Board of Directors
Kayla Diekmann
Secretary
I am Kayla Diekmann, a senior nursing student from Capital University! I am also the secretary and treasurer for Capital's student nurse's association. I chose nursing because I love caring for people and I wanted a challenging but rewarding career. In my free time, I love spending time with my family and friends, watching sports, and traveling! After graduation, I hope to find a job in Cincinnati and continue my education. I'm looking forward to serving on OhSNA's board of directors!
Kali Clark
Population and Global Health
My name is Kali Clark. I will be serving as the Director of Population and Global Health for the 2019-2020 school year for OhSNA. I am 23 years old and a senior at Mount Carmel College of Nursing. I was a transfer student from Ohio State studying biology when I decided nursing was the career path I wanted to pursue. It remains the best decision I’ve ever made! I hope to work in critical care upon graduation and I also plan on going back to get my masters degree as a family nurse practitioner. In my free time, I like to travel. I spent a large portion of this year traveling to all different parts of the US and hope to do the same thing next year. I have two cats named Phoebe and Carlos. I’ve really enjoyed my time as a nursing student and I am really passionate about participating in research at my college. I am also currently the treasurer for the Student Nurses Association of Mount Carmel. I look forward to serving OhSNA as a board member this year!
TBD
Director of Public Relations
We are looking for a NEW Public Relations Director!
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If you are interested in becoming the NEW Public Relations Director, email ohiosnaboard@gmail.com!
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Taylor Pellam
President
Hello, student nurses of Ohio! My name is Taylor Pellam-Obbish, and I am a senior at Mount Carmel College of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio. I currently work at The James Solove and Research Center as a PCA. I love running, and I just recently completed my fourth half marathon! This year, I have the privilege to serve you as President of the Ohio Student Nurses Association. For the past three years, I've held executive board member positions at my local chapter, where I am currently President. I am happy to move forward into 2020, where I can represent student nurses in my state. I'm looking forward to the challenges that this position will bring. This year, I'll be attending the National Student Nurses Association midyear and annual convention. Here, I will learn valuable skills to be the best leader I can be. I have many plans for this year to continue to build our membership, fundraising, and expand our voices as student nurses. I hope to see you at the Ohio Annual Convention in October!
Halle Turner
Vice President
My name is Halle Turner and I am your Vice President for the 2019-2020 term. I am so excited to serve you and the state of Ohio. Go buckeyes! As your Vice President, I want to serve the constituents (you guys) and illustrate what your membership means and why being in a professional organization is so important and so dandy. I am a senior at Mount Carmel College of Nursing and am very excited to graduate. I am a big dreamer and love to travel so as you can imagine I want to travel the WHOLE world with nursing. My first plan is to travel to Chicago and live there for a year or two. I also would be honored to do mission nursing for a while why I have the chance. Unfortunately, I do not know the exact nursing I want to do, but I have narrowed it down to critical care. I’m just not sure if I want to work with children or adults! Random, but I want to own a St. Bernard sometime after I graduate. As I said, I am so excited to work with everyone this upcoming year and to serve you all. Please feel free to reach out and talk to me about any concerns, suggestions or comments! Good luck with everything!
Ina Verija
Treasurer
Ina Verija is OhSNA treasurer for 2019-2020. She attends Chamberlain University, College of Nursing, and is in her senior year. She received her first Bachelor’s degree in psychology from OSU, and hopes to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner. She picked nursing because it allows her to care for people at their weakest times and to help people in all walks of life. The versatility of nursing is incredible and will allow me to explore all that interest me, such as international nursing and administration. She is excited and cannot wait to see where the future takes her and is excited to share it with OhSNA!
Kaitlyn Cantu
Health Policy and Advocacy Director
Kaitlyn is a senior BSN student at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, currently working in the PICU at the Cleveland Clinic and in Labor and Delivery at MetroHealth. She is very interested in Ohio’s opioid epidemic and the maternal/infant mortality crisis we are currently facing. Kaitlyn plans on becoming a nurse midwife in the future, and focusing on research. She is excited to be a part of growing the resolution process this year!
Ayla Starcher
Membership Director
Ayla Starcher is currently a Senior at Chamberlain University, and is projected to graduate in April of 2020. Currently the Vice President of Chamberlain’s SNA, she is planning to continue to encourage new members as the Membership Director. Currently, she works in the NICU as a Multi-Skilled Tech at Mount Carmel St. Ann’s. Her goals for the future include becoming a nurse in a NICU setting and attending further schooling to become a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner. Outside of work and school, Ayla enjoys spending time building trucks and going to car shows.
Marissa Kimbler
Convention Planning Director
Hello, my name is Marissa K. I am a Junior at Chamberlain University Columbus campus expecting to graduate in August 2021. I went to Ohio State for two years before transferring to Chamberlain. I am currently a PCA at The Ohio State University’s, The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute. I hope to become an ED, ICU, or STAT nurse someday. I have been working in health care since high school -2016- as a nursing home aide. I went to a career tech high school for nursing and earned my STNA, CPR/first aide, EKG certifications. I enjoy helping people, through the highs and the lows, the diagnosis, the treatment, and the end result whether it be their last days on this earth or their last days of treatment. I come from a large family of three older brothers and an older sister. I enjoy being outside, photography, playing/feeding animals, surrounding myself around friends and family, watching: The Office, Friends, Thirteen Reasons Why, Stranger Things, and any crime shows, and I enjoy going to car meets or race tracks.
Adrienne Jackson
Breakthrough to Nursing Director
My name is Adrienne Jackson and I am currently a senior attending Chamberlain College of Nursing with my graduation date April 24th, 2020. I chose nursing while working as a nursing assistant at a nursing home for almost two years. It was there that I knew this was my true calling as I began to fall in love with my patients and felt that they were just like my family. I wanted to further my education and become a nurse so to make a difference within healthcare. As for a fun fact about myself, I love to run and ride horses. Spending time with my family and friends brings me joy and I look forward to what this next year has to bring as we all grow in friendship through this leadership experience
Miranda Cochran
Council of School Presidents Director
Miranda Cochran is currently entering her final semester in Capital University's accelerated BSN program. She is currently the Vice President of Capital Student Nursing Association and is excited for her first year serving on OhSNA's Board of Directors at the COSP. Miranda is also a patient care associate at the James Cancer Hospital where she has found an unexpected love for oncology nursing. She is still undecided about what type of nursing she wishes to pursue, but although it changes almost daily she is interested in higher acuity level units at the moment. It is Miranda's ultimate goal to eventually pursue a higher degree in nursing after she figures out which field of nursing her path leads her. In her spare time, Miranda likes to travel, hike, run, read, and spend time with friends and family as frequently as possible.
Christine Smothers
Nominations and Elections Committee Director
Christine Smothers is a BSN student in the class of 2020 at Case Western Reserve University. Her experiences as a nursing student and researcher have informed her mission to amplify nurses’ voice at the decision-making tables. To this end, she served on the OhSNA Board as Legislative Director for two years, on the NSNA Board as Director for one year, as a mentor to the Legislative Director last year, and is currently serving as the Nominations and Elections Committee Director. Christine is excited to be part of OhSNA!
Dr. Kathy Fernandez
Ohio Nursing Association Consultant
Dr. Fernandez has published articles in several professional journals and presented at industry conferences. She has received numerous awards for her contributions, including receiving five Excellence in Nursing Awards from Mount Carmel College of Nursing, the 2013 National League for Nursing Hearst Foundation Award for Excellence in Geriatric Education and several teaching awards from Columbus State Community College and The Ohio State University (graduate teaching). Committed to community service, Fernandez has donated her time to several causes, including the Isabelle Ridgway Care Center, the Out of the Dark Suicide Awareness Walk, The American Heart Association, and United Methodist Church Camps.
Taylor Longenette
Graduate Student Advisor
Taylor Longenette is a graduate advisor for OhSNA. She served on the board for 2 years as secretary and Vice President. Taylor graduated in May from Mount Carmel College of Nursing and is now a Staff Nurse in the operating room at the James Comprehensive Cancer Center at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. She is currently a graduate student at Capital University where she is studying her Master’s in Science in Nursing with a concentration in legal studies and will be pursuing a MSN/JD dual degree with hopes of becoming a nurse attorney. Taylor loves being a part of this board and can’t wait for another great year!
Drea Blau
Mentor to the Public Relations Director
Andrea (Drea) Blau is a recent graduate of the CNAP program at Capital University. After completing her BFA from OU, Drea moved to Vail, CO to work as a portrait photographer on the side of the mountain for the winter. She liked the mountains so much she decided to stay and got into the hospitality industry. Drea became interested in nursing shortly before graduating with her BFA in 2003 and the interest never went away. Therefore, in 2014 she decided it was time to pursue her dream and moved back to Ohio to make it happen. While she is excited to continue to be a part of OhSNA, she is currently in the process of relocating to Florida to be closer to her parents.