NSG Education Capacity Members

Carol S. Brewer, PhD, RN is Professor of Nursing, School of Nursing at the University at Buffalo and Statewide Director of Nursing of the New York State System Area Health Education Center. She has developed an extensive research program focusing on nursing workforce supply and demand issues. Currently Dr. Brewer is Co-Principal Investigator of a Robert Wood Johnson funded ten year study of newly licensed Registered Nurses to track changes in their careers. Information about this research is available at www.rnworkproject.org.
 
Robert F. O’Connell, MSW has 40 years experience in the aging field as an advocate for the development of positive health and social support systems for older persons and their caregivers. He has been involved in program development, policy planning, management, program monitoring and oversight for wide range of community-based support services. A social worker by training he has managed aging programs in the non-profit sector as well as at County, State and Federal Government levels. He is currently a Consultant on Aging and a member of the Executive council of AARP New York.
 
Mary Ellen Plass, MS, RN is senior Vice-President and Chief Nursing Officer at Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY. Ms. Plass has been a part of the Albany Medical Center family for more than 25 years, holding positions as Staff Nurse, Assistant Nurse Manager, Nurse Manager and Patient Care Service Director. In October of 2005 she began her current position as Chief Nursing Officer. Ms. Plass holds a Master’s Degree in Nursing Administration and serves on the board of the New York Organization of Nurse Executives and is co-chair of its Public Policy Committee.
 
Sara Timen, MPH, MS is a Program Associate with the New York State Health Foundation (NYSF). Ms. Timen is currently the staff liaison to a NYSF funded project to study nursing recruitment in seven rural New York counties. With a background in education and health policy, she previously worked on the nutrition policy team in the Cardiovascular Disease Department at the New York City Department of Health, was a Center for the Health of Urban Minorities fellow working at Columbia University’s Center for Community Health Partnerships and taught middle school math and science in Harlem.
 
Cathryne A. Welch, EdD, RN is Interim Director, Institute for Nursing in New York State, a non-partisan entity, dedicated to ensuring an adequate supply of qualified nursing personnel in New York State. Dr. Welch is Director of the Foundation of New York State Nurses’(FNYSN) Central New York Nurses Center for Nursing Research and its Bellevue Alumnae Center for Nursing History. She previously served as Executive Director of the New York State Nurses Association, Nurses House and FNYSN.

Steering Committee

Carol S. Brewer, PhD, RN, Professor of Nursing, University at Buffalo School of Nursing. Director of Nursing of the New York State Area Health Education Center System (NYS AHEC), University at Buffalo.

Dianne Cooney-Miner, PhD, RN, Dean and Professor, Wegmans School of Nursing, St. John’s Fisher College, Rochester and Chair, New York State Council of Deans and Directors in Baccalaureate and Higher Degree Programs in Nursing.

Christine T. Kovner, PhD, RN, FAAN, Senior Fellow, Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing and Professor, both at New York University College of Nursing.

Marianne Markowitz, MS, RN, Dean, College of Nursing, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Health Center, Syracuse and President, New York State Council of Associate Degree Nursing Programs.

Mary Ellen Plass, MS, RN, Senior Vice-President and Chief Nursing Officer at Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY and a member of the Board of Directors of the New York Organization of Nurse Executives and Co-chair of its Public Policy Committee.

Cathryne A. Welch, EdD, RN, Director of the Foundation’s Bellevue Alumnae Center for Nursing History and the Central New York Nurses Center for Nursing Research and Interim Director, Institute for Nursing.

Barbara Zittel, PhD, RN, Executive Secretary, New York State Board of Nursing