The Brenda Lyon Leadership Award recognizes extraordinary leadership in service to NACNS. It is named for Brenda Lyon, a founding member and the second president of NACNS, and is presented at NACNS’ Annual Conference.
This is awarded by the NACNS Board of Directors. Current board of directors not eligible.
2023
Erica Fischer-Cartlidge, DNP, RN, AOCNS, EBP-C
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2022
Kimberly Elgin DNP, APRN, ACNS-BC, PCCN, CMSRN
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2021
Vincent W. Holly, MSN, RN, CCRN, CCNS
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2020
Susan Dresser, PhD, RN APRN-CNS, CCRN, FCNS
Susan Dresser is an adult critical care CNS with over 30 years of experience in the care of the acutely ill cardiovascular patient. Over the course of her career she has remained an active member of NACNS- serving first on the Practice Committee in 2004 , as Director at Large, and Secretary of the Board of Directors from 2005-2010. She is a co-editor of the CNS Toolkit: A Guide for the New Clinical Nurse Specialist.
She is also active in the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, serving as a member of the 2018-2019 AACN Nominating Committee, and as the Lead Item Writer for the AGCNS exam review course. She is a clinical assistant professor and Director of the Adult-Gerontology CNS program at the University of Oklahoma Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing.
2019
Lisa Hopp, PhD, RN, FAAN
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2018
Brenda Lyon Leadership Award Winner Melissa Craft, PhD, APRN-CNS, AOCN, Assistant Professor, Interim Associate Dean for Academic Administration and Graduate Education and PhD Program Director, at the Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, for extraordinary leadership in service to NACNS.
2017

Cynthia Bautista, PhD, RN, CNRN, SCRN, CCNS, ACNS-BC, FNCS
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2016
Rachel Moody, MS, CNS, RN
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2015
Carol Manchester, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC, BC-ADM, CDE
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2014
Mary Fran Tracy, PhD, RN, CCNS, FAAN
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2013
Ann Mayo, DNSc., RN, FAAN
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2012
Sue Sendlebach
2010
Dr. Kelly Goudreau
2009
Dr. Peggy Gerard
2008
Dr. Angela Clark
2007
Jo Ellen Rust
2006
Janet Bingle
2005
Dr. Jan Fulton
2004
Dr. Brenda Lyon