Board Members
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Carolyn Jo McCormies, DNP, FNP-BC, RN
Board PresidentMrs. McCormies has been a Registered Nurse for 30 years and is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She has a special focus on rural healthcare, where she practices as an advanced practice provider and has practiced in most areas of nursing. She has had the privilege of traveling to Honduras on medical missions and writing NCLEX© test questions. Carolyn is a Board Member of the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and a District Board member of Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center.
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She graduated with an Associate’s degree from Mesa Community College, then received a Bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University, an MS in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner from Arizona State University and a DNP from Grand Canyon University. Her greatest accomplishments are being a wife, mother and grandmother. Her professional memberships include the Arizona Nurses Association, the American Nurses Association, National League for Nursing, the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing, and Sigma Theta Tau.
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Dr. Lawanda Dupree, DNP, APRN, FNP-C
Vice PresidentDr. Dupree, is a board-certified, doctoral-prepared Family Nurse Practitioner with more than 20 years of progressive healthcare experience. She began her career as a Certified Nursing Assistant and advanced through multiple clinical and leadership roles, gaining a comprehensive understanding of nursing across the continuum of care.
Dr. Dupree earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Grand Canyon University, her Master of Science in Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner from the University of Phoenix, and her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Frontier Nursing University.
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For the past decade, her clinical expertise and professional passion have centered on serving underserved communities. She has collaborated extensively with non-profit organizations focused on advancing health equity, improving access to care, and addressing social determinants of health. As an educator, Dr. Dupree is committed to shaping the future of advanced practice nursing and currently serves as full-time graduate faculty, preparing emerging APRNs to deliver safe, competent, and equitable care.
In addition to her academic and community work, Dr. Dupree founded a family practice clinic eight years ago in an underserved area, which continues to operate and serve the community in her absence. She remains dedicated to the populations she serves, now practicing in another region of the valley and continuing to partner with community organizations and healthcare providers on local health initiatives, including social determinants of health.
Dr. Dupree’s unwavering commitment to service, education, and community leadership continues to advance the health and well-being of the most vulnerable populations.
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Lisa Smith, PhD, RN, CNE
Board Secretary / Board MemberDr. Smith has been a registered nurse for 40 years with over fifteen years experience in hospital management and executive nursing administration, and 20 years in higher education. She received her PhD in Nursing from Barry University in Miami, Florida in 2012. She currently serves as the Dean of Nursing and Healthcare Professions at Grand Canyon University.
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Carmen Hill-Mekoba, DNP, APRN-BC
Board MemberDr. Carmen Hill-Mekoba, DNP, APRN-BC is an adult and geriatric Nurse Practitioner. Over twenty years ago, she began her nursing career in the hospital working in cardiac and critical care areas. After leaving the hospital setting, she began working as a Workers Compensation Case Manager and progressed to the occupational health environment. As an occupational health nurse, she provided leadership to the Linden, New Jersey and Doraville, Georgia medical departments at General Motors Corporation for eight years.
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Over fifteen years ago, she resigned from General Motors and incorporated her own business in which she provided medical house calls to the elderly and consultative services to corporations for wellness initiatives. For 5 ½ years, she was working in a leadership position as the Senior Vice President of Clinical Services for Matrix Medical Network which is an organization that delivers innovative healthcare initiatives in the home, as well as the community. She is currently the Vice President of Clinical Services Delivery for Accolade Incorporated, a clinical advocacy company that works with employers to help employees navigate through the healthcare delivery system. She has also taught as adjunct faculty for RN to BSN, nurse practitioner, as well as doctoral students at Simmons College of Nursing, Chamberlain University, the University of Texas at Arlington, and Boise State University.
Dr. Hill-Mekoba earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey. In 2010, she completed a post master’s certificate at the University of Massachusetts in the Family Nurse Practitioner program. Additionally, in May of 2011, she graduated from Georgia Southern University with a doctorate degree in nursing practice. She has also served on the Board of Directors for the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses. Her practice philosophy is based on empowering patients with the knowledge that is needed to improve overall health and wellness.
Volunteerism and stewardship play an intricate role in Dr. Hill-Mekoba’s life. For the last several years, she has served as program chair for Hashtag Lunch bag in Phoenix which is an organization that coordinates events to pack and distribute bagged lunches to the homeless with inspirational notes of encouragement. Additionally, she has led a Mentoring in Medicine program in the city of Atlanta where students enrolled in the city’s public school system were invited to participate in activities focused on the health sciences.
Dr. Hill-Mekoba has been married for over twenty-five years and is the mother of three children. She resided in Georgia for thirteen years, but was born and raised in New Jersey. Her relocation to Arizona occurred over 5 years ago.
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Angela Fountain, DNP, CRNA
Board MemberDr. Fountain received her Doctorate of Nursing Practice in 2019 from Arizona State University, Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia in 2013 from Wolford College, and Master of Science in Nursing in 2010 from Grand Canyon University. She is a member of American Association of Nurse Anesthetists and Arizona Association of Nurse Anesthetists. Her areas of expertise or clinical interest include Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Workplace Incivility.
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Christine T.D Ellis, BSN, RN
Board MemberChristine T. D. Ellis (BSN, RN) is a registered nurse, serving the community with over thirty years of elder care experience. Nineteen years ago, she saw the vision for her own company and founded Cedar Sanctuary LLC, realizing that families needed an alternative to the "mass-care" approach in caring for their loved ones.
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Prior to establishing Cedars Sanctuary, Christine worked as an RN for many large established hospitals and care facilities, holding many high-level positions, such as Director of Nursing in the Phoenix-Metropolitan area. Her focus has been primarily on assisted living homes, and Christine has devoted countless hours to advocating for improvements in the industry through education and action.
She has received appointments by the Governor to serve on many different boards representing assisted living homes. Her life-long goal is to serve her community with the idea of developing the next generation of caregivers with attention to the spirit, soul, and body. She taught medical assistant and certified nursing assistant classes for many years in Arizona’s community colleges.
In addition to the years of caring for the elderly, she was also inspired and directed to pursue another passion: feeding the needy/homeless. She has been part of the foundation of the Foothills Community Services/The Bridge Ministry for over 17 years which helps feed the local homeless population and provides for their spiritual needs, partnering with countless other ministries in Arizona.
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Dr. Margi Schultz, PhD, RN, CNE, PLNC, FAADN
Board MemberDr. Margi Schultz is an independent nurse consultant specializing in nursing education pathways, transition to practice, and legal nurse consulting for her own business, ACES Nurse Consulting. Prior to this adventure, she served as the Administrator for MaricopaNursing for many years. Dr. Schultz holds an AAS in Nursing, a BSN, MSN, and a Ph.D. in Education with a focus in online nursing education. Dr. Schultz worked as a staff LPN and RN in pediatrics and critical care, where she discovered her passion for education while serving as the Educator of Critical Care Services at a valley hospital system. She is committed to serving our Arizona communities and currently lives with her husband and several wonderful cats in the White Mountains of Arizona.
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Terri Berrigan, LPN, CA-AL
Board MemberWith over 30 years of nursing experience, Terri is a dedicated healthcare professional specializing in Senior Living. For more than 25 years, she has held various leadership roles, currently serving as the Divisional Director for the West, Brookdale at Home.
Terri’s commitment to excellence is reflected in her certifications in Assisted Living, Dementia Care and Geriatrics. She has also contributed to the nursing community as a Past President of the American Assisted Living nurses Association (AALNA) and previously served on the State Board of Nursing in various capacities, including board member, Secretary and Vice President. Additionally, she is a past member of the Arizona ALFA and served on Public Policy.
Passionate about enhancing the Quality of Care for Seniors, Terri continues to advocate for the best practices in Nursing and Senior Living.
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Suzette Lacy, RN, BSN, MHA
Board MemberSuzette Lacy, RN, BSN, MHA is a committed nursing professional with extensive experience in both clinical care and healthcare leadership. She has a robust background in Women's Health, Critical Care, and Medical-Surgical/Telemetry Nursing.
Ms. Lacy began her nursing journey in 1997, earning her Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) from Northwest College. She continued her academic advancement by obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from the University of Wyoming in 2007. Demonstrating a commitment to leadership in the healthcare field, in August 2025 she was awarded a Master of Health Administration (MHA) at the University of Phoenix.
With decades of hands-on experience, Ms. Lacy is a passionate advocate for high-quality patient care and the continued professional development of nurses.
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Kyra Locnikar
Public MemberMs. Locnikar received her Bachelor of Arts from ASU in 1999 and Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology (Arizona School of Professional Psychology) in 2002. She has a Doctoral Candidate status from Argosy University.
Kyra is a previous Board Member of the Arizona Board of Cosmetology and served two terms on the Arizona Board of Pharmacy. Other experiences include a two-year internship at the State Hospital, Valley Wise Hospital and Maricopa Jail system.
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Ms. Locnikar has extensive knowledge and experience in aesthetic medicine, addiction medicine, medical device, pharmacy, oncology, REMS, pain management, biotechnology, surgical instruments, pharmaceuticals and clinical new business development
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Bahney Dedolph
Public MemberBahney brings a wealth of experience in human services, policy, and education to the board. Ms. Bahney's extensive career includes direct practice, crisis intervention, program development and management, and advocacy.
A resident of Phoenix for nearly three decades, she retired from her full-time position as the Deputy Director of the Arizona Council of Human Service Providers. In this role, her key accomplishments included contributing to the reform of the Board of Behavioral Health Examiners and advancing Jake’s Law to promote mental health parity. She also collaborated with Dr. Bruce Perry to develop the Neurosequential Model in Caregiving, a specialized training program for foster, adoptive, and kinship families.
Ms. Bahney is a dedicated lifelong learner. She earned a Bachelor of Social Work from George Williams College, a Master of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Anthropology from Texas Tech University, and a postgraduate certificate in Social Work from the University of Denver. Furthermore, she has augmented her formal education with extensive training throughout her career.
Her passion for education has extended to teaching at community colleges and universities across Arizona and beyond. Currently, she shares her creative talents by teaching fused glass art at Milkweed Arts AZ.