FROM THE MONA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
AS 2026 DRAWS to a close, I find myself thinking about where MONA has been, where we are today, and—most importantly—where we are going.
In 2027 we will celebrate 120 years of the Missouri Nurses Association. For more than a century, nurses have come together through MONA to strengthen our profession and ensure that nurses have a voice in the decisions that affect our practice, our patients, and our communities. As we enter this next chapter, our focus is not simply on celebrating our history. It is on the Future We Choose to create together.
WELCOMING OUR NEW LEADERS
One of MONA’s greatest strengths is the nurses who are willing to step forward and lead. I am pleased to congratulate the members elected to serve in MONA leadership:
- Vice President of Communication: Courtney Wilbanks, APRN-BC
- Practice Director: Laurie Sparr, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC
- Board Leadership Fellow: Gary Hicks-Clayton, DNP, RN, CNP, AGPCNP-BC, CRRN
- Bylaws Chair: Sarah Gonzalez, DNP, RN, NEA-BC
- Region Chair – West: Shelby Duran, MSN, RN
- Region Chair – East: Rhonda Newberry, MSN, RN-BC, CCRN, CLNC, CCDS, Paralegal
- Region Chair – South: Jessica Johns, MHA, BSN, RN, NE-BC
I also want to thank every member who placed their name on the ballot and offered their time, expertise, and leadership to MONA. Our Association is stronger because nurses are willing to get involved.
YOUR VOICE AT THE CAPITOL
As Missouri’s 2027 legislative session approaches, MONA will continue working to make sure the voice of nursing is heard. Workplace violence & safety issues, the nursing workforce, access to quality healthcare, removing unnecessary barriers to APRN practice, appropriate staffing, and protecting the ability of all nurses to practice to the full extent of their education and licensure remain important issues for our profession.
We made important progress in 2026, including passage of workplace violence prevention signage and other healthcare priorities, while several issues—including APRN transition-to-practice legislation and additional workplace violence measures—did not achieve final passage. Those unfinished issues remind us that advocacy is not a one-year effort.
And advocacy isn’t something that happens only in Jefferson City. Every nurse has a story, experience, and expertise that can help policymakers understand how their decisions affect nursing and healthcare.
MORE WAYS TO CONNECT AND LEAD
In 2027, we also want to create more opportunities for members to connect with one another and become involved in the work of MONA.
Whether your passion is advocacy, professional practice, education, communication, membership, governance, or leadership, there is a place for you. Our streamlined committee structure now centers member involvement around Member Engagement, Legislative/Advocacy, and Governance/Finance, along with additional opportunities such as the Advanced Practice Council and The Missouri Nurse Editorial Board.
MONA is an organization in which you can belong, participate, and make a difference. We want to create more opportunities for nurses to connect, participate, advocate, and lead. Our collective voice becomes stronger when more nurses choose to use theirs.
120 YEARS—AND THE FUTURE AHEAD
Our 120th anniversary gives us an opportunity to honor the nurses who built MONA while asking ourselves an important question:
What do we want the next chapter of nursing in Missouri to look like?
The answer won’t be determined by one person, one board, or one organization. It will be shaped by nurses who choose to engage, advocate, lead, mentor, connect, and lend their voices to something larger than themselves.
As we head into 2027, I invite you to be one of them.
The future of nursing isn’t simply something that happens to us. It’s something we help choose. There is much ahead, and I am excited about where we are going. I hope you will find a way to be part of it.
Your Voice. Your Profession. Your Future.
