Meet the Board Members & COINN Staff
Board Members
PRESIDENT
Professor Karen Walker, PhD, MN, BAPPSC, RGN, RSCN, MACN - President (Australia)
Karen is a Clinical Professor with the University of Sydney and is the Neonatal Clinical Nurse Consultant at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, Australia...
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SECRETARY
Professor Linda Ng, PhD-Secretary (Australia)
Linda Ng's primary interests lie in education and workforce development, emphasising the importance of training and supporting healthcare professionals...
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TREASURER
Debbie O’Donoghue, MS, RN-Treasurer (New Zealand)
Debbie is the Nurse Manager of the NICU at Christchurch Women’s Hospital New Zealand. She has been working within New Zealand in a senior neonatal nursing role for the past 24 years...
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NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Professor Marina Boykova, PhD, RN, PNAP-Non-Executive Director (United States)
Marina received her nursing diploma from the School of Nursing #3, Leningrad, in 1989 and worked as a NICU nurse for 19 years at Children’s Hospital #1, Saint Petersburg, Russia...
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NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Professor Marsha Campbell-Yeo, PhD, RNN, MN, NNP-C, FAAN- Non-Executive Director (Canada)
Dr. Marsha Campbell-Yeo, a neonatal nurse practitioner, is a Professor, Clinician Scientist and Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) funded New Investigator at the School of Nursing...
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NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
​Dr. Wakako Eklund, DNP, APRN, NNP-BC, FAAN, FAANP- Non-Executive Director (United States)
Dr. Wakako Minamoto Eklund has been clinically active as a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP) with Pediatrix Medical Group of TN in Nashville, TN, USA since 2003...​
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NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Professor Shela Hirani, PhD, RN, IBCLC (Canada)
A/Prof Hirani was recognized by World Health Organization as one of 100 outstanding women nurse leader. In 2022, she received “YWCA Nutrien Women of Distinction Award” recognizing her research and scientific pursuit for the vulnerable population...
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NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Judy Hitchcock, RN (Australia)
Judy Hitchcock, Registered Nurse specialising in maternal, infant and child health. I have both a professional and personal interest in neonatal care, as my own son was 34/40, a long time ago now, when management was vastly different...
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NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Tracey Jones, MSC, BSC, RN, CHILD, HONS, ENNP-
Non-Executive Director (United Kingdom)
Tracey is a senior lecturer in neonatal nursing at The University of Manchester and a senior fellow of the higher education academy. She has been involved in neonatal education since 1999 when she started her first education post...
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NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
​Professor Miki Konishi, PhD, RN, PHN- Non-Executive Director (Japan)
Dr. Miki Konishi is as a Professor at Dokkyo Medical University School of Nursing. As a professor, her responsibilities include teaching not only undergraduate nursing students but also master’s and doctoral students, and midwifery students...​
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Andre Ndayambaje, MS, RN-Non-Executive Director (Rwanda)
Andre is the founder and commissioner of funds in board of Rwanda Association of Midwives(RAM) since 2011. The Founder and president of Rwanda Association of Neonatal Nurses (RANN) since 2015...
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NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Professor Julia Petty, PhD, MSc, PGCEW, RGN/RRGN, PFHEA- Non-Executive Director (United Kingdom)
Julia Petty is an Associate Professor (learning & teaching) and a Senior Lecturer in Children's Nursing at the University of Hertfordshire, UK where she has worked since April 2013...
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NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Patrick Too, RN-
Non-Executive Director (Kenya)
Mr. Patrick Kimutai Too is a specialized neonatal nurse practicing in newborn unit Kenyatta national hospital. He is a mentor and a trainer on Emergency Triage assessment and treatment including admission of sick neonates (ETAT+).
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NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dr. Camille-Kae Torre, DNP, CCRN-N- Non-Executive Director (United States)
Camille-Kae Torre, DNP, CCRN-N is a corporate nurse educator for a large health system in Miami, FL, USA. She has been a NICU nurse for over six years and has been involved in numerous initiatives involving neonatal care and education...
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COINN Staff
CEO
Professor Carole Kenner, PhD, RN, FAAN, FNAP, ANEF, IDF COINN - Founder &
Chief Executive Officer
Professor Kenner has over 35 years’ neonatal/perinatal/pediatric experience. She is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati and Indiana University (USA) with the degrees in neonatal/perinatal nursing and nursing education...
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DIRECTOR OF NURSING EDUCATION - CoNP
Dr. Sue Prullage,
DNP, APN, NNP-BC, RN- Director of Nursing Education (United States/Rwanda)
Sue has been a nurse since 1981 and a neonatal/pediatric nurse since 1984. In 1994 I became a neonatal nurse practitioner and in 1996 I obtained my pediatric nurse practitioner...
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CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Mary Blankenship Pointer
Mary is a native of Oklahoma City (USA) and has over 38 years of banking/finance. She is the recipient of numerous awards for her philanthropic activities and active community service that are combined with extensive experience in financing, business development, and banking.
Neonatal Nurse Educators
NEONATAL NURSE EDUCATOR
Professor Mary Ani-Amponsha, PhD, MzPhil Nursing, BA, RN-
Neonatal Nurse Educator (Ghana)
Dr. Mary Ani-Amponsah is a senior faculty member at the Maternal and Child Health Department, University of Ghana. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing/Psychology, MPhil in Nursing, and Doctoral degree in Nursing with a focus on newborn health.
NEONATAL NURSE EDUCATOR
Mustapha Mahama, BSc-Neonatal Nurse Educator (Ghana)
A passionate and dedicated clinician, a mentor and a clinical educator. Provides quality and evidence based care for newborns and their families, loves to teach and mentor students, nurses and Midwives, and other health care professionals.
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NEONATAL NURSE EDUCATOR
Evelyne Mvungu, MSc-Neonatal Nurse Eductor
(Kenya)
Evelyne is the Nurse Manager of the Neonatal Unit/NICU at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in
Kenya. With over 23 years of experience as a neonatal nurse, Evelyne has worked in various capacities, specializing in neonatal critical care.
NEONATAL NURSE EDUCATOR
Redeat Workneh, MPH, BA, RN-Neonatal Nurse Educator (Ethiopia)
Redeat Workneh is currently working lecturer at St Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, School of Nursing, Department of Neonatal Nursing. She teaches undergraduate and postgraduate neonatal nursing students. She also assumes the role of a clinical nurse educator in the NICU in the same hospital.
NEONATAL NURSE EDUCATOR
Fauste Uwingabire, MScN, BScN, RN, GLNM, PGCLTHE-Neonatal Nurse Educator (Rwanda)
Fauste Uwingabire, is a neonatal nurse specialist with a MScN. She works at partners In Health/ Inshuti Mu Buzima (PIH/IMB) as a neonatal nurse clinical Instructor for the last 3 years. Uwingabire joined PIH/IMB after 10 years working experience at University of Rwanda- School of Nursing and Midwifery as a nurse educator...
Webmasters
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WEBMASTER
Nelson Waswa
Nelson Wasswa is a Ugandan Innovator and Technologist, holding a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Makerere University. In 2020, Nelson was selected to become a Shuttleworth Foundation Fellow, an organization that provides funding to dynamic leaders who are at the forefront of social change. ​