Certification Board Takes Office for FY27

ALISO VIEJO, Calif. – July 8, 2026 – AACN Certification Corporation – the credentialing arm of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) – announces its Board of Directors for fiscal year 2027, with terms effective July 1, 2026.

AACN Certification Corporation drives patient health and safety through comprehensive credentialing of acute and critical care nurses, advancing practice consistent with standards of excellence. To carry out its mission, the corporation offers 10 specialty, subspecialty and advanced practice nursing certification programs and has granted more than 140,000 certifications.

Jodi Berndt, PhD, RN, CCRN, PCCN, CNE, CNEcl, CHSE, begins the second year of a three-year term as chair of the AACN Certification Corporation Board of Directors. She is an associate professor of nursing at College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University in St. Joseph, Minnesota.

“As a voluntary process, certification points to nurses’ commitment to career development and dedication to patient care, particularly as healthcare becomes increasingly complex and challenging,” Berndt said. “It demonstrates to employers and colleagues their commitment to using the best evidence to provide care for patients and families.”

Carol Olff, DNP, RN, CCRN, NEA-BC, serves a two-year term as chair-elect of the board. She is director of critical care services at John Muir Health, Concord Medical Center in Concord, California.

Stephen Holman, MSN, AGACNP-BC, ACNPC-AG, CCRN-CSC-CMC, serves a one-year term as secretary/treasurer and begins his third year as a director. He is a nurse practitioner in cardiothoracic surgery at VCU Health in Richmond, Virginia.

Joining the board are Lisa Ayers, DNP, MSN, BSN, RN, CCRN-CSC-CMC, and Lisa-Mae Williams, PhD, RN, CPAHA. Ayers is a staff RN in the Cardiovascular Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento, California. Williams is chief nursing officer at Intercept Telehealth, Weston, Florida. They both serve three-year terms as directors.

Myra Ellis, MSN, RN, CCRN, continues her role as immediate past chair. She worked in critical care throughout her 46-year nursing career, with the last 35 years focused on the care of cardiothoracic surgical patients.

Continuing on the AACN Certification Corporation board with Dana Woods, MBA, AACN chief executive officer, are the following directors:

• Kathleen Siedlecki continues serving on the board as consumer representative. She is the founder of KAS Strategies, Chico, California, where she designs programs to raise awareness, engage thought leaders, influence health policy, mobilize advocates and motivate positive health behavior.
• Erika Simon, MSN-Ed, RN, CCRN, continues a three-year term as a director. She is a professional practice program manager and the leadership liaison for the Clinical Ladder Committee at Northern Arizona Healthcare, Flagstaff.

Each year, two members of the AACN Board of Directors serve concurrent one-year terms on the AACN Certification Corporation board:

• Kelly Carter, MS, RN, NE-BC, nursing director of the Surgery Nursing Division at VCU Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia
• Dannette Mitchell, MSN, APRN, ACNS-BC, CCRN, FCNS, a clinical nurse specialist who focuses on improving patient outcomes by advancing nursing practice at ChristianaCare, Newark, Delaware

About AACN Certification Corporation: Established in 1976, AACN Certification Corporation, the credentialing arm of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, drives patient health and safety through comprehensive credentialing of acute and critical care nurses, advancing practice consistent with standards of excellence. Currently, more than 138,000 acute and critical care nurses hold AACN Certification Corporation credentials.

About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses: For more than 55 years, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has been dedicated to acute and critical care nursing excellence. The organization’s vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. AACN is the world’s largest specialty nursing organization, with more than 136,000 members and about 170 chapters in the United States.

American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
27071 Aliso Creek Road, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656; 949-362-2000; www.aacn.org