Name and Credentials: Betsy Frank, RN, PhD, ANEF

Candidate Statement
I have been a nurse educator for more than 30 years and am currently a Professor Emeriti of Nursing at Indiana State University. I have been an active member of Sigma Theta Tau for more than 40 years. My experience has included faculty counselor in three chapters, President of Lambda Sigma Chapter, member of the International Eligibility Committee and Taskforce, Convention Committee, Membership and Policy Taskforces, and two terms as Region 9 Coordinator. I am currently a member of the Governance Committee and am seeking re-election. In addition to my experience within Sigma Theta Tau, I have been active in the National League for Nursing, having chaired two advisory councils and served on a variety of committees and am a member of the Academy of Nurse Educator Fellows. I also have been treasurer of the Council of Graduate Education for Administration in Nursing (CGEAN). Within the Indiana State Nurses Association, I have served on the Committee on Approval and am a continuing education reviewer. In addition, I have served as a committee member and chair of a variety of university committees.

Although I have had a variety of leadership experiences that have prepared me to be re-elected to a two-year term on the Governance Committee, perhaps having served as a Regional Coordinator and teaching and traveling internationally have prepared me best for continuing to serve on the Governance Committee. As Region 9 Coordinator, I learned how each chapter has unique needs which must be met within the framework of the Sigma Theta Tau International By-Laws. As Sigma Theta Tau moves closer to making Vision 2020 a reality, the Governance Committee has a central role in proposing revisions to STTI’s Bylaws to meet the needs of all members and chapters worldwide. As a member of the Governance Committee, I have contributed to Bylaws revisions and other policies and procedures that have preserved STTI’s heritage, while at the same time allowing for new and different ways of promoting nursing excellence in the global nursing community. Promoting nursing excellence requires that STTI recognize that excellence in the global context may be described differently from what is now defined in the Sigma Theta Tau International Bylaws. Any changes to the Bylaws and financial requirements for membership must take into consideration the entire honor society, not just one constituency. My travels internationally, most recently to Thailand and Finland, have made me aware of the unique challenges that nurses who live outside the United States face when they seek active membership in Sigma Theta Tau. The perspectives that I have gained from having been a Regional Coordinator and from my recent travels make me particularly suited to continue as a member of the Governance Committee.

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