CFPA Advisory Board, CFPA Academic Publishing & Dissemination Committee

Debbie Rahn EdD, MSN, RN is the Director of the Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences (RHSHS). Dr. Rahn has held multiple other roles in professional and academic settings including, Assistant Head Nurse, Nurse Manager, Nursing Program Faculty, Curriculum Coordinator, and Director of a Nursing Program. She served on the Board of Commissioners for Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. Dr. Rahn is an ethics consultant on the Reading Hospital Ethics Committee. Dr. Rahn’s leadership resulted in the creation of dual enrollment programs for the RHSHS Nursing, MI, DMS, and ST Programs. Dr. Rahn is an adjunct professor at Alvernia University teaching in the MSN Nursing Education.

CFPA Implementation & Best Practices Committee

Dr. Shari Washington, DNP, MSN, NPD-BC, CPN is a semi-retired registered nurse with 40 years of nursing experience. After practicing in the area of Adult Medicine, she focused primarily on Neonatal ICU, Maternal-Child and Pediatrics. Most recently she was a nurse educator serving as a Professional Development Specialist at Children’s National in Washington, D.C. Dr. Washington also taught clinical and didactic courses at a variety of schools of nursing.

She earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati, M. S. in Nursing Education from University of Phoenix and Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Grand Canyon University. She is passionate about education and has worked and presented for PNEG (Professional Nurse Educator Group) and other educational organizations. She also served as a NLNAC (National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission) site visitor for school accreditation, as well as the Magnet and PTAP (Practice Transition Accreditation Program) accreditation for Children’s National. Dr. Washington also actively participated with Pearson on the most recent revision of the NCLEX examination. Additionally, she participates in translation of research. mentoring students, and authored several articles on nursing education.

Dean, University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing

Christine E. Kasper,  PhD, RN is the Dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. She earned her BSN from the University of Evansville, MSN from Rush University, and PhD from the University of Michigan, where she focused on exercise physiology. Dr. Kasper has held faculty positions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, UCLA, and Johns Hopkins University, where she was the M. Adelaide Nutting Research Professor.

Her research spans muscle atrophy and conflict-related injuries, with over 200 publications. Dr. Kasper has led interprofessional collaborations in healthcare and research, including positions with the American College of Sports Medicine. Previously, she served as dean of the University of New Mexico College of Nursing and held leadership roles in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. A fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and ACSM, she was inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame in 2015.

Chief Nursing Officer/Vice President of Academic Affairs, UPMC | Member-at-Large, PA-NWC Executive Committee

Brandy Hershberger, DNP, MSN, RN, CEN is the Chief Nursing Officer/Vice President of Academic Affairs at UPMC.

Director of Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Track, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing | Member-at-Large, PA-NWC Executive Committee 

Kathleen O. DeMutis, CRNP, DNP is the Director of Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Track at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.

Board Member, Southeast Pennsylvania Association of Black Nurses (SEPABNA)

Arlene Branch, RN, BSN, MHA, RN-BC is an experienced nursing professional and a Board Member of the Southeast Pennsylvania Association of Black Nurses (SEPABNA), where she has also served as Immediate Past First Vice President and Treasurer. She holds a Diploma in Nursing from the Pennsylvania Hospital School of Nursing (1971), a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from LaSalle University (1988), a Master’s in Health Administration from Saint Joseph's University (2005), and a Post Masters Certificate in Health Administration from Villanova University (2006). Throughout her 40-year career, she held various roles, including Head Nurse, Nursing Supervisor, Infection Control Practitioner, and Pre-certification Case Manager. Arlene is guided by the belief, "Let no one define your future other than yourself."

Chief of Staff of Workforce Development, SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania

Zach Zobrist, is the Chief of Staff of Workforce Development for SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, a statewide healthcare workers union that represents over 40,000 healthcare workers. During his time with SEIU Healthcare PA, he established several Labor-Management Partnerships to engage healthcare workers in their critical role as front-line staff in transforming and improving the healthcare delivery system and to engage union members. From 2019-2021, he was a faculty member at Penn State’s School of Labor Employment Relations. In his role as a labor educator for Penn State labor outreach programs, he worked to find ways to engage unions in thinking about partnership opportunities around workforce development and quality improvement. In August 2021, he was appointed to his current position with SEIU.

Chief Executive Officer, Pennsylvania State Nurses Association (PSNA)

Wayne E. Reich, Jr., MSN, MBA, RN is the Chief Executive Officer of the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association (PSNA) and the Nursing Foundation of Pennsylvania (NFP). With nearly 20 years in nursing, he previously served as the Director of Nursing at Pennsylvania College of Technology, overseeing bachelor’s degree programs and earning the rank of Assistant Professor in 2019. His extensive experience includes roles as a clinical director, clinical instructor, and staff nurse in cardiac intensive care.

Reich has also held leadership positions within PSNA, including Deputy Chief Executive Officer from 2010 to 2014, Treasurer from 2016 to 2020, and Chair of the Finance and Bylaws Committees. PSNA President Dr. Deb Cardenas praised Reich's dedication to nursing and his advocacy efforts, while NFP President Dr. Margarete Zalon highlighted his strong foundation for leading the foundation's mission.

Managing Director of Strategy Development and Executive Director, Pennsylvania Public Health Association (PPHA)

Kristine Gonnella, MPH, is Managing Director of Strategy Development and Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Public Health Association (PPHA).

In her role as Managing Director of Strategy Development, Kristine advances the mission and vision of PHMC through strategic planning, cross-sector partnerships, mergers, acquisitions, fundraising, government contracts and proposal development, representing an annual operating budget of $250 million. She also provides fiscal oversight of special public health projects representing an operating budget of over $40 million. Additionally, she provides oversight for the Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Network (PANEN), which advances statewide partnerships and promoting educational activities for Supplemental Nutrition Education (SNAP-Ed) providers.

As Executive Director of PPHA, Kristine represents the state affiliate of the American Public Health Association and secures public health stakeholders’ support to advance statewide public health policy initiatives. She engages Pennsylvania elected officials to promote and prioritize public health across the commonwealth.

Kristine is expecting her PhD in Health Policy from Temple University in 2025. She holds a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Science in Human Development from Pennsylvania State University. She has also completed the Post Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Program at the University of Pennsylvania.

Executive Director, Pennsylvania Organization of Nurse Leaders (PONL)

Elizabeth Menschner, DNP, MSN, MAS, RN, NEA-BC is the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Organization of Nurse Leaders (PONL).