The alliance has a special place in my heart. I have been a member of the AMA Alliance for almost 30 years and a member of the SMA Alliance for close to 20 of those years. While the medical alliance does great things for community outreach, education and advocacy; it is the relationships, old and new, that I share with fellow members of the medical family which I cherish the most. It is wonderful to have friends throughout the country who have, in many cases, become an extended family. As an alliance member, I have served as President of Madison County Medical Alliance; President of the Alliance to the Medical Association of the State of Alabama, President Elect for Southern Medical Association Alliance and have served  in leadership roles on a number of committees at the county, state and national level.

I thought I would take a moment and tell you a bit about myself. My husband, Eric, practices as a Cardiothoracic Anesthesiologist in Huntsville. We moved to Huntsville in 1993 and have grown roots in North Alabama!  We are blessed to have three beautiful children–our twin daughters Nicole and Renee and our son Christopher. Nicole and her husband Blake are proud parents of Kayla (3) and Aubrey (9 months). Our son Christopher and his wife Rachel have a beautiful little boy, Rowan, who is looking forward to his sixth birthday and the arrival of his new baby sister in February, 2018. We were happy to welcome our daughter Renée back to Huntsville, who moved from Nashville to join the nursing staff in the Electrophysiology Lab at Huntsville Hospital. We are very blessed to have all of our family close by and are thrilled to be able to spend time with them and enjoy our grandchildren!

Most of my adult professional life has been spent in the practice of nursing, primarily working as an Emergency Room Nurse.  I continue to volunteer as a nurse and board member with the North Alabama Medical Reserve Corps. I serve on the board as the liaison for the Madison County Medical Alliance and my primary role as a volunteer involves community education, outreach and emergency response in the event of a natural or manmade disaster. Another of my passions is legislative advocacy. Healthcare is in crisis right now and it’s so very important for members of the medical family to be actively involved and have a voice. It is equally important to share that voice with our patients, fellow citizens and community leaders. Having a place at the table when healthcare is restructured will be critical to the practice of medicine. As they say, “if you’re not at the table you’re on the menu!”  That being said, I have embarked on a second career as a Congressional staff member for Congressman Mo Brooks who represents Alabama’s Fifth Congressional District. Needless to say, it has been an enlightening and educational experience thus far! Most recently, I have joined the staff of one of the local elementary schools to work as a school nurse in a per diem capacity.

Additionally, I have served as Past President of the Madison County Community Free Clinic Board of Directors; volunteered for the Madison/Marshall County American Red Cross and was proud to be recognized as one of their past Honorees; volunteered as a American Heart Association BLS and ACLS instructor; Honored to be chosen as the 1993 Auxillian of the Year for the Missouri State Medical Association Alliance; Past President of the St. Mary’s Hospital Auxiliary in Jefferson City, Mo. and last, but not least, as a parent, I loved serving as a Girl Scout and Boy Scout Leader, PTO volunteer and soccer mom!

I look forward to the year ahead and am deeply honored to serve as President of the Southern Medical Association Alliance!