House of Delegates Vote Seats Four Board Members for Upcoming Terms
Two CANP volunteer leaders are set to assume new positions on the Board of Directors this July, while the board will also welcome two newcomers for the 2018-2020 term following action taken by CANP’s House of Delegates (HOD) during its April 30 meeting in Sacramento.
In all, 78 delegates from CANP’s statewide network of chapters were present for the gathering of the HOD, the legislative and policy-making body of the Association.
Karen Bradley will assume the office of President on July 1. A longtime active member of the Inland Empire Chapter, and a previous Chair of the Health Practice Committee, Bradley has served two years as President Elect since 2016. Per bylaws adopted by the HOD in 2014, the sitting President-Elect automatically ascends to the position of President following the completion of the previous President’s term. Current President Theresa Ullrich’s term ends June 30.
The HOD also elected Patti Gurney to the position of President-Elect. Gurney is a longtime active member of the Sacramento Chapter, and is the current Vice President of Corporate Affairs, a position on the Board of Directors that she has held since 2014. She previously served on the board as Marketing & Communications Chair, and has also been both President and Vice President of the Sacramento Chapter.
Two new members of the Board of Directors will take office in July following their election by the HOD. Jeffrey Vu was elected Vice President of Corporate Affairs for the 2018-2020 term, while Cynthia Jovanov was elected Vice President of Finance. Vu has held numerous leadership positions with the Orange County Chapter, including serving as President during the 2016-2017 term. Jovanov is currently the President of the Inland Empire Chapter.
In addition, the HOD elected Sharon Blaschka as Speaker of the House. In that position, Blaschka, an active member and former President of the Alameda-Contra Costa Chapter, will preside over the HOD’s biennial meetings taking place in 2020 and 2022.
Resolutions Garner HOD Approval
At the conclusion of the day-long meeting, the delegates approved each of seven resolutions under consideration. Four of those amend CANP’s bylaws regarding qualifications and terms of service for positions at the state level. These included:
- Establishing staggered terms for the Co-Chairs of the Educational Affairs Committee for purposes of continuity
- Requiring candidates for the office of President Elect to have served one full term on the Board of Directors
- Requiring that nominees for chair positions on the Membership and Educational Affairs committees have served at least one term as a member of those committees
- Extending the term of the Speaker of the House from three years to four, in order for the Speaker to preside over two biennial HOD meetings
Three additional resolutions approved by the HOD recommend that the Board of Directors:
- Establishes an ad hoc committee to advise the Board of Directors on CANP’s potential role in supporting the conduct of research by California nurse practitioners
- Sponsors legislation to require national board certification in order to be certified as a nurse practitioner in the state of California
- Amends CANP’s Chapter Alignment Agreement to include prioritization of increasing underrepresented minorities in the nurse practitioner profession