Hinds Community College and Mississippi Board of Nursing. She serves on the MNA Board of Directors as director of the MNA Council on Health Affairs. She and other council members participated in the legislative initiative this session that brought about the passage of the second phase of a two-year pay raise for nursing faculty and the implementation of a pilot program to train additional LPNs.

Tearsanee G. Carlisle, RN, MSN, OCN, FNP
Director of Council on Nursing Practice

Tearsanee G. Carlisle is a Family Nurse Practitioner at Durant Primary Care Clinic University Hospitals and Clinics in the emergency room. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the University of Southern Mississippi School of Nursing, Master of Science/Family Nurse Practitioner from Alcorn State University School of Nursing. Tearsanee is also an Oncology Certified Nurse. She has served three years on the MNA Convention Planning committee, has served as Director of the Council on Organizational Affairs for MNA, and currently is the Director of the Council on Nursing Practice. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society for Nurses. Her career includes staff nursing at Central MS Medical Center, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Intelistaff Flying Nurses as a travel nurse, and in rural health clinics in Holmes County. She is pursuing doctoral degree at University of Mississippi Center School of Nursing.

Jackie Williams, MSN, NPC
Director of Council on Advanced Practice

Jackie Williams received her Bachelor of Nursing degree from the University of South Florida and her Masters in Nursing from the University of Mississippi. She currently practices as a nurse practitioner and the Director of Non-surgical Rehabilitation in a private specialty practice at Southeast Urogynecology at the Women's Specialty Clinic in Jackson, MS. She also has a clinic for patients with interstitial cystitis, pelvic and vulvar pain, recurrent vaginitis and sexual dysfunction. Jackie is the current Mississippi State representative to the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, past president of the Mississippi Nurses Foundation, Chairperson of the MS Statewide Women's Conference 2001 and 2002, MNA Prescriptive Authority Task Force 2002, MNA liaison for MNA Development Committee 2001, 2002, 2nd Vice President of the Florida SNA and president of the SNA at the University of South Florida.