ANA-MI Empowered Leader Virtual Series

Kari Szczechowski, DNP, RN, PCCN-K

Dr. Szczechowski is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Michigan School of Nursing and a Staff Specialist working with the Chief Nursing Officer at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital. She completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice at the University of Michigan focused on improving the unit climate for evidence-based practice by focusing on leadership training and mentoring.

Dr. Szczechowski has over 27 years of progressive nursing leadership and clinical responsibilities. In her various roles at the unit, hospital, and organizational levels, she has led organizational strategies to build infrastructures supporting clinical quality, safety, and operational effectiveness to elevate nursing practice.

Leading her previous organization to its first ANCC Magnet Designation, Dr. Szczechowski’s passion is focused on implementing evidence-based practice initiatives using shared decision-making models to provide nurses at all levels, with the knowledge and skills necessary to positively impact clinical outcomes.

Dr. Szczechowski is a member of the ANA-Michigan Nursing Practice Committee, the World Medical Relief Advisory Board, the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, the American Organization of Nursing Leadership, and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society–Rho Chapter, among others.

Empowered Leaders Subject Matter Experts

Maria Bobo, DNP, RN, WHNP-BC, CENP

Dr. Maria Bobo is a highly accomplished and dedicated healthcare professional as a Registered Nurse for over 27 years. She holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree, is board-certified as a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP-BC), Nursing Professional Development and Certified Executive in Nursing Practice (CENP). With over 117 years of experience in progressive leadership roles, she has lead and achieved Magnet® status at three hospitals in Michigan, demonstrating her commitment to excellence in nursing.

In her current role as the Director of Professional Development & Education/Magnet Program Director at the University of Michigan Health, Dr. Bobo oversees new hire onboarding, clinical education, leadership development, and the Magnet® Recognition Program for a 1000-bed, Magnet® designated academic teaching hospital. Her responsibilities include managing nursing continuing education, fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and serving as an Clinical Adjunct Faculty at the University of Michigan School of Nursing.

Dr. Bobo’s extensive expertise in quality management, interdisciplinary collaboration, research, and evidence-based nursing practice, combined with her commitment to professional development, has earned her recognition, including the She has received several awards recognizing her professional success, including Oakland University’s Nightingale Award, Michigan Chronicle’s Women of Excellence Inductee, Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan Leadership of the Year Award, Sigma Theta Tau-Rho Chapter Leadership Award, and Institute for Professional Nursing Leadership Award.  She continues to make significant contributions to the nursing community through her involvement in professional organizations, mentoring and her dedication to fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in healthcare.

Nicole Figueroa, MSN, RN, AHN-BC, HWNC-BC

Nurse Leader for Well-Being and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Michigan Medicine-University of Michigan

Nicole Figueroa, MSN, RN, AHN-BC, HWNC-BC is the Nurse Leader for Well-Being and Diversity Equity and Inclusion at Michigan Medicine Health System. Nicole received her BSN from the University of Detroit Mercy, and received her Masters of Science in Nursing with the concentration of Advanced Holistic Nursing from Florida Atlantic University. Previous to starting her current role, her career was spent as a child psychiatric nurse and the Clinical Director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric unit at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. Her work has included education of nurses on clinical presence and reflective practice, particularly with patients and families who are struggling emotionally during their hospitalizations. She is passionate about creating system-wide approaches that support bold and inclusive work environments where people from all backgrounds feel welcome, along with prioritizing and reducing stigma around mental health needs for nurses. Nicole believes that through educating nurses on how to support themselves around the emotional parts of the work, we can create a health system where health care providers can flourish and subsequently our patients and families can truly heal.

Barb Medvec, DNP, RN, NEA-BC

Dr. Barbara R. Medvec, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan School of Nursing and prior senior healthcare executive and System Chief Nursing Executive. She has a history of success in leading and coaching teams for transformational organizational success in both large multi-hospital, ambulatory care practices, and moderate sized healthcare and nursing organizations. Dr. Medvec’s scholarship and practice focuses on nursing workforce, practice environments, innovation extended reality/virtual simulation, workforce wellness and vitality, strategic planning, and quality/safety improvements. She has served on a variety of national, state and local organizations and currently is the President-Elect for the ANA-Michigan nursing association. 

Course Overview

Empowered Leader Series Agenda 

Each session will take place via Zoom from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

• October 1, 2025:  Introduction & Overview of ELS  
  • Presenters: Dr. Barbara Medvec and Dr. Kari Szczechowski
• October 15, 2025: Emotional Intelligence in Leadership
  • Presenters: Dr. Sarah Jennings
• October 22, 2025: Leading Others and Pivoting in Your Career
  • Presenters: Bethany Campbell, MPA, BSN, RN; Amy Brown, MSN, RN, NE-BC; John Knight, DNP, MSN, RN, CSSMBB, PMP; Kim Meeker, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC; Nicholas Strait, DNP, MBA HCM, RN, NEA-BC; Bernie White, RN
• October 29, 2025:  Leading Diverse Teams and Patient Populations
  • Presenters: Dr. Maria Bobo and LaToya Freeman
• November 5, 2025:  Leading Through Conflict
  • Presenter: Nicole Figueroa, MSN, RN, AHN-BC, HWNC-BC
• November 12, 2025: Financial Competence as Nurse Leader
  • Dr. Barbara Medvec
• November 19, 2025:  Leading Through Change
  • Kelly McMillian, RN;  Michelle Troseth, MSN, RN, FNAP, FAAN

Continuing Education Credit: This series offers participants up to 14.0 contact hours of nursing continuing professional development credit. ANA-MI is the provider of contact hours for this activity series.

Requirements for Successful Completion: Participants must attend one or more live sessions in their entirety and complete the online activity evaluation for each session to earn that session’s contact hours. A link to the evaluation will be provided at the end of each session.

American Nurses Association-Michigan is approved as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the Wisconsin Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.