The American Nurses Association (ANA) Membership Assembly serves as the organization’s governing and official voting body. At the June 2026 meeting in Washington, D.C., members gathered to discuss and shape ANA’s policies, positions, and future direction. The Assembly brings together a diverse group of nursing leaders, including representatives from Constituent State Nurses Associations (C/SNAs), the Individual Member Division (IMD), affiliated organizations, and the ANA Board of Directors. New Jersey was represented this year by New Jersey State Nurses Association (NJSNA) elected representatives Peggy Daingerfield, Kristin Sagedy, Mary Ellen Levine, Hollie Gentry, and Linda Gural.
The Assembly’s primary purpose is to identify, discuss, and vote on issues of concern to the nursing profession and the public. This is accomplished through proposal presentations (dialogue forums), consideration of and voting on bylaw amendments, the election of officers, and new business.
Dialogue Forums: The Assembly facilitated open discussion and idea-sharing on three timely issues affecting nursing practice, education, and policy.
- Establishing a national framework for prevention, reporting, and accountability related to incivility and bullying across nursing education and practice settings.
- Nurses leading health care sustainability.
- Integrating cannabis nursing competencies through education and policy to advance patient safety and compassionate care in practice.
After gathering feedback from Membership Assembly attendees, the Professional Policy Committee summarized the discussion and presented final recommendations. With one amendment, the Assembly voted to accept both the recommendations and the full report. ANA will now begin implementing the approved recommendations.
Bylaw Amendments: Two bylaw amendments first introduced in 2025 were brought forward for further consideration: a revision to the apportionment of votes and ANA membership rights and privileges for LPNs/LVNs. Both amendments were debated and referred to ad hoc committees for additional review. NJSNA member Norma Rodgers-Frink was appointed to serve on the ANA LPN/LVN Ad Hoc Committee.
Before the 2026 Membership Assembly, representatives participated in a virtual ANA Bylaws Education Session. During the session, Ad Hoc Committee findings were shared, and participants had opportunities to discuss the proposals, ask questions, and provide feedback.
At the 2026 Membership Assembly Special Meeting, representatives revisited, debated, and voted on both amendments. The apportionment amendment, effective January 1, 2028, and the LPN/LVN membership amendment, effective July 1, 2028, were adopted. The Assembly also adopted the Apportionment Policy, which revises the allocation of votes and representatives based on member counts rather than each state’s percentage of ANA total income.
Elections: Membership Assembly representatives play an important role in reviewing candidates for national office and electing ANA leaders. This year, representatives voted on candidates for President, Secretary, two Director-at-Large positions, one Director-at-Large Staff Nurse position, and three seats on the Nominations and Elections Committee. The election results were as follows:
President: Anita Girard
Secretary: Heidi Sanborn
Directors-at-Large: Ahnyel Burkes and Nelson Tuazon
Director-at-Large, Staff Nurse: Josephine Agyel
Nominations and Elections Committee: Jacqueline McEuen, Mavis Mesi, and Seth Schweiger
ANA National and President Awards Ceremony: On the evening before the Membership Assembly, ANA honored nurses from across the country in several award categories. NJSNA congratulates our member Al-Zada Aguilar, DNP, RN, ACNP-BC, NPD-BC, CNEcl, CCRN, on receiving the Distinguished Direct Patient Care Award. This award recognizes a registered nurse who provides exemplary patient care and contributes to the advancement of nursing practice.
Gratitude: The New Jersey State Nurses Association deeply values the dedication and service of its Membership Assembly representatives. I personally thank them for their preparation, thoughtful participation, and commitment to ensuring that ANA’s work reflects the priorities of nurses. Their contributions were essential to the success of the Membership Assembly meetings.
