New diverse ICN Board of Directors elects Vice Presidents

1 December 2021
PR 71

The new 2021-2025 Board of Directors of the International Council of Nurses (ICN), which was elected on 4 November 2021, met on 25 November to elect its three Vice Presidents from among the members of the Board.

ICN President Pamela Cipriano, welcoming the election of the three new Vice Presidents, said:

“I am looking forward to working closely with the members of the newly elected ICN Executive Committee, who along with the rest of the ICN Board, I know will dedicate all their talent and expertise to influence solidarity amongst nurses, promote nurse leadership and education, and ensure that nurses are at the centre of leading healthcare systems where they belong. I am fortunate to have such an excellent diverse group of colleagues who will all contribute their utmost to the cause of nursing at this crucial moment in our history.”

Lisa Little was elected as First Vice President. Having held several positions within the Canadian Nurses Association, including Director of Public Policy, Little is currently the CEO of Lisa Little Consulting which focuses on health research and policy, planning, analysis, strategy development, facilitation and project management. She is also a lecturer at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.

Lisa Little said:

“I am delighted to have been elected as First Vice President of the ICN Board and look forward to further contributing to strengthening ICN and its national nursing associations and amplifying the global voice of nursing. I feel honoured and privileged to take on the additional responsibilities of Vice President during this challenging time of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The ICN Board elected Karen Bjøro as Second Vice President. Bjøro was Vice President of the Norwegian Nurses Organisation from 2011-2019, an active member of the European Forum of National Nurses and Midwives Association and was President of the European Nursing Research Foundation from 2017-2019.

Karen Bjøro said:

“I feel so honoured and humbled to have been elected to this prestigious position as ICN Second Vice President. ICN is a strong advocate for our profession amplifying the voice of the 28 million nurses worldwide. Our vision is that ICN will continue to fight for increased influence of nurses at home and globally. I look forward to working with my fellow colleagues on the ICN Board of Directors, ICN CEO and his staff to increase ICN’s impact for nursing over the next four years. ”

Lian-Hua Huang was elected as ICN’s Third Vice President. She was President (2009-2012) and Vice President of the Taiwan Nurses Association (2012-2021), CEO of the Nursing Department of China Medical University Health Care System since 2018 and Emeritus Professor from the School of Nursing of the National Taiwan University. Huang’s areas of expertise include community health nursing, genetic nursing and nursing administration.

Lian-Hua Huang said:

“I have been an active participant in a number of national and international events to share ICN's values and beliefs with nursing colleagues. I see ICN as the spiritual leader of nurses worldwide. Every national nursing association should be a member of ICN and benefit from belonging to the "big family of nurses". I will do my best to expand ICN's inclusiveness. Like the goal of the SDGs, we should leave no one behind.”

The ICN President and three Vice-Presidents serve as an Executive Committee of the Board of Directors to transact business between Board meetings and make recommendations to the Board on strategic priorities and financial matters. The ICN Board is elected every four years to serve as the agent of the Council of National Nursing Association Representatives (CNR), establishing and carrying out policy consistent with the framework established by CNR. The 2021-2025 ICN Board comprises 12 nurses, 9 of whom are women. With the exception of the President, all members of the Board are elected on the basis of ICN’s regions, representing the diversity of the nursing profession around the world.

Officers:

  • Pamela Cipriano – President
  • Lisa Little – 1st Vice President
  • Karen Bjøro – 2nd Vice President
  • Lian-Hua Huang – 3rd Vice President

Members:

  • Fatima Al Rifai (Emirates Nursing Association)
  • Nora Eloisa Barahona De Peňate (National Nurses Association of El Salvador)
  • Nanthaphan Chinlumprasert (Nurses Association of Thailand)
  • José Luis Cobos Serrano (General Council of Nursing of Spain)
  • Andre Gitembagara (Rwanda Nurses and Midwives Union)
  • Yves Mengal (National Federation of Nurses of Belgium)
  • Megumi Teshima (Japanese Nursing Association)
  • Alisi Talatoka Vudiniabola (Fiji Nursing Association)

Download the press release here