Garland is a native of Richmond, Virginia who received an undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University in 1982 and a master’s in Health Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1988. As chief of health impact, Garland is responsible for building programs and partnerships to improve the health of populations and communities served by VCU Health System. Prior to this appointment, she served in various leadership roles including vice president for health policy and community relations, vice president for community outreach, director of Ambulatory Care Services, and director of planning. In addition to her health system responsibilities, she has held positions within Virginia Commonwealth University including director of community outreach for the VCU Institute for Women's Health, administrative director of the VCU Center on Health Disparities, and director of the VCU Office of Health Innovation.  Garland is the recipient of several awards including the American College of Health Care Executives Regent’s Early Career Healthcare Executive Award, the VCU Presidential Award for Community Multicultural Enrichment (Administrator Award), VCU/MCV School of Medicine Dean’s Award for Community Service, YWCA of Richmond Outstanding Woman of the Year Award in the field of Health/Science, the VCU Department of Health Administration Alumni of the Year Award, and the First African Baptist Church Community Leader’s Award.  She has participated in Leadership Metro Richmond, the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems’ (America’s Essential Hospitals) ambulatory fellows program, the Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute, and LEAD Virginia. Garland is a fellow in the American College of Health Care Executives and a member of SisterFund, an African American Women’s Giving Circle.  She serves on the boards of the MCV Foundation, University Health Services-Professional Education Programs and the Institute for Public Health Innovation. She is currently president of the American Heart Association, Mid-Atlantic Affiliate. Garland is married to her best friend of 35 years, Chris Garland, and has two amazing daughters, Christian and Cameran.

Emily Gunn is the nursing coordinator for the A.A.S. Nursing program at Reynolds Community College in Richmond, Virginia. Prior to her current position, she served as a clinical coordinator at Northern Virginia Community College and Saint Louis University.

Gunn earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Virginia and a Master of Science in Nursing from The Ohio State University. She began her career at the University of Virginia working on a medicine unit advancing to the role of unit senior clinician. She has taught in both A.D.N. and B.S.N. programs including Allegheny Community College, Columbus State Community College, The Ohio State University and the University of Michigan. Her areas of interest include building community partnerships and utilizing innovative models of clinical education. She is looking forward to serving as a peer evaluator for the Accreditation Commission in Nursing Education (ACEN). Gunn is married with four children and lives in Henrico, Virginia.

Mary Hardin is the vice president of Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer at VCU Community Memorial Hospital (CMH). She received her B.S.N. from Barton College and her M.S.N. in Leadership and Management from Walden University. Hardin has been employed at CMH for 33 years with over 25 years of experience in leadership and management. She was the director of oncology for 20 years and under her leadership led the oncology program to providing full comprehensive services in medical and radiation oncology with accreditations from the American College of Surgeons-Commission on Cancer and the American College of Radiology- Radiation Oncology. Hardin has been successful in implementing a nurse driven palliative care program for acute care collaborating with VCU’s telemed palliative care services. She enjoys singing and dancing in her spare time and always enjoys a good conversation and a cup of coffee.

Erin Keister, RN, M.S.N., CPHQ, CPPS, NE-BC, is the division chief nurse executive for HCA Healthcare’s Capital Division. Prior to her current role, she worked in the division for over ten years in various capacities, including chief nursing officer at Chippenham Hospital and at John Randolph Medical Center. She began her career as a bedside nurse in 1997 and held many direct care nursing positions early in her career. She also has an extensive background in quality, in both hospital and division settings.

Keister earned her B.S.N. from Radford University and her M.S.N. from Jefferson College of Health Sciences. She currently serves as a commissioner of nursing policy and practice for the Virginia Nurses Association and is an active as an advisory board member for ECPI, John Tyler nursing program and South University.

She in lives in Midlothian with her two children.

With more than 20 years of nursing experience, McLaughlin started her nursing career at the bedside and progressed to nursing leadership over her accomplished career. Her clinical experience includes providing care in correctional facilities, emergency medicine, medicine-surgery progressive care and ambulatory care.

McLaughlin also has also been teaching the next generation of health care workers over the past several years as a full-time faculty member at Brightpoint Community College (formerly John Tyler) and Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Nursing.

Jeniece Roane holds a master’s degree in nursing administration and leadership, is certified as a nurse executive and is currently pursuing her doctorate in nursing. Her clinical nursing career started 27 years ago in pediatrics and pediatric critical care. Roane joined VCU Health System in 1997 at the bedside as a pediatric critical care nurse, progressing through various leadership roles across women’s and children’s health including nurse manager, nurse educator, nursing director, associate chief nursing officer. Currently, she serves as the vice president of operations for the Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU. She is very familiar with the needs of the communities and patients and, in her personal time, advocates for the communities’ children as an active board member of the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Roane's strong leadership and passion, her advocacy for putting patients and families first and her dedication to taking care of each other contributes to the advancement of nursing practice across the continuum.

Bridget Wilson provides leadership as the dean of nursing and allied health at Brightpoint Community College. In addition, she serves on the Brightpoint Foundation Board and John Randolph Medical Center board of trustees. She has a passion for empowering youth and college students in the community to reach their higher educational goals. Wilson herself has an A.A.S. in nursing from the College of Saint Catherine, a B.S.N. from Metropolitan State University, a M.S.N. from Indiana State University, a M.Div. from Virginia Union University, and a Ph.D. from Capella University. She believes the greatest reward is helping students on their academic journey, observing them being successful and achieving their dreams. She is an active member of several social organizations and enjoys working in her community.