Meet The Executive Board
Officers and Board of Directors
President
Javon Turner, Sr.
Frostburg State University
Javon is currently working towards his BSN at Frostburg State University. Most recently he has served on the MANS BOD as Secretary and as an NSNA Project InTouch recruiter. Javon is also a student member of the AAMN, ENA, and ANA and is affiliated with the Prince Hall Free and Accepted Masons. Javon spent last 5 years as a Clinical Technician in the ED at The Johns Hopkins Hospital where he also served as a clinical instructor and facilitator for their SOARING internship and has now transitioned to RN1. As President of MANS he hopes to build an even stronger bridge for the future for our nursing student community. After graduation he looks forward to becoming an ED nurse and pursuing his Master’s to become an informatics nurse and nurse educator.
Other Affiliations: Emergency Nurses Association, American Association of Men in Nursing, Prince Hall Free and Accepted Masons.
Vice President
Sharon Kim
The Johns Hopkins University
Sharon Kim was born and raised in California and moved to the East Coast for Nursing School. She is currently at Johns Hopkins for her MSN and attended the University of La Verne for her undergraduate degree in Biology. During her gap years, she worked at Hyundai as an Executive Assistant to explore and see what else was out there outside of healthcare. She also has a non-profit called Through Love. where they help bring hope, healing and prayer to foster children in Tijuana, Mexico. Her passion lies in community outreach, and she hopes to work as a travel nurse in the future with non-profits. Currently, she is working as a Patient Care Technician in the Surgical ICU and Emergency Department and will be graduating Spring of 2025. She is hoping to pursue Nursing in the Critical Care Field.
Treasurer
Vacant
The Treasurer shall:
a) act as custodian of organization’s funds and see that an annual fiscal report is prepared;
b) co-sign checks with the President of monetary disbursement as the Bylaws provides;
c) present a monthly Treasurer’s report at the business meetings;
d) be responsible for having the year end statement reviewed and presented to the Executive Board;
e) chair the scholarship committee; and
f) perform such duties as assigned by the President in accordance with the priorities and needs of the association.
Secretary
Erica Gayle
Montgomery College
Erica is enrolled in the nursing program at Montgomery College, with an expected graduation date of May 2025. My nursing interests include working in the ICU, and pediatrics. Outside of nursing, I enjoy reading a delightful book, going to the beach, combining the two by reading a delightful book on the beach, learning new facts, and taking a nap whenever possible.
Community Health Director
Vacant
The Community Health Director shall:
a) organize and monitor statewide health projects as deemed appropriate by the Executive Board;
b) distribute Community Health projects information to all schools;
c) prepare an appropriate Community Health project, in conjunction with the Vice President, for Annual Convention;
d) assist schools with organizing health fairs and projects;
e) maintain accurate files, information, and supplies to future chair; and
f) perform such duties as assigned by the President in accordance with the priorities and needs of the association
Resolutions Director
Prolex Jepngetich
Montgomery College - Takoma Park
Prolex Jepngetich is currently pursuing her associate degree in nursing (ADN) at Montgomery College and is going into her second semester. With a deep passion for healthcare and a commitment to providing compassionate patient care, Prolex's ultimate goal is to become a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) with a specialization in oncology. She actively participates in clinical rotations, gaining hands-on experience in various healthcare settings. After completing her associate degree in nursing, Prolex plans to transfer to the University of Maryland to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Additionally, she aims to obtain additional credentials like the Oncology Certified Nurse certificate to validate her expertise. While serving as Resolutions Director, Prolex plans to work collaboratively with other nursing students, student organizations, and community members to gather input and support for resolutions.
Public Relations Director
Vacant
Duties:
a) work closely with the Executive Board;
b) make contacts with the medical and news media to promote all workshops, conventions, health projects, and the Annual Convention to assure good attendance;
c) maintain an active MANS webpage, and maintain and update all MANS social media sites;
d) organize initiatives geared toward the acquisition of vendors and sponsors for the Annual Convention, and delegating tasks as appropriate; and
e) perform such duties as assigned by the President in accordance with the priorities and needs of the association.
Image of Nursing Director
Vacant
Duties:
a) promote to the public and Maryland Nursing School Chapters, activities of MANS which enhance the image of nursing and to create new ways for MANS to promote a professional, positive and realistic image of nursing among the nursing community in
Maryland; and
b) perform such duties as assigned by the President in accordance with the priorities and needs of the association.
Membership and Nominations Director
Vacant
Duties:
a) chair the Nominations Committee;
b) prepare a convention nominations slate and have all biographical information available to the membership at the annual meeting;
c) be responsible for screening the selection of nominees for office;
d) send biographical information and officer description to all schools;
e) work to fill positions on the Board in the event of resignation;
f) work in conjunction with the Secretary to compile an accurate mailing list of each school;
g) communicate monthly with all Board Members to maintain communication with schools;
h) assist schools, as needed to develop a membership recruitment period;
i) prepare membership incentive programs with the approval of the Executive Board;
j) be responsible for calculation of the number of delegates for each nursing program for the state convention in collaboration with the Executive Board;
k) contact, in writing, all constituency schools with the number of delegates, as identified by NSNA, that they will be allowed to have as representatives at the National
Convention; and
l) perform such duties as assigned by the President in accordance with the priorities and needs of the association.
Breakthrough to Nursing Director
Tsion Tesafaye
Montgomery College
Tsion Tesfaye is currently pursuing an Associate of Nursing degree at Montgomery College. With a passion for providing critical care and making a meaningful impact in the field of healthcare, Tsion aspires to specialize as either an ICU nurse or a neonatal nurse. After completing her associate degree, she plans to transfer to the University of Maryland to obtain her Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
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In her role as a member of the Maryland Association of Nursing Students Board of Directors, Tsion is dedicated to advocating for nursing students and enhancing their educational and professional experiences. She is actively involved in initiatives designed to support nursing students, including organizing conventions, facilitating networking opportunities, and ensuring access to valuable resources. Her leadership and advocacy efforts are aimed at fostering a supportive and enriching environment for current and future nursing professionals.
Legislative Director
Vacant
a) be responsible for attending legislative meetings, e.g., Maryland Nurses Association legislative committee meetings;
b) keep all Board Members and the statewide membership informed of all important legislation;
c) send letters to legislators when needed to inform them of Association’s view on a bill;
d) write legislative alerts when needed;
e) chair the MANS legislative committee;
f) be responsible for producing changes to the Bylaws at the Annual MANS state convention, and for submitting the changes to NSNA as stated in Article XII; and
g) perform such duties as assigned by the President in accordance with the priorities and needs of the association.
Advisors and Consultants
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Michele Harrell
Montgomery College
Dr. Michele Harrell is a professor at Montgomery College Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus. She believes in student empowerment and that every student can achieve academic success. Her passion is the mentorship of young students by teaching accountability, character development, and human resource utilization. As a clinician Dr. Harrell has experience as a critical care nurse focusing on adult and pediatric patients, and as a nurse specialist in leadership at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Dr. Harrell is dedicated to academic excellence and holds two doctoral degrees in education: Doctor of Education in Education Leadership (Ed.D) and Education Specialist in Education Leadership (Ed.S) both of which were achieved with honors. Additionally, she holds a Master of Arts in Public Education (MPA), a Master of Science in Nursing with a focus on Nursing Education (MSN, Ed.), a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Financial Systems (BSBA), and an Associates Degree in Nursing (ADN). Most recently she graduated as a fellow in the scholarship of teaching excellence at Montgomery College and as a fellow for the Nurse Leadership Institute at the University of Maryland. Dr. Harrell's professional certifications include Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) and Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) and she is a member of Kappa Delta Pi.
MANS MNA Consultant
Erin Rodriguez BSN, RN
Erin Rodriguez, BSN RN, is a critical care nurse at the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health. She is a member of the American Nurses Association and the Maryland Nurses Association. She previously sat on the MANS Board of Directors as the Secretary (2016-17) and then the President (2017-18). She is the former President of the Student Nurses Association of Harford Community College (2017-18). She is currently working on her Master's in Forensic Nursing at Stevenson University. She hopes to serve a role as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) within the Harford County area. She is also pursuing a certification as a trauma-informed yoga instructor geared to donating her time to victims and survivors of domestic abuse/intimate partner violence (DV/IPV) and sexual assault.
State RN Consultant
Ms. Sashay Brown, MSN, RNC-OB
Sashay is a certified registered nurse and clinical instructor specializing in Obstetrics. She received her nursing education from CCBC Essex as well as Towson University as an ATB student. Recently, she received her MSN in Nursing Informatics from Western Governor's University. Through her time in nursing school, she served as an active leader as her school's NSA president and as an executive board member for MANS. Her passion for the nursing profession and the advancement of nursing students into their careers has led her back to MANS where she currently holds the position as State RN Consultant. Here she hopes to continue to guide current and future nursing students on the path of leadership and success the same way that MANS has for her.