Board of Directors
Mona Pearl Treyball
PhD, RN, CNS, CCRN-K, FAAN, Colonel (Retired), USAF
President/Executive Director
Dr. Pearl Treyball is a Professor and Director of MS and DNP degree programs in Veteran and Military Health Care as a specialty in nursing practice for those who care for service members, Veterans, and their families. As Chair of the American Academy of Nursing Military-Veteran Expert Panel, Dr. Pearl Treyball leads a group to codify the Scope and Standards of Practice of Military-Veteran Nursing. Dr. Pearl Treyball is the first Interim President of the Association of Military-Veteran Nursing. Dr. Pearl Treyball served on the American Nurses Association Committee on Nursing Practice Standards (past Chair) and was instrumental in revising the 2025 Code of Ethics for Nurses on Expert Panel. Dr. Pearl Treyball served in the US Air Force Nurse Corps for 22 years, with assignments as Inspector General, Commander, Director of the Medical Directorate for the Air Force Reserve, and Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force. She has taught at six universities over the last 25 years, with research focused on the military population. As a nurse of over 40 years, she is passionate about providing specialty care for service members, veterans, and families and innovation across health care.
Paula M. Neira
JD, MSN, RN, CEN, FAAN
Secretary/Parliamentarian
Paula M. Neira graduated with distinction from Annapolis in 1985. After her Naval service, she became a nurse, specializing in emergency nursing, nursing education, and LGBTQ+ healthcare policy. She currently serves as the Johns Hopkins Medicine Program Director of LGBTQ+ Equity and Education. A lawyer since 2001, Paula helped lead efforts to repeal the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law and change military regulations to allow for transgender military service. In 2020, she was inducted as a Fellow into the American Academy of Nursing in recognition of her leadership in advancing diversity and inclusion both in the Armed Forces and in healthcare. She is the first United States Service Academy graduate to achieve this honor in American nursing. In 2016, she was named a sponsor of the USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO 206) by the Secretary of the Navy, and in November 2021, she christened the ship in San Diego.
Deborah J. Kenny
PhD, RN, FAAN
Treasurer
Dr. Deborah Kenny, United States Army Nurse Corps (retired), received her BSN in 1975; EdM in 1983, MSN in 1986; PhD in Nursing in 2002; and MA in Bioethics in 2021. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Bioethics. Her nursing career spans 50 years, including 24 years in the Army Nurse Corps. Dr. Kenny is Associate Professor and Division Chair for the Health Systems graduate programs at the College of Nursing for the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. She received numerous awards from the military including the Legion of Merit and Defense Meritorious Service Medal. She is a member of the Order of Military Medical Merit. In 2008 she was named as Outstanding Alumna for the University of Massachusetts Graduate School. In 2010, she was inducted as a Fellow in the prestigious American Academy of Nursing. She has been honored with numerous awards for her research, teaching, professional service, and community service.
Ali R. Tayyeb
Ph.D., RN, NPD-BC, PHN, FAAN
Scholarship/Professional Development
Dr. Ali R. Tayyeb is a United States Navy Veteran, having served as a Fleet Marine Force Corpsman with Naval Medical Center San Diego, 1st Marine Division, and 3rd Marine Division.
Dr. Tayyeb earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from California State University, Los Angeles, and his Ph.D. from the University of San Diego.
A sought-after speaker and consultant, Dr. Tayyeb is the CEO and founder of RN Mentor Consulting and the Creator of the RN-Mentor Podcast.
Dr. Tayyeb holds positions leading efforts to elevate the scope of Ambulatory Care Nursing at one of the nation’s largest FQHCs and serves as Chief Research Consultant for the Los Angeles County Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, where he leads efforts in reducing Veterans’ Suicide for the county of Los Angeles. Dr. Tayyeb is also the Advocacy lead for the American Nurses Association / California’s Veterans health campaign. Dr. Tayyeb holds faculty positions at multiple Universities in Southern California.
Dr. Tayyeb is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and serves on the Academy’s Military and Veterans Health Expert Panel.
Members - At - Large
Susan Budassi Sheehy
PhD, RN, FAEN, FAAN
Dr. Sheehy served on active duty in the US Army Nurse Corps and as a flight nurse in the US Air Force Reserves. She received a BS and PhD in Nursing from Boston College, an MSN in Cardiovascular Nursing from the Catholic University of America, and an MS in Health Policy and Clinical Outcomes Research from Dartmouth College. Her background includes emergency/trauma/flight nursing, spinal cord injuries, Military and Veterans’ health and wellness, process improvement, and evidence-based practice. She was a faculty member at the Uniformed Services University Daniel K Inouye Graduate School of Nursing and the F Hebert School of Medicine, where she received the GSN Dean’s Award for Outstanding Faculty. In 2020, she was named Honorary Commander of the Delaware National Guard. The Emergency Nurses Association honored her with their Lifetime Achievement Award and the Judith Kelleher Award - ENA’s highest honor. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and the Academy of Emergency Nursing. She is a past president of the Emergency Nurses Association and the Emergency Nursing Foundation. She is the author of over 80 journal articles and the author/editor of 12 editions of Emergency Nursing textbooks. She has presented and continues to present statewide, nationally, and internationally, most recently on the care of Military Members, Veterans, and their families in civilian healthcare and the “Have You Ever Served” AAN initiative. She and her therapy dog, Abby, are regular visitors at the VA Community Living Center in Wilmington, DE.
Alicia Gill Rossiter
DNP, APRN, FNP, PPCNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN
Dr. Alicia Gill Rossiter, is an Associate Professor at the University of South Florida College of Nursing serving as Chief Officer of Military and Veteran Affairs and V-CARE Veteran to BSN Pathway Director. Dr. Rossiter is a combat Veteran who served in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps on active duty for four years and the U.S. Air Force Nurse Corps Reserve for 20 years. Her military experience is the impetus behind her research which includes women veterans and military sexual trauma, educating providers to care for Veterans, transitioning needs of medics and corpsmen into the professional role of nursing, and the effects of parental military service on military-connected children. During her doctoral program, she was selected as a Bob Woodruff Jonas Veteran Healthcare Scholar and to the inaugural cohort of American Academy of Nursing Jonas Policy Scholars with the Military/Veteran Health Expert Panel. She is a Fellow in the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and American Academy of Nursing. She is co-editor of the book, Caring for Veterans and their Families: A Guide for Nurses and other Healthcare Professionals.
Catherine Ling
PhD, FNP-BC, CNE, FAANP, FAAN
Dr Catherine Ling is a nurse scientist, Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), and certified nurse educator focusing on improving access to quality, primary care. She works to improve culturally competent care for military families and is actively involved in community focused interventions to improve wellness at a local and global level. She is also creating innovative, engaging strategies to prepare Doctor of Nursing Practice students for nurse practitioner roles. She received her BSN from the University of Tennessee Knoxville, her MN from Emory University and her PhD from the Medical University of South Carolina.
Dr Ling is a Fellow in the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the American Academy of Nursing. She is currently an Associate Professor and inaugural CNO of Service within the COMPASS Center at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing.
Penny K. Jensen
DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN
Dr. Penny Kaye Jensen began her career at the Salt Lake City Veterans Affairs Healthcare System and practiced for over 20 years as a nurse practitioner (NP) in the Outpatient Primary Care Clinics before becoming the Associate Director for National APRN Practice in the Office of Nursing Services in Washington, DC. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and a Distinguished Practitioner and Fellow of the National Academies of Practice. She served as President of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and represented AANP at the White House on numerous occasions, including the unveiling of President Obama’s Healthcare Reform Bill. Additionally, she was an invited member of First Lady, Michelle Obama’s “Joining Forces” White House Subcommittee. This initiative included both private and public sectors to ensure that active service members, veterans and their families were provided with the tools to succeed post military service. She has utilized her leadership and expertise in healthcare policy to formulate the APRN Full Practice Authority (FPA) Regulation resulting in the implementation of FPA for NPs, CNSs and CNMs working within the VA. The removal of barriers to APRN practice is a landmark accomplishment with national implications. Dr. Jensen works tirelessly on behalf of veterans, is well respected professionally, and has an excellent grasp of the healthcare issues of the veteran population. She was invited to join the Health Affairs Council on Healthcare Spending and Value, a nonpartisan, evidenced based forum that served as a focal point for discussion, analysis, and action surrounding the topic of healthcare spending. The Council was co-chaired by former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and National Academy of Medicine Secretary Dr. Peggy Hamburg. She received the Towers Health Policy Pinnacle Award as well as the Loretta C. Ford Award in 2017 for her tireless work to further the NP profession.
IntErim Executive Director AMVN
Damon Toczylowski
DNP, ACNP, CCNS, CNE
Damon Toczylowski is a native of Iowa who completed 20 years of military service between the US Navy and the US Air Force. While on active duty, he obtained the rank of Major and was deployed two times in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Hurricane Support Relief. Following his retirement from the military, he began working at the VA in Aurora, Colorado, where he currently works as a Nurse Practitioner in Cardiology. Damon completed his Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the University of Colorado, focusing on Veteran and Military Health Leadership with a focus on Toxic Exposure clinical practice tools. During his DNP program, he helped with the creation of the Scope and Standards for the Association of Veteran and Military Health, which led to his selection as the interim Executive Director and continued close involvement with the creation of the association. Damon serves as clinical faculty for the AGACNP program and as adjunct faculty for the Veteran and Military Health Program. He is a committee member for the Partnership for Veteran and Military Health.