History

The Minority Nurse Leadership Institute was founded in 1999 by a team of visionary educators and nurse leaders, Ms. Ana Martinez. Ms. Conzuelo Salazar, Ms. Norma Esperanza, Ms. Deanna Johnson, and Dr. Adrienne Steplight-Johnson. These visionaries know that the future of health care in urban communities throughout the state hinges on developing culturally competent nurse leaders. Moreover, they recognized that these leaders needed to be empowered to overcome political, social, and cultural barriers that impede access to leadership positions.

Through a series of monthly workshops presented by nationally known minority nurse leaders such as Dr. Beverly Malone and Dr. Rhetaugh Dumas, as well as experts from other disciplines, MNLI provided participants the opportunity to see themselves in a different way. They gained insight into their strengths and weaknesses and learned how to cope with the day-to-day challenges and workplace politics. As the participants became more aware of healthcare delivery issues in our urban communities, they became better prepared to effect change.

Similar to today, the objectives of MNLI were to improve personal, professional, and strategic planning; build self-awareness, confidence, communication skills, and effective leadership styles; promote an understanding of the new leadership paradigm in the reformed healthcare environment of the future; promote opportunities for learning new ways of handling diversity, ethnic issues, and public policy with the healthcare arena; and to enhance negotiation skills and effectiveness in developing relationships with managed care providers, professional associations, corporations, and educational institutions

The Inaugural Cohort of MNLI Fellows (1999-2000) included: Marlene Allison, MPH, RN; Jacqueline Bell-Bowne, MS, RN, CS; Michalene Bowman, MSN, RN; Annie Brown, MSN, RN; Jean Clark, MS, RN; Doris Clarke-Lewis, MSN, RN; Bernice Dillard, MS, RN, FNP; Debra Duhart-Ball, BSN, RN; Cheryl Hamilton, BSN, RN; Shanda Johnson, BSN, RN; Diane Marshburn, BA, RN; Teresa Nwaneri, MSN, RN; Phyllis Pass, BS, RN; Sharon Pearson, BSN, RN; Luis Pojas, BSN, RN; Sandra Sanchez-Zuti, AD, RN; Luretha Stribling, MS, RN; Mary Tistler, MSN, RN; Jacinta Ukah-Ogbonna, BSN, RN; Majorie Walcott, BSN, RN.

Their team of mentors included: Golden Bethune, MS, RN; Gloria Boseman, MS, RN; Jean Calman Smith, BS, RN; Minnie Campbell, PhD, RN; Christopher Coleman, PhD, RN, CS; Cynthia Degazon, PhD, RN; Sylvia Edge, MA, RN; Ruben Fernandez, MA, RN; Carolyn Franklin, MS, RN; Joan Harewood, MS, RN; Beverly Henderson, BA, RN; Claudia Houston, MSA, BS, RN; Harriet Johnson, MS, RN; Jeannine La Rue, BA; Gloria McNeal, PhD, CS, RN; Sandra McQueen, MS, RN; Dula Paquio, PhD, RN; Joy Peck, MA, MEd, RN; Olivia Sims, MS, RN; Mary Singletary, MS, RN; Charlotte Thomas-Hawkins, PhD, RN; and Yvonne Wesley, MS, RN.

Supporting organizations included: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey College of Nursing; The NJ State Commission on Higher Education; NJ Educational Opportunity Fund; the Department of Health and Human Services; the Kellogg Foundation; the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; New Jersey Council of Black Nurses; Concerned Black Nurses of Newark, Inc.; New Jersey Chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses; Northern New Jersye Black Nurses Association Inc.; Concerned Black Nurses of Central New Jersey; South Jersey Chapter of the National Black Nurses Association Inc.; Mid State Black Nurses Association of New Jersey; Philippine Nurses Association of New Jersey.