Region 1 (Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Warren)

Ruth Ochoa, DNP, NEA-BC, President

News for 1st quarter 2026:

The NJSNA Installation Brunch was held on 1/3/2026 at the NJSNA/IFN Headquarters in Trenton. Congratulations to our elected officers!

NJSNA/Region 1 Officers:

Term of Office (2 years): 1/1/2026-12/31/2027

• President: Ruth Ochoa
• President-Elect: Jodi Rotter
• Past President: Karen Kinsley
• Vice-President for Membership: Naomi Fox
• Vice-President to the Congress on Policy: Andrea Brassard
• Sussex County Coordinator: Daria Napierkowski
• Morris County Coordinator: Jacqueline Galante

Region 1 currently has two open positions on the Nominations Committee. If you want to learn more about these positions, please contact Jacqueline Galante, Chair, Nominations Committee, at jax963@gmail.com.

Education offerings include Healing Beyond Borders with speaker Maria Argen virtually on 1/18/2026 & End-of-Doula with speaker Galila at the Romano Conference Room in Newton Medical Center on 3/22/26.

Region 2 (Bergen & Hudson)

Margaret Hopkins, BSN, RN, CCRN, C-ELBW, CPLC, HNB-BC, President

Region 2 held their annual meeting in November. Bylaws were approved and 2026 plans were discussed. We also made the decision to support local organizations fighting food insecurity.

Congratulations to Joann Pasinski on her re-election as Treasurer. We appreciate her diligence and honesty.
Our January meeting will be a presentation on ER surges on the night of major stadium events. Meetings are on the third Wednesday of odd months at 7:30pm. All regions always welcome.

Region 3 (Essex, Union Counties)

Elsie A. Rivera, PhD, DNP, APN, FNP-C, President

Presidents Message

Dear Region 3,

I want to express my sincere gratitude to each of you for trusting me with this opportunity to serve you as President of NJSNA Region 3. As we look toward the new year, I am energized by a vision for growth and inspired by the dedication among our members. We will work to expand participation in meetings and events, ensuring these engagements are meaningful and foster stronger connections among us.

Our commitment to nursing advocacy and policy remains at the forefront of our mission. Together, as nursing professionals, we can drive significant changes for our patients and the broader community. I invite you to share your ideas and actively participate as we continue to shape nursing in our region.
I appreciate your support as we embark on this journey together. I look forward to meeting all of you.

Member Highlights

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Lois Greene and Dr. Cynthia E. Samuel on their induction as Luminary Fellows in the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing. Dr. Greene also received the NJLN Nurse Recognition Award. Dr. Elsie Rivera was recognized by the NJ Assembly for her contributions to advancing the Hispanic community. The Haitian American Nurses Association honored Carline Eliezer with the Visionary Leader award, and Mark Polon was presented with the Leadership Nursing Excellence Award. Norma Rodgers-Frink will be honored by the Women of New Jersey at the Annual Legends Gala for her outstanding nursing career and advocacy in the community.

Region 3 General Meeting Dates for 2026

Meetings will be held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, held via Zoom or in person. Please support Region 3 with your attendance.

• February 24, 6 – 8 pm
• April 15, Annual Meeting 6 – 8 pm
• May 12, 6:30 – 8 pm
• September 23, 6 – 8 pm
• December 2, Holiday Celebration

If you have any news or updates to share with Region 3, please send your information to region03@gmail.com. We encourage you to stay connected through our social media channels for upcoming events and announcements, and please access our WhatsApp; we value your engagement and contributions. Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Region 4 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset, Bucks)

Donna M. Penn DNP, RN, CNE, NEA-BC, President
As we welcome 2026, Region 4 reflects on a busy and rewarding quarter, reconnecting with members and celebrating professional achievements.
Our Annual Meeting on November 13, 2025, brought members together to review the year and honor outstanding contributions. Marilyn Mapp, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, President of NJSNA Region 5, shared her Wholehearted Nursing in Action: The Five Pillars of Nurse Well-Being philosophy. She offered practical strategies, wellness tools, and guidance on advocating for organizational support to help nurses thrive in their roles.

Region 4 was proud to recognize Dr. Tracy R. Vitale, DNP, RNC-OB, C-EFM, NE-BC, CNE, our Vice President of Policy & Practice, following her induction as a 2025 Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. Dr. Vitale is a national leader in DNP education, nursing policy, and advanced practice, with accomplishments including co-chairing the NONPF DNP Project Taskforce, co-founding the DNP Think Tank and Podcast, co-authoring The DNP Project Workbook, and serving as Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs at Rutgers University School of Nursing. Her work continues to inspire nurse leaders and shape the future of healthcare.

We also celebrated the 2025 Dr. Barbara Wright Scholarship recipient, Dumebi Oforah, a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner currently completing his DNP. During the meeting, he expressed gratitude for the award and pledged to uphold nursing values, ethics, and professionalism. Dr. Barbara Wright joined the meeting to share reflections on her distinguished career and emphasized the critical role nurses play in supporting communities.

For more information on the Dr. Barbara Wright Scholarship or to apply, visit https://njsna.org/scholarship/. Donations to the scholarship are always welcome and help support the education and professional development of future nurse leaders.

This year, our Bylaws Committee, led by Dr. Donna Penn with Dr. Ginnette Watkins-Keller and Dr. Beth Knox, Chair of the NJSNA Bylaws Committee, completed a thorough review of the Region 4 bylaws to ensure they remain aligned with current NJSNA guidelines and governance standards. After incorporating recommendations from the stage committee, the updates were presented to the Board and general membership, which unanimously approved them.

Monthly meetings continue on the second Thursday of each month at 7 PM via Zoom. To attend, email President@Region4NJSNA.onmicrosoft.com for a Zoom link. For more information on the Dr. Barbara Wright Scholarship, visit http://njsna.org/scholarship/

Are you interested in joining? Please contact our president, Ginnette Watkins-Keller, at President@Region4NJSNA.onmicrosoft.com. We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming meeting.

Warm Regards,
Emily Fernandes, RN, MSN
NJSNA Region 4 Director of Communications

NJSNA Region 5 Happy New Year! (Burlington, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester, Salem)

Marilyn Mapp, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, Region 5 President

Welcome to 2026!

As we turn the page to a new year, Region 5 reflects on the incredible journey weve shared and looks forward to the opportunities ahead. Last year was filled with milestones that strengthened our community and elevated the nursing profession.

We ended the year on a high note with an inspiring presentation by Peggy Daingerfield, EdD, RN, CNE, President of the New Jersey State Nurses Association. Her session, Expanding Horizons for the Future of Nursing, offered an insightful overview of current healthcare legislation and its impact on our professionsetting the stage for thoughtful action in 2026.

Now, as we step into this new year, we invite you to be part of the journey. Join us at our monthly meetings, held on the third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 PM via Zoom, and share your voice. If youre not receiving our updates, email us at NJSNARegion5@gmail.com to be added to our list. Stay connected on social media:
Facebook: New Jersey State Nurses Association Region 5
Instagram: @NJSNARegion5

Together, lets make 2026 a year of collaboration, innovation, and celebration. Region 5 is readyare you?

Region 6 (Atlantic, Cape May, Monmouth, Ocean)

Kathleen Mullen, DNP, MA, RNC-MNN, CNE, VP Communications
Region 6s newly elected officers were installed into their positions in January as members of the Board by the President Denise Nash-Luckenbach:

• President-Elect – Gina Miranda Diaz
• Director of Membership – Helen Heinmets
• Director of Education and Scholarship – Barbara Blozen
• County Director – Jordan Sulewski
• Treasurer – Orlene Van Dyne
• Nominations and Elections Committee – Suzanne Penna

The election for the 2025-2026 Region 6 Board of Directors was conducted online in conjunction with NJSNA elections in November 2025. Congratulations to all.

Upcoming events:

On Saturday, February 28, the region will hold a breakfast meeting at AtlantiCare in Atlantic City featuring the professional development Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Nursing: From Education through Practice presented by Laurie Huryk, MSN, RN, NI-BC, and Kathy Mullen, DNP, MA, RNC-MMN, CNE.

Save the Date for the Region 6 Annual Dinner Meeting, tentatively scheduled Tuesday, June 3 at the Lobster Shanty in Point Pleasant Beach. Anticipate professional development and an enjoyable dinner on the Manasquan River waterfront with nurses from across our shore region.

Click on Region 6 on the NJSNA website to find out about all of the Regions upcoming events, including Board meetings. All members are welcome to attend. How to connect? To tell us about the content youd like to see on the microsite: email Kathy Mullen, kmmullen@comcast.net. If youd like to become a more active member of Region 6, or if you are a member but did not receive an email blast about recent Region 6 events, contact Helen Heinmets at hheinmets@brookdalecc.edu.