Karen Kirby Award:
Karen Kirby

In 2020, ONL created the Karen Kirby award to honor nurses who lead outside traditional roles, demonstrate an entrepreneurial approach, are recognized for innovation, have outcomes at the national and / or international levels, strategically support nursing leadership organizations, and generously provide support to colleagues. 

This year’s recipient of the Karen Kirby Award is Karen Kirby, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, FAAN - an entrepreneur, innovator, business owner, nurse leader and a strong promoter of nurses and nursing, and an ONL Past President.

Mary B. Conceison Award:
Therese Hudson-Jinks

The Mary B. Concesion Award for Excellence in Nursing Leadership recognizes outstanding contributions made by a nursing service administrator.

This year's recipient of the Conceison Award is Terry Hudson-Jinks, MSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Vice President for Patient Care Services at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, MA, and ONL Past President. She is a tireless advocate for nursing and a role model for all nurses on how to utilize knowledge and expertise to shape healthcare’s future.

Janet Madigan Award:
Patricia Noga

The Janet Madigan Advocacy Award was created to honor to honor excellence as a community advocate. This year's recipient is Patricia Noga, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, Vice President for Clinical Affairs at the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association. Patricia is a consistent and effective leader who advances health policy and supports high quality, cost-effective and accessible healthcare. She consistently demonstrates influence, leadership, and expertise in partnering with key local, state, and national stakeholders.

Pamela Leigh Vecchiarino Award:
Melanie Cama

The Pamela Leigh Vecchiarino Nursing Leadership Award was created to honor the memory of Pam Vecchiarino, RN, MSN, and to recognize nurse leaders who are patient-focused, change agents committed to improving outcomes. Honorees advance the profession, are compassionate, and serve as a role model to others.

This year’s recipient of the Pamela Leigh Vecchiarino Nursing Leadership Award is Melanie Cama, MSN, RN, CHPCA, NEA-BC from Middlesex Hospital.

Marilyn Rinker Award:
Megan Seston Matson

The Marilyn Rinker Memorial Scholarship Award was established by the Vermont Organization of Nurse Leaders in 2009 to honor Marilyn’s lifelong commitment and dedication to professional nursing practice, nursing education and leadership. This award provides scholarship support for nurses pursuing an advanced degree with an emphasis on nursing leadership.

This year’s recipient is Megan Matson, MSN, RN, Professional Development Manager for Critical Care at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

In 1993, the Elaine K. Sherwood Service Award was established in memory of Elaine, one of the first recipients to be recognized for outstanding commitment and contribution to the work to the organization. Each year the President, Past President and President-Elect select the recipient.

This year, the work of the organization was changed dramatically as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. ONL has always been a member organization that thrived on networking, educational quarterly meetings and vibrant committee work conducted within an in-person environment. The need to suspend gatherings in order to combat the spread of the deadly virus forced ONL to re-imagine what networking, education, and committee work could look like.

In a year where everything has changed, this year’s Elaine K. Sherwood Award is also changed, in that it is being bestowed upon three people who demonstrated extraordinary commitment and dedication when ONL needed to pivot to a virtual environment.

The collaborative efforts of these outstanding leaders enabled ONL to create an entirely new curriculum for virtual leadership development including the Nurse Leader Master Class and the Leadership Lunch Series.