Leadership

Cynthia Sweeney has served on the WMANNCA board and most recently on the planning committee for the NNCA 2022 reunion, and assists in capturing oral histories of the Navy Nurse Corps. She retired as a Captain from the Navy Nurse Corps. In 2018 she received the NNCA Professional Nursing Award. Retiring from the DAISY Foundation in 2021, she was given the title of VP for Nursing, Emerita and received their Lifetime Achievement Award for her work. She completed her doctorate at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing with a research focus on meaningful recognition in the Operating Room. In 2020 she received the Outstanding Achievement in Perioperative Nursing Research or Evidence-Based Practice Award by AORN and is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing. She continues to teach at the University of Maryland School of Nursing and is immediate past President of the Pi at-Large chapter of Sigma at the university. She is a member of the board of the Sigma Marketplace and the Alumni Council at UMSON among other volunteer activities in her community.

Jennifer "VB" Vedral-Baron joined the Navy in 1986 following graduation from the University of North Florida. Highlights of her 30-year career include first Nurse Corps officer Executive Assistant to the Navy Surgeon General and first Navy Director of Fort Belvoir Community Hospital. VB also served as the METU Officer-in-Charge at National Naval Medical Center, her team responsible for care of the President, Vice President, and their families. She served as Executive Officer, Naval Hospital Jacksonville and commanded Naval Hospital Pensacola. Headquarters’ tours included Chief of Staff, National Capital Region and Deputy Chief, Medical Operations, BUMED. She earned her master’s degree in Adult Health from the University of Florida and is a certified Adult Nurse Practitioner.

Retired in 2016, she joined the VA as Director, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System. Currently an Executive Coach and recently named to the Tennessee State Veterans’ Homes Board of Directors. VB lives in Arrington, TN with her husband and English Bulldog, Maggie.

Veronica Armstrong began her Navy career in 1979 as a Hospital Corpsman. She was commissioned as a Navy Nurse Corps officer in 1992 after graduating summa cum laude from Norfolk State University. In 1997, Veronica earned a Master's in Health Services Management from Webster University. As a Navy Nurse Corps officer, she served in traditional and nontraditional roles for twenty-seven years, including Assignment Officer (Detailer), Senior Nursing Officer at Naval Medical Center San Diego, Director for Nursing Service aboard USNS MERCY, and as an Inspector in the Office of the Navy Medical Inspector General. Veronica retired in 2019 after forty years of service and returned to San Diego, where she currently serves on the Board of Directors of the USS Midway Museum and Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. She also works part-time as a Field Surveyor for The Joint Commission. Veronica enjoys travel, gardening, and music.

The first Afro-American Male, Nurse Corps Officer to Command a Naval Hospital; Brian earned his Bachelor of Science in nursing from American University then joined the Navy in 1983. Brian served in various positions, including SPD Manager, OR Department Head and Director of Surgical Services at multiple facilities. With a Master of Science in Nursing Administration/Leadership from Old Dominion University, he later became the COO of Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune and then CEO of Naval Hospital Okinawa.

After serving as Chief of Staff for the 36th Navy Surgeon General, Brian transitioned to the Vice President of Surgical Services for Salem Hospital in Salem, OR; as Director of Surgical Services at St Anthony’s Hospital in Lakewood CO; serves as an Instructor/Educator for AORN’s Nurse Executive Leadership Series; CEO and President of BD Perioperative and Healthcare Consulting, LLC. Currently Brian is the System VP of Perioperative Services, Common Spirit Health.

Michelle McKenzie started her nursing career as an RN in the civilian sector in 1987 until joining the Navy in 1989. She retired as a Navy Nurse Corp Officer after a 30-year Naval career. Leadership roles included Director of Quality, Deputy Commander for the Joint Medical Group, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Officer-in-Charge of several clinics and Director of Nursing. She is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality and since retirement has served as Chief of Quality and Patient Safety at the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS) leading the facility to a full Joint Commission Accreditation and a complete governance restructure. She now serves as the Deputy Quality Management Officer for the Veterans Integrated Service Network. Michelle has served on the membership committee for The American Organization for Nursing Leadership and is a recognized subject matter expert and mentor for the Leadership Development Institute Committee at TVHS.

Sandra Hearn hails from Boston and resides in San Diego CA. She served 30 years, retired in 2018 and completed her doctoral studies from Old Dominion University the same year. As a Fellow of the AANP, she is active on the Career Advancement Task Force since 2021. As the Chief Nursing Officer of Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Dr. Hearn established the first electronic patient acuity, nursing workload management and staffing/competency tool for Navy Medicine. She spearheaded the ANCC Practice Transition Accreditation Program, first in the Military Health System. Served in numerous humanitarian missions in Afghanistan, the Caribbean and South American countries with the Navy and as a civilian. She served as the Chief Nursing Officer of Eastern Shore Rural Health System during COVID-19 and now has transitioned to The Joint Commission as a field nurse surveyor since 2022. Proud mother of 5, she recently wed Dr. Frank Pearson in 2023.

Tina L. Ortiz served 22 years on active duty in a variety of nursing and healthcare support roles. Her final duty assignment was as Commanding Officer of Navy Medicine Information Systems Support Activity where she was the first woman and Nurse Corps Officer to serve in this position. Career highlights include deployments to Guantanamo Bay in 1991, Iraq in 2003 and serving as the first Program Manager for the deployment of the electronic medical record across Navy Medicine. Tina’s nursing career spans 42 years across a multitude of nursing specialties. Tina previously was the Maternity and Woman’s Health Clinical Faculty Coordinator at The Catholic University of America and currently serves as an Adjunct Faculty.

Tina’s volunteer work includes serving as Governance Chair, Kappa Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau and Treasurer of the Tula Yoga Healing Foundation. Previous positions include leadership/committee roles with the Military Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners.

Rosie recently retired after thirty years of service. Career highlights include the Wounded Warrior unit at NNMC Bethesda and Charge Nurse of the Enemy Prisoner of War unit on USNS Comfort supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. She helped pave the way for the first DoD and VA partnership at Great Lakes and was directly involved in the monumental DoD merger of Bethesda and Walter Reed. Additionally, she led a 24/7 on-call team that provided medical support to the President and the first family. At Newport, she oversaw nursing practice throughout the New England region. Her last tour was DNS, Fort Belvoir Community Hospital. Rosie readily delayed her retirement to serve as COVID-19 lead during the unprecedented pandemic. Rosie volunteers as a Board member of WMANNCA and Our Stomping Ground, a nonprofit for Autistic Adults. She is married to a Navy JAG and has two adult children and an affectionate labradoodle, Molly Milkshake.

LaVencion "Vince" Starks served in numerous assignments from clinical to nontraditional over a thirty-year career. Highlights of assignments include Operation Desert Storm/Shield and Fleet Surgical Team One in San Diego deployed aboard the USS New Orleans (LPH 11) and USS Essex (LHD 2). Vince also served as a White House Nurse, Head Nurse Corps Assignments at Naval Personnel, Executive Officer, U.S. Naval Hospital Naples, Italy, and commanded the U.S. Naval Hospital Rota, Spain. Vince’s final tour of active service was a Liaison Officer for the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Falls Church, Va., where he led Navy Medicine’s transition of medical treatment facilities to the Defense Health Agency.

Vince retired in September 2019 and is currently working as a consultant and coach with experience in leadership development. He also volunteers with a 501(c)(3) that leverages strategic partnerships to eliminate the academic achievement/opportunity gaps for students.