The Verran Professional Governance Team

     Dr. Joanne Clavelle is CEO of Clavelle Consulting, based in Arvada, Colorado, and is an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado College of Nursing. Her 46-year nursing career has spanned numerous senior level nurse executive roles within U.S. hospitals and health systems, most recently as Regional Vice President/Chief Nursing Officer–West for GetWellNetwork, System Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer for Scottsdale Healthcare, and later HonorHealth, and Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer for St. Luke’s Health System in Boise, Idaho.

     In addition, Dr. Clavelle has held senior positions leading community health improvement initiatives on the local, regional, and national level.  Dr. Clavelle has a Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Case Western Reserve University (Case), Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing.  Her most recent professional engagements include director-at large of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing and Chair of its Clinical Advisory Committee, as well as the editorial boards for the Journal of Nursing Administration and Healthcare Executive. 

     Dr. Clavelle is certified in nursing administration, advanced, by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Joanne was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing in 2019. She has received several recognitions, including the Arizona Top Women in Business Recognition from the Arizona Republic in 2015, and the Tribute to Women in Industry (TWIN) Award from the Women’s & Children’s Alliance in Boise, Idaho in 2010. 

     Dr. Clavelle is a well-known writer, presenter, and researcher on transformational leadership, structural empowerment, professional governance, nurse practitioner/physician collaborative practice, patient experience, and the impact of technology on transforming nursing practice. For the past 10 years, she has facilitated a nationally recognized research team in developing a conceptual model on professional governance in organizations and corollary measurement instrument: the Verran Professional Governance Scale.

     Paula Meek has investigated symptom monitoring, appraisal, treatment, and management for over 20 years. She has specialized in longitudinal measurement and the psychometric properties of instruments used to evaluate symptoms in both chronic and acute phases of illnesses. Dr. Meek’s post-doctoral work was in instrument development and has personally guided the development of twelve different instruments. Along with Dr. Joyce Verran, she has helped test the psychometric properties of the Verran Professional Governance Scale.

     Dr. Tim Porter-O’Grady has been a nurse for 49 years. He is currently senior partner-health systems for TPOG Associates LLC, an international health consulting practice in Tucson, AZ. Tim is an advanced practice nurse, board certified in geriatrics and wound specialties, and holds two earned doctorates, one in learning behavior and another in complex systems leadership. 

He has been Clinical Professor, Leadership Scholar at The Ohio State University, College of Nursing and Professor and Innovations Scholar at Arizona State University College of Nursing and Health Innovation, and is currently a Clinical Professor at Emory University, School of Nursing. He is nationally/internationally recognized as an expert/futurist in clinical health systems, nursing leadership, nursing professional governance, and health systems innovation. 

     Dr. Porter-O’Grady has consulted with over 300 clinical systems world-wide and has lectured at over 500 settings globally. He has authored/co-authored 26 books and over 225 journal publications and is a 10-time winner of the AJ N “Book of the Year Award”. 

Tim is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and a clinical fellow in the American College of Clinical Wound Specialists. Tim is immediate past Chair of the Board of the American Nurses Foundation, and currently serves on the board of Catholic Community Services, a community health system for the underserved in Tucson. He has also served on the editorial boards of five proctored healthcare journals. 

     Tim has received numerous awards including the American Organization of Nurse Leaders Lifetime Achievement Award, American Nurses Association Luther Christman Health Leadership Award, the American Association of Critical Care Nurses Healthcare Pioneer Award, the American Academy of Nursing, President’s Award, and is a 2020 inductee into the ANA Nursing Hall of Fame and a 2022 inductee into the Georgia Nurses Hall of Fame.

     Dr. Lindsey Tarasenko is a Children’s Hospital Colorado Pediatric Nurse Scientist and a University of Colorado College of Nursing Assistant Professor. She has experience as an adult and pediatric clinician and as a Magnet Program Director. She graduated from CU Nursing in 2019 with a Ph.D. focusing on healthcare systems research, and was awarded the Distinguished Dissertation Award for her use of mixed methods and tool development to examine relationships between work environment variables and workplace incivility and bullying perceived by nurse managers. As an early career nurse scientist, Dr. Tarasenko has dedicated her research to improve the nursing practice environment for clinicians and nurse leaders. 

     Dr. Tarasenko’s most recent research is a funded qualitative and quantitative longitudinal research study investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nursing practice by examining environmental and system changes. Findings indicated that when work aligns with nursing core values, nurses positively perceive their value and satisfaction within their role and organization. This work has led to recognizing the importance of nurses working at the top of their scope of practice, providing high-quality care through the application of evidence, and having structures to conduct professional reflection, interdisciplinary problem-solving, and decision-making about their practice. These are aspects of professional governance, and this study has supported the importance of organizations having effective structures, processes, and behaviors to support professional governance.

     Marla J. Weston has dedicated her career to improving the professional practice environment for nurses and the quality of care for patients. She currently focuses on assisting healthcare organizations, governmental agencies, and nonprofit associations with creating a positive practice environment, well-being for employees, leadership and board development, strategic planning, and enhancing value for their customers, members, and constituents. She serves as a strategic advisor to several start-up healthcare companies including Practicing Excellence, Mobella Health, MIDAS Healthcare Solutions, and Prolucent Health. She is a co-author of the blog, Calling the Leadership Circle.

     Marla has served as a nurse executive in hospitals, the government and, most recently, as the CEO of the American Nurses Association Enterprise. Her leadership in large-scale change and innovation transformed ANA into one of the fastest growing associations in membership and impact. Under her leadership, membership increased by over 40% and Forbes described ANA as “an increasingly politically powerful lobbying force in Washington and state capitals across the country.” Dr. Weston has overseen philanthropic and premier grants programs, securing multimillion dollars for various initiatives. 

     With her PhD in nursing and over 30 years in executive practice, she is sought out for her meeting facilitation, excellent public speaking, coaching and consultative approach, which enable organizations and individuals to integrate best practices, strategy, and innovation to produce substantive results. She speaks and publishes on improving health, wellness, resilience, and joy in nursing; building high performing teams; governance leadership; and transforming nursing for a postdigital era.

     In 2012, she was inducted as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and has received numerous awards including being selected by Modern Healthcare as one of the Top 25 Women in Healthcare in 2017 due to her leadership skills and accomplishments in health care, mentorship of female health care executives, and her contributions to health care at the local, state and national levels.