School of Nursing Advisory Council

Laura Bailey is a dedicated, results-driven healthcare executive with a proven track record of ensuring high standards of culturally competent quality care. She has demonstrated proficiency in executing innovative strategies for all aspects of operations, including staffing, training, development, budgeting and program management. Bailey joined the executive leadership team at Hartford Hospital in September 2020 and serves as the regional vice president of patient care services for Hartford Healthcare in the Hartford Region. In her role, she is responsible for the professional practice of nursing and the quality of patient care across an 867-bed Level I Trauma Center. Bailey provides strategic leadership, ensuring operational efficiency, safe staffing and excellent patient outcomes within a high-reliability organization. She earned her Bachelor of Science in health care management from Quinnipiac College (now Quinnipiac University), a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Saint Joseph College and a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Hartford.

Christopher G. Boissard is a retired drug discovery and clinical researcher with over 35 years of experience, mostly with Bristol-Myers Squibb and CIBA-Geigy. His work with drug discovery efforts involved neuroscience targets concentrating on novel potassium channels using electrophysiological and molecular biological techniques. His work with clinical management included trials evaluating medications for affective disorders, diabetes and immune oncology. Boissard is also proficient in clinical system management and evaluation as well as scan and sample reconciliation. He earned a BS in animal behavior in 1982 and an MS in molecular biology in 1999. He’s also co-authored numerous publications and has been awarded three patents. Boissard is a fund sponsor for the School of Nursing.

Kathleen Gallo is executive in residence, Northwell Health, and former dean and professor of the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. Under her leadership, the Center for Learning and Innovation, Northwell Health’s corporate university, and the Patient Safety Institute were created to transform the health system into a learning organization by strategically focusing on leadership and workforce development. Gallo is the founding dean of the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. She is also a pioneering leader in healthcare, interprofessional education and organizational learning. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Excelsior College, University of the State of New York; a Master of Science in Nursing from the State University of New York at Stony Brook; and both a PhD in nursing and her MBA from Adelphi University.

Kristen Marie Guida, APRN, is a highly accomplished healthcare professional with a diverse background in nursing, education and community service. She currently holds positions at Hartford HealthCare as an acute care nurse practitioner, serves at the Hospital for Special Care as a nurse practitioner and is a professor of nursing at CT State Capital in Hartford. Guida is a proud, two-time graduate of Quinnipiac University, having earned her Master of Science in Nursing in adult primary care in 2009, followed by her Doctor of Nursing Practice in 2014. In addition to her clinical and educational roles, Guida has served as a past treasurer and president of the CTAPRN Society and led pre-licensure nursing students on medical missions to rural Tennessee. In 2018, Guida received the American Association of Nurse Practitioners State Award for Excellence and the Quinnipiac University Transformational Leader Award. Additionally, she is a founding member of the Quinnipiac University Health Affairs Alumni Council, demonstrating her ongoing commitment to her alma mater and the field of healthcare.

Tina Loarte-Rodriguez, who earned both her MSN and DNP from Quinnipiac, is dedicated to leaving the world a little better than she finds it. She is an eternal optimist who believes in the power of community, kindness and growth. A first-generation college graduate, she is an alumna of Cornell University, the University of Connecticut and Quinnipiac. A perpetual learner passionate about innovation, health equity and advocacy, she completed the American Nurses Association’s Innovation Accelerator Program in 2023. She is the current executive director of the Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce, a 2023-24 Fellow of the American Nurses Advocacy Institute and a 2021 Hartford Business Journal Healthcare Hero Award winner. Loarte-Rodriguez has published several works, including her recent book, “Latinas In Nursing,” the first anthology celebrating the journeys of 15 Latina nurses across the United States.  

Chris Ann Meaney is the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Bristol Health, and President of the Bristol Hospital Multispecialty Group, an independent community hospital in New England. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Alaska-Anchorage, which is where she was born and raised. She also has a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration and a Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Quinnipiac University. Meaney’s doctoral focus was on leadership. Her 20-plus years working in magnet institutions prepared her to be a transformational leader. She believes strongly in shared governance structures and understands the value of implementing LEAN/Six Sigma strategies to improve overall quality of care. Besides her servant leadership style, Meaney’s gift is her commitment to strengthening nursing practice, empowering leaders, implementing innovative and visionary strategies to improve patient safety and outcomes, and creating healthy work environments.

Paula Milone-Nuzzo began her role as the sixth president of the MGH Institute of Health Professions in August 2017. Prior to this appointment, Milone-Nuzzo spent 14 years in leadership roles at the College of Nursing at The Pennsylvania State University, serving as dean and professor from 2008-17. She is also a widely published and nationally recognized nursing leader. Workforce development and healthcare careers have been the focus of her scholarly work. During her career, Milone-Nuzzo has been awarded more than $2.2 million in external funding to support her research in home healthcare, primary care nursing and care for the elderly. Milone-Nuzzo has been a trustee at Cooley Dickinson Hospital since 2020 and serves as chair of its Organizational Culture and Patient Experience Advisory Committee. She also serves as an advisor to the Department of Nursing at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Penn.

Donna Montesi, MSN ’02, DNP ’13, MBA ’24, has over 25 years of experience in nursing. An adult nurse practitioner, Montesi is the executive director of PACT Primary Care, which is affiliated with Hartford HealthCare. Here, she leads employees and providers within a diverse array of settings, including outpatient clinics, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities and home-based primary care. Her areas of expertise include geriatrics, wound care and medical practice operations, and administrative oversight. Montesi has been active in state and national legislative issues important to APRNs since 2002. She has advocated and testified with her colleagues in Connecticut for the passage of Public ACT 14-12 for APRN full practice authority. In 2011, she received the American Association for Nurse Practitioners state award for excellence in Connecticut. 

Stephanie Paulmeno, DNP ’19, founded and operated Global Health Systems Consultants Inc., a public health consulting firm, from 2009-23. She is a registered nurse, gerontologist and licensed nursing home administrator who has practiced as a clinician, educator, researcher, administrator, author and international public speaker for more than five decades. She is a past president of the Connecticut Nurses’ Association and a current trustee of the Connecticut Nursing Foundation. Now semi-retired, Paulmeno volunteers her time and expertise to numerous boards, advisory boards, commissions, councils and task forces, including as board chair of The Patient is U Foundation, co-lead of the health sector of the international Charter for Compassion, the Connecticut Nurses’ Foundation, Wheel it Forward, and the Southwestern Connecticut Area Agency on Aging. 

Dr. William A. Petit Jr. is a retired endocrinologist, having studied and trained at Dartmouth College, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, the Strong Memorial Hospital at the University of Rochester, and the Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Petit is president of the Petit Family Foundation. Its mission is to foster the education of young people, especially women in the sciences; support efforts to help and protect those affected by violence; and improve the lives of those with chronic illnesses. Dr. Petit previously served as a director of the Joslin Diabetes Center at New Britain General Hospital, now the Hospital of Central Connecticut. He was an associate clinical professor of medicine at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine from 1989-2007. He also served three terms as a state representative for the 22nd District in Connecticut and served as the director of public health in Plainville for 14 years. 

Marcia B. Proto enjoys a successful career in state and national association leadership, nursing education and workforce development, healthcare fundraising, and statewide coalition building. She is the former executive director of the Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce and the owner of Marcia Proto Consulting, LLC. Her life’s work has involved connecting people through education and targeted skills training toward fulfilling career paths, particularly in the nursing field. In addition to her roles with the CCNW, she has held management positions at the Connecticut League for Nursing, the Connecticut Hospital Association, Junior Achievement of Southeast Connecticut, Flath & Associates Consulting, and the National League for Nursing. She has spent the past 25 years ensuring the nursing workforce will meet the nation’s growing healthcare needs by contributing to and engaging in state and national task force activities. 

Leslie Giddens Robinson is the principal of the healthcare consulting firm of LGR Associates LLC, which focuses primarily on developing programs for managed care organizations in ambulatory clinical operations, training, use of evidence-based guidelines to improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations enrolled in Medicaid and Medicare, and transitions of care management. She has held executive-level positions at United Healthcare in the business units that managed Medicare and Medicaid enrollees. Robinson is an active member and past president of the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN) and has been selected to participate on its planning committee for the annual meeting for the last three years.

Robinson earned her Master of Science in Nursing Administration from George Mason University and a Doctor of Nursing Practice – Leadership from Quinnipiac University. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees for the SBH Health System, Bronx, N.Y., and the National Black Nurses Association.

Jeffrey W. Weil is a seasoned technology executive with a global footprint in enterprise software. His career has been marked by transformative achievements. He excels in cultivating customer relationships, building high-performance teams, and delivering cutting-edge, cloud-based solutions. Currently, Weil serves as the vice president of NuoDB R&D Consulting and Support at Dassault Systèmes. Under his leadership, NuoDB's distributed database technology witnessed accelerated go-to-market strategies and the establishment of robust customer relationships. Weil previously served as the general manager at Upland Software, where he orchestrated the successful integration of the $27 million Qvidian and RO Innovation business units. He has held senior leadership roles at prominent technology firms, including BA Insight and Empirix. Weil holds a bachelor's degree in economics from St. Lawrence University.

Lisa R. Weil is a highly accomplished senior managing director and head of client experience at TIAA, a leading provider of financial retirement services for academic, research, medical, cultural and governmental markets. With over 25 years of global leadership experience, she has driven digital transformations and created award-winning solutions, showcasing a commitment to innovation. She has been co-chair of the Women’s IT Leadership Council, and was featured in Diversity, Inc. for her inclusive leadership style. Weil, an entrepreneur at heart, holds two patents that utilize advanced AI and mobile technologies for enhanced customer experiences. Weil holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, with continued executive leadership at Babson College and artificial intelligence at MIT. She has held FINRA series 6, 63, and 26 registrations.

Wilfredo M. Yap Jr. is deputy chief nursing officer at NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health. He is an experienced healthcare leader with more than 15 years of leadership in healthcare. Known for fostering patient-centered care and cultivating collaborative and healthy working environments, Yap has a proven track record of enhancing nursing practices, optimizing patient outcomes and implementing innovative healthcare strategies. His expertise in clinical operations, regulatory compliance and team development has led to improvements in hospital-acquired conditions, patient flow and care experiences.

Yap holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Quinnipiac University and is certified in ambulatory care (AMB-BC) and nurse executive, advanced (NEA-BC). As someone who is passionate about continuous improvement and compassionate care, Yap continues to elevate nursing excellence within New York City Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health.