Martha Dewey Bergren, PhD, RN, NCSN, PHNA-BC, FNASN, FASHA, FAAN

Martha Bergren is the Executive Editor of The Journal of School Nursing. She has worked in four tertiary Children’s Hospitals and as a school nurse in 4 states. She was the first Director of Research at NASN and was the lead faculty for the Johnson & Johnson School Health Leadership Program. She taught school nurses and was director of the population health DNP program at the University of Illinois Chicago. Dr. Bergren is a Clinical Professor Emerita at the University of Illinois Chicago. Dr. Bergren is committed to demonstrating that healthy environments and a culture of health are the most cost effective and prudent investments for children.

Dr. Bergren is our 2024 keynote speaker scheduled for Monday morning. She will be presenting on Ethics in School Nursing.

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Wendy Wells, BS, MSN, RN

Wendy Wells has been a population health and leadership nursing instructor with the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing on the West Nebraska Division Scottsbluff Campus since 2001. She coordinates the interprofessional education components, is a co-counselor for the Student Nurses Association, and is also the education coordinator with the Nebraska Panhandle Area Health Education Center (NP-AHEC), whose mission is to recruit, retain, and support health professionals in rural areas. She provides community and health career education to various groups. She is a Certified Wellness Practitioner (CWP) and a UNMC Interprofessional Academy of Educators member. She plans to complete her Doctorate in Public Health Practice (DrPH) in Emergency Preparedness in August of this year.

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Data Gathering Workshop

Julie Frederick, BSN, RN, NCSN

Julie Frederick is the Health Services Coordinator for Lincoln Public Schools.  Julie has been a nurse for 42 years and fell in love with school nursing over 20 years ago.  She is the NASN State Data Coordinator for Nebraska.  She has served on the NSNA Board of Directors and Conference Planning Committee for the past several years. Julie currently serves as the chair for the State Data team and enjoys mentoring school nurses.

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Dr. Charles Craft, DDS 

Dr. Craft graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Dentistry in 1980 and immediately joined the U.S. Public Health Service as a Commissioned Officer assigned to the Indian Health Service in Alaska. For 20 years he served Native American patients in village clinics, regional centers and base hospitals throughout the state. In 2000, he moved to Southeast Asia where he was the Chief Dental Officer for the International SOS Medical Company and the Dental Consultant for the U.S. Embassy in Cambodia. He is the founder of the East meets West Dental Program in Vietnam. Over the past 25 years, this international humanitarian relief organization has provided free and modern dental care services to more than 175,000 underserved children. He joined the State of Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and became the State Dental Health Director in April 2014.

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School Nurse Workforce

Andrea Riley, BSN, RN & Julie Frederick, BSN, RN, NCSN

Andrea Riley is the Nebraska State School Nurse Consultant and the School Health Liaison at Children’s Hospital in partnership with the Nebraska Department of Education. Since starting in the fall of 2019, she has worked to engage school nurses in data collection by starting a school nurse data steering committee and publishing 3 school health data reports. Andrea is an Executive Board member of NSNA, a member and past VP of the National Association of State School Nurse Consultants, and member of the American Academy of Pediatric’s Council on School Health. She lives in Lincoln with her husband and two kids, one in elementary and the other in middle school.

Julie Frederick has been a school nurse with Lincoln Public Schools for 22 years.  She is currently serving as a Health Services Coordinator.  Julie is the NASN State Data Coordinator and enjoys helping school nurses learn how to collect, analyze and use their data to advocate for school nursing. She is also the liaison for NCSN and has been a nationally certified school nurse for 9 years.  Julie has been a member of NASN and NSNA for 21 years and is a past president.

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MaryAnn T. Strawhacker MPH, BSN, RN, SEN

MaryAnn is self-employed as a professional development specialist and consultant. She worked 30 years as a special education nurse consultant serving eleven counties in central Iowa. Job requirements included health evaluation, eligibility determination, program development, and reevaluation for special education. MaryAnn conducts training regarding health as a related service and Section 504 Compliance. She has presented sessions at NASN National Conferences and many state school nurse conferences. MaryAnn published chapters in 3 editions of the IHP book for Sunrise River Press and authored many peer reviewed nursing journal articles. MaryAnn is formerly an Iowa Director for NASN, currently co-chair of the special needs school nurse SIG, and is serving a term on the editorial panel for NASN School Nurse. 

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Sharon Sims & Jody Green PhD

Sharon Sims is a public health education professional, active with vector-borne disease providing community education, research and support for West Nile Virus (WNV) patients. Having founded the first nationwide support group for those suffering WNV disease and she also developed the WNV Children’s campaign reaching more than 42,000 children. 

Sharon is the founder and President of the non-profit Mosquito Illness Alliance, is a member of the Alabama Vector Control Society, and the Louisiana Mosquito and Vector Control Association. She is also a board member of the MS Mosquito and Vector Control Association and for the Vector-borne Disease Alliance. Her certifications include Master Vector-Borne Disease Management (CDC) and Integrated Mosquito Management (AMCA). She assists the Mississippi Department of Public Health on tick-related issues.

Jody Green is an Extension educator with Nebraska Extension in Douglas and Sarpy Counties. She received graduate degrees in entomology from Purdue University and maintains her status as a board certified entomologist with a specialty in urban and industrial entomology. Her primary focus is developing educational programs related to structural and health-related insects such as ticks, bed bugs, cockroaches, termites, ants, fleas, and other feared and hated pests for the community.

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