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North Central Region News
by: Bessie Schiroky, NCR Regional VP 2014-2016
As the holiday cheers started, I wish you all had wonderful Thanksgiving with your families and friends. I sincerely wish everyone too a very meaningful and blessed Christmas and a New Year filled with lots of hope, peace and joy in our hearts!
The NCR team had a face to face meeting in Las Vegas to discuss chapter and regional goals for the term. On top of NCR’s list is to increase membership and how to meet the goal of 30% increase that PNAA President Hermosa challenged chapters to achieve. Everyone agreed that the PNAA registration fee increase will make the task of recruitment and retention tougher. To overcome the challenges – we have to think of ways to improve our member services and to make being a PNAA member “more attractive”.
We thought of many ways to do these but we realize we direly need to have funds not only at the chapter level but also at the regional level to meet the goal. This led us to create the first regional fund - raiser, a 3K Walk during the April 24 - 25, 2015 NCR conference in Rosemont, Illinois. The host, PNA Illinois, along with the whole NCR team, has been busy preparing for this annual regional event. NCR invites everyone to participate and support the chapters of the NCR and enjoy the mid-western hospitality of your friends from the north! So please mark your calendars!
All the NCR chapters have been busy. In July, PNA Greater St, Louis inducted its new Executive Board , led by Jenjen Hazelbaker. Dino Doliente and I met with their members and I believe we succeeded in “revitalizing the troops” while there. PNA - Central Ohio had its induction in August with Evelyn continuing as President. Leticia Hermosa, PNAA President and I attended the induction along with representatives from PNA Indiana and the reps from PNA - Indiana and PNA - Northern Indiana. PNAA President Hermosa conducted a very successful “town hall meeting” with the PNA - Central Ohio members. There was a lively discussions and questions were answered with clarity.
In October, PNA - Indiana inducted its new executive board now led by Alma. Again, Letty Hermosa was able to meet with the members to address their concerns. Along with Leila and Lena , we visited the NCR conference venue and met with the facility manager. The NCR host chapter’s leaders collaborated with us to plot the details of our conference planning. We also welcomed Sonia Montano, the new PNA - Michigan President.
Sofy, our Membership Committee Chair, and I traveled to the Twin Cities to attend the PNA - Minnesota Education Day and I presented on the “values of PNAA”. Girlie Aviles, the PNA - Minnesota President had us meet the nurses from North Dakota and there was initial discussions about forming a PNA chapter in North Dakota. We also met with nurses in Rochester, MN to discuss the possibility of forming a subchapter or chapter. As progress is made these initial discussion, a follow - up report will be provided. NCR chapters were requested to submit articles so that the chapters of the NCR could share with upcoming events from the colder part of the country. The cold cannot stop us from continuing to serve PNAA!
The chapter presidents of the North Central Region are the following: Abby Villarroya - PNA - Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Evelyn Sugiyama - PNA - Central Ohio , Jessamine Endaya - PNA - Greater Kansas, Jenjen Hazelbaker - PNA - Greater St. Louis , Alma Jaromahum - PNA - Illinois , Mattie Upano - PNA - Indiana , Sonia Montano - PNA - Michigan , Gracie Aviles - PNA - Minnesota, Elena De Jesus - PNA - Northwest Indiana, Erlinda Gonzalez - PNA - Ohio, and Gem Cubos - PNA - Wisconsin. Elena De Jesus is the COPRR - NCR and the North Central Regional Vice President is Bessie Schiroky.