Leadership

President (2026-2028)
Michaela Lewis, DNP, ARNP, CPNP-AC/PC, CPN, CPEN, CNE, CNE-cl, PMHS, VA-BC, CCRN

Michaela Lewis serves as a Pediatric Critical Care Nurse Practitioner at Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital in Charleston, SC, where she is dedicated to delivering high-quality, compassionate care to critically ill infants, children, and adolescents. With 20 years of experience in pediatric nursing, Michaela has honed her skills in stabilizing those with complex medical conditions, managing advanced life-support systems, and supporting families during high-stress situations with empathy and understanding. Her nine board certifications in clinical practice and nurse education reflect her unwavering commitment to lifelong learning and professional excellence. Beyond her clinical duties, Michaela is a fervent advocate for advancing the nursing profession through education, policy reform, and research initiatives. As the President of the Society of Pediatric Nurses, she is dedicated to elevating pediatric care standards and championing the growth, development, and well-being of pediatric nurses nationwide while ensuring their voices are heard and valued.

Treasurer (2026-2029)
Nichole Hackbarth, DNP, RN, CPN

Nichole Hackbarth is the Clinical Education Manager at Valley Children's Healthcare in Madera, California, where she leads the Clinical Education Department and oversees nursing professional development, transition-to-practice programs, and educational initiatives. Throughout her career in pediatric nursing, leadership, and education, Nichole has been passionate about developing future nurse leaders and advancing pediatric nursing through mentorship, collaboration, and evidence-based practice. She has served the Society of Pediatric Nurses in numerous leadership roles, including Education Specialist Special Interest Group (SIG) Chair, Annual Conference Abstract Reviewer, Leadership Skills Development Program Subject Matter Expert, and, most recently, National Treasurer. As National Treasurer and a member of the SPN Board of Directors, Nichole is committed to supporting members while advancing leadership, professional growth, and excellence in pediatric nursing to improve the care of children and families.

Secretary (2024-2027)
Ann Spence, DNP, RN, NEA-BC

Ann Spence is the Associate Professor and Assistant Dean of Faculty at Chamberlain University in the DNP program where she serves as the course lead for the DNP project development course. With over 40 years of experience in pediatric nursing, she has developed expertise in leadership, quality improvement and enhancing the education of pediatric nurses.

She is passionate about pediatric nurses and their patients and has contributed to the profession through leadership roles, committee membership, and mentoring. In addition to being on the Board of Directors for SPN, she also serves on the medical advisory committee for Cancer Bridges in Pittsburgh, PA.

As a member of the SPN Board of Directors, Ann is committed to SPN's mission to advocate for pediatric nursing by advancing excellence in education, research, and evidence-based practice. She currently sits on the Virtual Nursing Taskforce to learn and share how virtual nursing can help ease the workload of the bedside nurse while enhancing patient care and satisfaction.

Director (2024-2027)
DeAnne Ellis, MSN, RN, CPN, PED-BC, CCRN

DeAnne Ellis is one of the Clinical Education Specialist II at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where she helps to oversee the onboarding/orientation and professional development of the Pediatric ICU staff. With 22 years of experience in pediatric nursing, she has developed expertise in solid organ transplant patients, critical care nursing, and trauma patients.

DeAnne is passionate about pediatric nursing, staff development, and support and has contributed to the profession through roles in SPN on the Education/Program Planning Committee, Chapter Development, and now the Health Policy and Advocacy Committee and Board of Directors. She has also contributed through presentations at the annual SPN Conference on decreasing alarm fatigue, unit safety rounds, education of caregivers before discharge, and Nurse Week appreciation videos and events.

As a member of the SPN Board of Directors, DeAnne is committed to bringing in new members through promoting SPN to students/new nurses/seasoned nurses, advocating for and supporting SPN membership, creating space for members to have a voice, and having resources available for those looking for more information on pediatric nursing.

Director (2025-2028)
Daniel Marx, MHSA, MSN, RN, CPN

Director (2025-2028)
Julie Van Orne, PhD, RN, CPN, CNL

Julie Van Orne is the Director of Nursing Research and Innovation at Cook Children’s Medical Center, where she leads nursing research, evidence-based practice, and innovation. With more than 15 years of pediatric nursing experience, er areas of expertise include care for children with tracheostomies and their families, nursing research, and implementation.

Julie is passionate about advancing pediatric nursing science and helping nurses translate clinical questions into better outcomes. Her contributions include national committee leadership, research, publications, presentations, and mentorship. As a member of the SPN Board of Directors, Julie is committed to elevating pediatric nurses’ voices, expanding research and leadership opportunities, and advancing evidence-informed care for children and families.

Early Career Director (2026-2029)
Hyun Ah "Esther" Oh, BSN, RN, PHN, CPN, CPHON

Esther Oh is a pediatric registered nurse with four years of experience on the Pediatric Float Team at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), providing care across inpatient, emergency, and ambulatory settings. Her professional interests include pediatric hematology-oncology, nursing education, and advancing inclusive care for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.

Esther serves as Secretary of the SPN Los Angeles Chapter and is a member of PNCB’s CPN Exam Committee. She was selected as a CA-LEND Nursing Fellow and contributes to peer-reviewed nursing scholarship, most recently coauthoring an article in Nursing Outlook on nursing standards and competencies for caring for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

As SPN’s inaugural Early Career Director, Esther represents the perspectives and needs of nurses beginning their professional careers. She is committed to strengthening pathways for mentorship, career development, leadership, and engagement—helping students and early-career nurses connect, contribute, and grow while advancing excellence in pediatric nursing.

Clinical Director (2026-2029)
Sara-Marie Saliba MSN, RN, CPN

Sara-Marie Saliba is a certified pediatric nurse working on the float pool team at her hometown’s tertiary pediatric hospital, and cross trained to work bedside in various units, including medical-surgical, PICU, CVICU, NICU, ED, and behavioral health. With 8 years of experience in pediatric nursing, she has developed expertise in pediatric development, education, and acute illness.

She is passionate about education, evidence-based practice, and patient advocacy, and has contributed to the profession through mentorship, clinical quality leadership, publication within the SPN Fellowship course, active unit council participation, and local volunteer involvement. As a member of the SPN Board of Directors, Sara-Marie is committed to engaging SPN members to better understand their interests and needs to further improve pediatric nursing care on a national scale.