From the Dean

Leadership is instilled in us in memorable ways. For Nancy Agee 80MN, the luminaries who shaped her include her widowed grandmother and a physician who taught her 
the value of good writing. Agee carries their wisdom with in her role as president and CEO of Carilion Clinic health system in Western Virginia.

Marilyn Margolis 89MN credits the nurse who mentored her when she was a candy striper and nurse and physician leaders at Emory Healthcare with setting her on the path to becoming CEO of Emory Johns Creek Hospital in north metro Atlanta.

Ninfa Saunders 84MBA grew up in the Philippines, where her parents modeled respect, integrity, kindness, and hard work. Saunders practices those values daily as president and CEO 
of Navicent Health, an 830-bed system in central and south Georgia.

Roy Simpson became a leading expert in nursing informatics under the tutelage of Virginia Saba, Harriet Werley, and Norma Lang, all pioneers in nursing science. Simpson today serves as CNO worldwide for Cerner Corporation and teaches informatics in Emory’s DNP program.

All of these nurses have risen through the ranks to become executive leaders in the boardroom. They embody one of the key tenets of the School of Nursing—
developing leaders with the knowledge and confidence to advance nursing and health care on behalf of patients.

This issue of Emory Nursing also pays tribute to Verdelle Bellamy 63MN, a beloved alumna who died in April. One of the first African American students to enroll at Emory, she quietly led the way for nurses of color in Georgia and the VA health system. Bellamy shares a special bond with the many nurses featured in this issue. All became influential leaders in health care using the skills and knowledge instilled in them here at the School of Nursing.

Linda A. McCauley 79MN PhD RN FAAN FAAOHN
Dean and Professor