Power of Nursing Leadership draws 450 attendees
PNL 2025
PNL brought together 450 attendees; Jennifer Mensik-Kennedy delivered keynote
Hosted by the UIC College of Nursing, the 28th annual Power of Nursing Leadership event brought together nearly 450 attendees to celebrate nurse leaders on Friday, Nov. 7, at the historic Hilton Chicago on Michigan Avenue.
Jennifer S. Mensik Kennedy, president of the American Nurses Association, delivered the keynote address: “Nursing the Future: Leading with Purpose and Clarity in Uncertain Times.”
“From leadership to the board room, crisis to calm, one truth remains: All nurses are leaders,” Kennedy said. “Leadership isn’t a title. It’s the decision to step forward when it matters, and it always matters.”
Elizabeth “Liz” Aquino, PhD ’13, RN, FAAN, associate dean for academic affairs at UIC Nursing, was awarded the Joan L. Shaver Outstanding Illinois Nurse Leader Award. The event’s premier honor is awarded to an individual who is highly influential in shaping quality health care in Illinois.
In her role at UIC Nursing, Aquino oversees the college’s top-ranked academic programs across six campuses. She is the former president of ANA-Illinois, and advocates for nurses to take on leadership roles as the founder of the Nurses Running for Elected Office Training Academy and co-founder of the Society of Latinx Nurses. She sits on multiple boards and committees focused on health equity, nursing education, quality care and community health.
The other awardees were:
- Mitchell Kordzikowski, DNP ’21, MSN ’17, UIC Nursing clinical assistant professor, who received the Early Career Leader Award;
- Sheila A. Harmon, DNP ’22, director of provider practice, UI Health Mile Square School-Based Health Centers, who received the Advancing Health Equity Award;
- Frank D. Hicks, PhD ’97, MSN ’88, professor of adult health and gerontological nursing and associate dean for academic programs and affairs, Rush University College of Nursing, who received the SAGE Award.
The event also included a salute to 36 Pinnacle Leaders. Each organization that has purchased a table at the event is invited to select one of its own colleagues for this special recognition.
Before gathering in the ballroom for lunch and the ceremony, attendees enjoyed coffee, touring an exhibit hall, and opportunities to network with old and new colleagues.
Dale Beatty, DNP ’17, RN, Stanford Health Care’s senior vice president of patient care services and chief nurse executive, says he’s been to all but four Power of Nursing Leadership events.
“What keeps bringing me back is the people, the networking, and the opportunities to celebrate our profession,” he said. “I really find it inspiring.”
Aeisha Meghie said it’s her first year in leadership at Cook County Health and her first time at PNL.
“Being able to be in the room and have a seat at the table with so many amazing nurses that are here, I think it’s going to be an amazing learning opportunity for me,” she said.
Save the date for next year’s Power of Nursing Leadership event on Friday, Nov. 6, 2026.