Nurses Honored at NCNA Annual Convention

Nurses Honored at NCNA Annual Convention
Record-Breaking Crowd Celebrates Peers, Engages in Professional Development, and Discusses Ways to Prevent Burnout

September 23, 2026

RALEIGH, NC – A record-breaking crowd of nurses gathered in Concord last week to celebrate the nursing profession, give valuable continuing education, and map out strategies to prevent burnout amid the national nursing shortage. The North Carolina Nurses Association’s (NCNA) 119^th Annual Convention drew more than 650 registrants, believed to be the largest Convention crowd ever and beating all recent attendance numbers by well over 100.

NCNA honored more than a dozen nurses and workplaces with awards, celebrated the graduation of its newest Leadership Academy, and took a forward-looking approach to an incredibly important topic with this year’s Statewide Membership Forum: Nurse Mental Health & Well-Being: Creating a Healthy Culture Where Nurses Thrive.

"We are seeing a great amount of enthusiasm from nurses demanding we have a say in how the profession evolves. Nurses are facing challenges from a variety of directions, and we do not intend to passively allow healthcare to change without our input,” said NCNA President Bonnie Davis Meadows, MSN, APRN, ACCNS-AG. “The conversations during our Membership Forum proved that we have nurses all across North Carolina who are determined to steer our profession with intent."

NCNA members Victoria Soltis-Jarrett, of Apex, and Margaret “Peggy” Chamberlain Wilmoth, of Chapel Hill, were both inducted into NCNA’s Hall of Fame. Soltis-Jarrett is a past NCNA Board member and a nationally-recognized expert in mental health. Wilmoth is also a past NCNA Board member, as well as a past Interim Dean of the UNC Chapel Hill School of Nursing and a retired Major General in the United States Army Reserve.

See below for the full list of nurses and others honored in 2026. NCNA members are designated in bold.

Awards Granted

Hall of Fame

Victoria Soltis-Jarrett, of Apex
Margaret “Peggy” Chamberlain Wilmoth, of Chapel Hill

Nurse of the Year Awards

Health Systems Nurse of the Year: Maria Orsini, of Butner
Administration Nurse of the Year: Carmen Smith, of Concord
Research Nurse of the Year: Ya-Ke “Grace” Wu, of Chapel Hill

Board of Director Awards

Legislator of the Year: Sen. Gale Adcock, of Cary
Mentorship in Nursing Award: Sara Hubbell, of Cary
Rookie of the Year: Maggie Murphy, of Durham
Outstanding Service Award: Karen Marshall, of Charlotte
Benefactor of the Year: Community Care of North Carolina

Best Practice Awards

Caring for Each Other: Cone Health Behavioral Center
Caring for Others: Fayetteville NC VA Coastal Health Care System

2026 Leadership Academy Cohort

Karen Amen, of Mebane
Caroline Baugess, of Burlington
Nicholas Biondo, of Apex
Jamie Bunn, of Kenly
Anna Churgai, of Bolivia
Angela Cozart, of Creedmoor
Rebecca Dannelly, of Charlotte
Erin Devine, of Charlotte
Jennifer Easterling, of Durham
Drew Flammia, of Raleigh
Jennipher Frederick, of New Bern
Bethany Gallagher, of Raleigh
Michal Glass, of Waxhaw
Erika Natira Holmes, of Charlotte
Lisa Johnson, of Red Springs
Christina Liverman, of Lawndale
Betty Marlin, of Charlotte
Shayla Parker, of Raleigh
Alexandra Ray Brown, of Charlotte
Nicole Sanders, of New Bern
Jennie Sass, of Concord
Heather Sodee, of Mint Hill
Toshia Swinson, of Raleigh

Scholarship Recipients through the North Carolina Foundation for Nursing

Mary Lewis Wyche Fellowship

Blaise Nieve, of Durham
Anna Woody, of Tarboro
Audrey Cooke, of Greensboro
Darlene Listopad, of Mebane

Eunice M. Smith Scholarship

Diamond Staton-Williams, of Harrisburg
Gentry Ridgeway, of Raleigh
Jacob Flowers, of Mint Hill
Tia Wackerhagen, of Charlotte

Triad Region Scholarship

Korey Hickling, of Greensboro
Caroline Baugess, of Burlington

Southwest Region Scholarship

Melissa Robinson, of Concord

MEDIA CONTACT
Chris Cowperthwaite, CAE, APR
Director of Membership and Stakeholder Engagement
(919) 821-4250 or chriscowperthwaite@ncnurses.org

ABOUT NCNA
As the leading professional organization for North Carolina’s registered nurses, we equip nurses at all stages to thrive in an ever-changing healthcare environment. NCNA helps keep North Carolina nurses on the cutting edge of nursing practice, policy, education, and more. Join us as we work to advance nursing and ensure high-quality healthcare for everyone.

Established in 1902, NCNA provides continuing education, networking and legislative advocacy for registered nurses throughout North Carolina. For more information, please visit www.ncnurses.org.

MISSION STATEMENT
The North Carolina Nurses Association serves the changing needs of its members, addresses nursing issues, and advocates for the health and well-being of all people.