Welcome NAHN 2026-2027 Leaders
We are delighted to announce the results of the recent NAHN Board elections. The newly elected leaders will begin their two-year terms on July 17, 2026. We extend our congratulations to each of the members who will guide our organization forward. NAHN Board of Directors PresidentGrace Grau, DNP, RN, ACNP-BC, AACC, FAAN Dr. Grace Grau, DNP, CRNP, AACC, FAAN, is President of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN), where she leads the organization's national efforts to advance Hispanic nursing, strengthen the leadership pipeline, and improve the health of Hispanic communities through advocacy, education, research, and service. Dr. Grau's relationship with NAHN began in 1985 while she was a nursing student at Jackson Memorial School of Nursing, beginning more than four decades of service to the profession. She launched her healthcare career in 1983 as an Emergency Medical Technician before earning her nursing diploma from Jackson Memorial School of Nursing in 1986. She later earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Miami, a Master of Science in Nursing as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Her career has spanned emergency and critical care, behavioral health, cardiology, advanced practice nursing, academia, and health policy. From 2011 until retiring from full-time clinical practice in 2021, Dr. Grau served as a Nurse Practitioner in UAB Medicine's Structural Heart and Interventional Cardiology Division while simultaneously serving on the UAB School of Nursing faculty, teaching undergraduate and graduate nursing students. She currently serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at UAB and volunteers as a Nurse Practitioner at the Community of Hope Clinic in Pelham, Alabama. Continue reading her full bio here.  President ElectArmando Riera, MSN, AANP-C, AHP Board Liaison to Education Committee  SecretaryAlicia Truelove, MSN, RN, CV-BC, NPD-BC Board Liaison to Bylaws Committee and Communications Committee Alicia Truelove, MSN, RN, CV-BC, NPD-BC, is a nationally recognized nursing leader and International rare disease advocate. With over 20 years of experience in healthcare, Alicia has dedicated her career to advancing the nursing profession while ensuring all people have the ability to live healthy lives through equitable access to care. Alicia’s passion for rare disease advocacy is both professional and personal. Diagnosed with a rare condition herself, she brings an unparalleled depth of insight into the complexities and gaps that patients and providers face in navigating these often-overlooked conditions. Her dual perspective makes her an invaluable voice in the broader rare disease conversation. Alicia contributes to international initiatives focused on educating healthcare professionals about the challenges associated with rare diseases. She works to ensure that nurses worldwide are equipped with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to recognize and support patients living with rare conditions. Throughout her career, Alicia has been a powerful advocate for nurse engagement in policy and for elevating the visibility of rare disease within the healthcare system. Her belief that #WeAreAllPatients drives her mission to ensure that every patient, regardless of background, receives compassionate, competent, and equitable care. Balancing her professional endeavors with her role as a mother of two, Alicia continues to inspire colleagues and community members alike. Her work bridges the clinical and policy worlds, advancing a future where those who seek healthcare are seen, heard, and supported at every level of care.  TreasurerRocio Olvera, MSN, RN, DNP(c) Board Liaison to Finance Committee  Past PresidentVeronica Vital, PhD, MLS, RN Dr. Veronica Vital has 26 years of nursing experience in academia, research, pediatrics, women’s health, and community health. She completed her Master of Legal Studies in 2021 and PhD in Nursing in 2013 from the University of Arizona. Dr. Vital received her BSN in 1998 and MSN in 2005 from Arizona State University. She is currently an Assistant Professor at Alverno College. Dr. Vital has been a member of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) since 1997, and she is the current President of NAHN. Throughout her capacity as a NAHN national leader, she served on the Board of Directors for seven years as the Bylaws Committee Chair and the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee Chair. Additionally, she served a term as the Nominating Committee Chair. Locally, Dr. Vital served multiple terms as President and Vice President of the Phoenix Chapter. She successfully led NAHN national initiatives in Phoenix such as the MueveteUSA project; Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA); All of Us Research Program in Latino Communities; and Pfizer Vaccine Partnership. She also co-led the Mentorship Academy. Dr. Vital is dedicated to advancing health equity and addressing health disparities. She is a nursing champion and serves on community advisory boards addressing health inequities locally and nationally. Dr. Vital serves as an Executive Committee member for the Nurses on Boards Coalition and is a Board of Director for the National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurse Association (NCEMNA). Dr. Vital is also a member of the Steering Committee for the National Minority Health Alliance, and she served on the U.S. Office of Health and Human Services: Advisory Committee on Minority Health for the Office of Minority Health. Dr. Vital was the recipient of the 2022 March of Dimes Arizona Distinguished Nurse of the Year Award, 2020 March of Dimes Arizona Nurse of the Year Award: Outpatient/Community and Public Health, the R.A.I.N. Beatrice Castigalia-Catullo Founders Award Honoring Women of Influence in 2017, and the Profiles of Success 2014 Latino Excellence in Health & Sciences Award.  Board MemberErika Alfaro, BSN, PHN Board Liaison to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee Erika Alfaro is a Mexican immigrant who grew up in the Bay Area California surrounded by parks and green spaces. She earned her BSN from San Francisco State University and has spent the past 6 years combining her passion for nursing and environmental health. Erika is a former Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments fellow. She is part of California Nurses for Environmental Health and Justice, where she serves as co-chair of the Farmworker, Food, and Agriculture Committee and is also a proud Safe Agriculture Safe Schools Member and continues her advocacy efforts by serving on the California Environmental Protection Agency, Dept for Pesticide Regulation Environmental Advisory Committee. She is also a past president of the San Francisco Golden Gate Chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, where she launched a mentorship program for Latine nurses. Erika is passionate about empowering other nurses to advocate for their communities.  Board MemberAbraham Delgado, BSN, RN Board Liaison to Membership Committee  Board MemberMelissa Hladek, PhD, CRNP, FNP-BC, FAAN Board Liaison to Awards & Scholarships Committee Melissa deCardi Hladek, PhD, CRNP, FNP-BC, FAAN, is an Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. Her research focuses on behavior change, aging, and social determinants of health, with an emphasis on how stress, self-efficacy, and sociocultural factors influence chronic disease, particularly cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome and frailty. She uses community-partnered approaches to develop strengths-based interventions that address symptom burden, function, home environment, communication, and digital literacy. Her work is funded through multiple NIH Institutes and the John A. Hartford Foundation. Dr. Hladek is Principal Faculty for the School of Nursing’s Center on Equity in Aging and Core Faculty for the University’s Center on Aging and Health. She is regularly invited to contribute to national conversations around person-centeredness, health policy, aging policy, social determinants of health, and technology. As a Puerto Rican American, she is a Faculty Advisor to the Hopkins Latine Student Nurses Association and Immediate Past-President for the NAHN DC Metro Chapter. She maintains a clinical practice in a Central and South American immigrant population since 2010.  Board MemberAdrienne Martinez-Hollingsworth, PhD, RN, PHN, WAN Board Liaison to Policy & Advocacy Committee Adrienne Martinez-Hollingsworth, PhD, RN, PHN, WAN, is a nurse scientist, health services researcher, and conceptual theorist committed to advancing health equity for Latino and medically underserved communities. She serves as Director of Research & Evaluation at the AltaMed Institute for Health Equity, where she leads applied research spanning artificial intelligence, disaster response and recovery, workforce wellbeing, and equitable access to care. Dr. Martinez-Hollingsworth is also a researcher at UCLA and a Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators Alumna at UC Davis. Within NAHN, she is dedicated to strengthening nursing research and evidence-based practice, mentoring emerging nurse scholars, and elevating the voice and impact of Hispanic nurses in research, leadership, and health policy. She currently serves as the Chair of the Policy & Advocacy Committee.  Board MemberJimmy Reyes, PhD, DNP Board Liaison to Evidence-Based Practice & Research Governance Committee These individuals bring a wealth of experience and dedication to their roles, and we look forward to their contributions to the growth and success of NAHN! |
