Katherine Thomas Retires After 27 Years as Executive Director at Board Katherine A. Thomas, MN, RN, FAAN, who retired from her position as Executive Director on August 31, 2023 served as Executive Director from November 1995 to August 2023. Ms. Thomas joined the Board in 1989 and served in several positions, including Interim Director of Education, Director of Practice and Compliance, and Director of Practice. During her time as Executive Director, Ms. Thomas guided the profession of nursing at the state and national level by assisting Texas in transitioning to use of the NCLEX Nurse Licensure Examination, transitioning Texas nurses to membership in the Nurse Licensure Compact which allows Texas nurses to practice in other states under compact licensure, implementing a paperless nurse licensure process, setting minimum competencies for newly graduated nurses, creating a single Board of Nursing in Texas, and adding criminal background checks for all Texas nurses. Ms. Thomas represented Texas nursing at the national level, serving in various positions at the NCSBN including President of the NCSBN Board, Director at Large, Representative to the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) Joint Dialogue Group, Chair of the NCSBN Nursing Practice and Education Committee, and the NCSBN task force studying the Feasibility of Developing a Core Competency Examination for Nurse Practitioners. On October 15, 2011, Ms. Thomas was designated as Fellow to the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) at their 38th Annual Meeting and Conference held in Washington, DC. Ms. Thomas was honored with a resolution from Senator Lois Kolkhorst in August 2023. The Board wishes Ms. Thomas well in her future endeavors!
Allison Porter-Edwards Designated as Fellow to the American Academy of Nursing Allison Porter-Edwards, DrPH, MS, RN, CNE was designated as Fellow to the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) at their 50th Annual Meeting and Conference held in Washington, DC on October 7, 2023. Through a rigorous and competitive application process, the Academy’s Fellow Selection Committee, which is comprised of elected and appointed Fellows, reviewed nearly 400 applications, ultimately selecting the 2023 Fellows based on their contributions to advance the public’s health. Congratulations to Dr. Porter-Edwards on this prestigious honor! 4
