Looking back, advice such as Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s is similiar to that of my mentors including my mother that has shaped much of my approach to leadership. It also aligns closely with my own strengths: Includer, Maximizer, Belief, Connectedness, and Developer. These strengths have helped me focus on building relationships, supporting others, strengthening the foundations laid by those before me, and believing deeply in the importance of our shared work.
It has been an honor and a privilege to work alongside the ONA Board and with you, our members, as we have advanced nursing across Oklahoma.
Together, we have created meaningful opportunities for nurses to connect, learn, lead, and advocate. Our Annual Convention and The Oklahoma Nurse publication continue to serve as cornerstones of professional engagement. Our membership has grown, and we have expanded support for both new-to-practice nurses and experienced professionals. While important work remains ahead, I am deeply proud of what we have accomplished as a professional community.
As ONA moves forward, an important focus continues to be modernization, inclusivity, and member engagement. Working with our members and the Board, we are defining what the next era of ONA should look like. Our goal is to build a financially strong, member-centered organization that can adapt to the rapidly changing healthcare environment, evolving workforce trends, and the diverse needs of nurses across our state.
At this year’s House of Delegates, you will have an opportunity to consider proposed bylaw amendments that support this vision for the future. I encourage you to thoughtfully consider these changes and the opportunities they may create for the next generation of ONA leaders and members. While we should always honor the traditions and accomplishments that brought us to where we are today, we cannot rely solely on what worked in the past. To remain relevant, responsive, and strong, we must be willing to embrace the future and evolve alongside the profession we serve.
ONA, much like nursing itself, is not one-size-fits-all. It represents nurses from every specialty, practice setting, and role. Each nurse contributes uniquely to the health and well-being of our communities, and our collective influence grows when we support one another. Whether through membership, volunteer service, advocacy, mentorship, or leadership, involvement in ONA is an investment in both our profession and our future. It affirms that nurses deserve a seat at every table where decisions affecting healthcare are made and that our voices matter.
Participation in ONA strengthens our professional identity by creating opportunities for leadership development, networking, education, and mentorship. When we invest in one another, we reinforce nursing as a trusted, respected, and essential profession for future generations.
As we look ahead, our shared mission remains unchanged: to advance nursing and ensure that nurses continue to play a leading role in shaping the future of healthcare. While this chapter closes for me, my commitment to nursing, to ONA, and to the nurses of Oklahoma remains steadfast.
The future of ONA is bright because of the dedicated leaders, members, and volunteers who continue to move our profession forward. Thank you for allowing me to be part of this extraordinary journey. The work will continue, the mission will endure, and together you will write the next chapter.
After all, it is not really goodbye. The forest will always be there.
“But, of course, it isn’t really Good-bye, because the Forest will always be there… and anybody who is Friendly with Bears can find it.”
— From the conclusion of The House at Pooh Corner, A.A. Milne
