2021-2023 Board of Directors

Kenneth Dion, PhD, MSN, MBA, RN, RCSI, FAAN, Assistant Dean for Business Innovation and Strategic Relationships at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, is a 40-year veteran of the health care industry. He is a nurse entrepreneur, inventor, and scholar.

In 1999, Dr. Dion founded Decision Critical, Inc., an information systems company, to meet the education, compliance, and competency development needs of health care organizations. In 2012, Decision Critical was acquired by HealthStream, Inc., where Dr. Dion served as vice president and chief of nursing informatics until 2014.

Dr. Dion joined Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in 2018 where he is responsible to bringing nursing innovations to market, implementing emerging technologies, and providing strategic guidance to the organization.

Dr. Dion earned his bachelor’s degree in nursing at the University of Central Florida and his MBA, MSN, and PhD in nursing systems at the University of Texas at Austin.

Sandra Bibb, DNSc, RN, FAAN, is Owner and Cultural Competence Consultant, Sandra C. Garmon Bibb Consulting. As a Cultural Competence Consultant, she provides education, consultation, and support to groups and organizations focused on increasing self-awareness of cultural views and perspectives; and developing positive attitudes towards cultural differences. Dr. Bibb served in the United States Navy as an active-duty nurse and retired at the rank of Captain (0-6) in 2004, after serving three decades in the Armed Forces. While on active duty she established and served in a number of leadership roles, where she led interprofessional healthcare teams in the design and delivery of population-based, culturally appropriate care. After retiring from the Navy, Dr. Bibb served in several roles at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland, from July 2004 to July 2014, including: faculty, Research Director, Department Chair, and Associate Dean. In 2014, she was selected to serve as Dean and Professor, College of Health Professions at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. In January 2020, Dr. Bibb left Wichita State University and established Sandra C. Garmon Bibb Consulting in August 2020. She has over 30 years of experience in senior and executive leadership positions in military, academic, professional, and community settings, and has served on numerous national and international review committees, boards, and task forces. A Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, she is recognized for her research initiatives and published works related to population health; access to care; and health and healthcare disparities.

Gloria Chan, DNP, CRNA, is a staff CRNA at Staten Island University Hospital. She is also faculty at Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies, in the Acute Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) - Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) DNP program. Gloria is an established nurse leader with extensive experience within Sigma on the local, national, and international levels. She previously served as a United Nations Youth Representative for the Nightingale Initiative for Global Health (NIGH), working to educate nurses around the world about UN initiatives. One of her primary goals has always been to support and guide nurses who are newer and younger to the profession. She has spoken at conferences around the world regarding nursing leadership and mentorship and is published regarding mentorship in the nurse anesthesia field.

Gloria earned her DNP and MSN in Nurse Anesthesia from Rutgers University and her BS from NYU. She continues to practice clinically in her role as a CRNA, administering anesthesia for all types of patients in all settings in a Level 1 Trauma center in New York City. In addition, she remains committed toward mentoring Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists (SRNAs) around the country, providing guidance and support to those in the nurse anesthesia field.

Nancy Rollins Gantz, a DNP candidate, maintains an enthusiasm and endless energy for being a consistent mentor, motivator for leadership team growth, and point-of-care staff coupled with an emphasis on quality outcome services and patient safety values. While working internationally, Dr. Gantz developed the CAPPS™ International model, Cultural Appreciation through Professional Practice and Synergy.

Dr. Gantz has published on numerous topics; presented and consulted/lived in over 45 countries; held adjunct professor at numerous universities; and participation in international and national editorial boards. Dr. Gantz has been an active Sigma member since 1990; a former Middle Manager Board Member of The American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE/AONL); and has held numerous national and regional positions with the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). Dr. Gantz is currently president (2019-2023) of the Beta Psi Chapter of Sigma in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Gantz has a never-ending passion for Sigma, the staff, and its membership as she currently holds the position of Secretary on Sigma’s International Board of Directors.

She has received several honors and awards, including the American Organization of Nurse Leaders PRISM Award for leadership in cultural diversity; the Lloydena Grimes Award for Nursing Excellence from Linfield University-Good Samaritan School of Nursing; and, most recently, the International Leaders in Achievement. Dr. Gantz is a Wharton Fellow through the completion of the Johnson & Johnson Wharton Program for Nurse Executives, The Wharton Business School. She is the editor and author of the book 101 Global Leadership Lessons for Nurses: Shared Legacies from Leaders and their Mentors, published by Sigma and she is completing her second book on international mentoring called Mentoring in Nursing through Narrative Stories Across the World that will be published by Springer in 2023. Dr. Gantz recently received her certification as a Global Nursing Consultants through International Council of Nurses and CGFNS. She also holds a CNEn and was inducted as a fellow in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (FRCSI) and as a  fellow in the American Organization of Nurse Leaders (FAONL).

Dr. Alejandro is the Chief Nurse Executive & Associate Director for Patient Care Services at the Edward J. Hines, Jr. VA Medical Center  and serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army Reserves. In addition to Sigma Treasurer (2019-2023), he is active in other professional associations which include serving as board member for the American Association of Men in Nursing. Dr. Alejandro also served as the 15th President (2012-2014) of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses; 25th President (2018-2020) of the Case Management Society of America; President (2017-2019) of Organizational for Associate Degree Nursing Foundation and Treasurer (2015-2019) of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing Building Corporation.

He was awarded the NAHN’s Latino Legacy Lifetime Achievement Award (2021); AAMN’s Luther Christman’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the CMSA’s Case Manager of the Year in 2015. Dr. Alejandro is a Sigma and Virginia Henderson and Fellow; Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing; and Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Elizabeth Weathers, PhD, BSc, PGCTLHE, RGN, FAAN, boasts a diverse, culturally rich career with experience in clinical practice, academia, and the medical device industry across Europe, Asia, and the US. She has 15 years’ experience in healthcare and 10 years’ experience managing all facets of clinical research and development. Elizabeth is Director of Medical and Clinical Affairs at AccuVein, where she leads the company’s clinical development strategy and is responsible for overseeing clinical research, scientific communications, and clinical input into product development. Elizabeth is also a part-time Lecturer at University College Cork (UCC), Ireland and serves as Expert Reviewer for the European Commission COST funding organization.

Elizabeth holds a BSc in Nursing, a PhD in Medicine and Health, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning from UCC, Ireland. She also holds an Accreditation in Logotherapy from the Viktor Frankl Institute of Ireland.

In 2019, she was elected to Sigma's International Governance Committee and in 2020 she was appointed to the editorial board of the Seminars in Oncology Nursing journal. Elizabeth is one of the first five nurses from Ireland inducted into the American Academy of Nursing in recognition of her nursing contributions. She is the Co-Founder and immediate Past President of the first Irish chapter of Sigma.

Elizabeth’s journey, working across three continents, has equipped her with an understanding of the cultural nuances that exist across global healthcare systems and practice. She is committed to improving healthcare by effecting change for patients and highlighting the valuable contribution of nurses globally.

Professor Debra Anderson,PhD, MNS, GDNS(ED), BA, RN, is Dean of the Faculty of Health. She joined the University of Technology Sydney in late 2019 as Associate Dean Research where she was responsible for leading the faculty's research function with a focus on developing and executing the strategic vision that builds internal capability and grows the faculty's profile nationally and internationally. She is Director and Founder of the Women’s Wellness Research Program, a program for midlife women who want to focus on wellness in midlife with particular attention to managing menopause and other midlife concerns and developing healthy eating and exercise habits. Her previous positions were Head of School, Nursing and Midwifery at Griffith University; Director of Research at the School of Nursing, Queensland University of Technology; and the Research Leader of the Chronic Conditions research group at the Institute of Health and Biomedical Research. She has a PhD in Social and Preventive Medicine and over 30 years’ experience in education and research, with an extensive record of providing leadership in major administrative, research, and managerial roles in the area of global women’s health.

Dr. Janice Agazio is currently Associate Dean and Director of the PhD and DNP programs at The Catholic University of America in the School of Nursing where she serves as Ordinary Professor. She retired from active duty in the Army Nurse Corps after twenty-two years of service. She has specialized in pediatric nursing and is certified as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. Her research includes issues related to military nursing care delivery and impact of military life upon families. Dr. Agazio is active in other nursing professional organizations serving currently as Secretary, Southern Nursing Research Society; Maryland Nurses Association Treasurer-Elect and Chair of the Continuing Education Approval Committee; and member of the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education Accreditation Review Committee and site visitor. She is an active reviewer for nursing journals, and other grant and abstract review committees. Her recent publications have reflected previous research in ethical issues experienced by military nurses in wartime and deployment experiences for military families.

Cynthia Diefenbeck, PsyD, APRN, BC, is an advanced practice psychiatric nurse with prescriptive authority and a licensed clinical psychologist. She practices in the Psychiatric Services division of the University of Delaware’s (UD’s) Center for Counseling and Student Development. She is also affiliated with the UD School of Nursing as a secondary faculty member and teaches in the psychiatric nurse practitioner program. She has had practice or teaching experiences in in a wide range of psychiatric settings including inpatient acute hospitals, emergency room psychiatric crisis, outpatient chronic settings, day programs, and traditional outpatient practice. In addition to psychiatric evaluation and medication management, she has expertise in individual, family, and group psychotherapy.

Prior to returning to full time clinical practice, she dedicated nearly two decades of her career to higher education, achieving tenured Associate Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Delaware. She was involved curriculum design and transformation at undergraduate and graduate levels, including the development of an immersion model of baccalaureate education and the launching of DNP and psychiatric nurse practitioner programs. She is a proud Sigma member since 1994 and has served in numerous leadership positions at local and international levels.

Sara Horton Deutsch, PhD, RN, PMHCNS, FAAN, ANEF, Caritas Coach, is a Professor at the University of San Francisco School of Nursing and Health Professions and Director of the University of San Francisco/Kaiser Permanente Partnership where she coordinates the Clinical Nurse Leadership track. She is also an adjunct Professor at the University of Colorado where she mentors doctoral students in the Caring Science PhD program track and a Research Fellow at the University of South Africa. She is an established nurse leader known for her work in leadership development and advancing the art and science of caring, reflective pedagogies and mindfulness in nursing education. Her work in reflective practice has been published in two books coedited Reflective Practice: Transforming Education and Improving Outcomes and Reflective Organizations: On the Front Lines of QSEN & Reflective Practice Implementation. In 2018, she co-edited the textbook, Caritas Coaching: A Journey Toward Transpersonal Caring for Informed Moral Action in Healthcare and The Handbook of Caring Science, an encyclopedia, representing over 30 years of caring science scholarship. Her latest Sigma book, published in February 2022 with Dr. Holly Wei, Nurse-Led Visionary Leadership in Healthcare, aims to in- form, expand, and empower nursing leaders to envision and transform the current system into one with an expansive vision for health.

Dr. Carole Liske is a passionate volunteer leader for Sigma and served in appointed and elected positions at the chapter, regional, and international levels.  She is a member of five chapters and has served in all officer positions.  Dr. Liske most values the opportunity to have been President of three chapters that each achieved the Chapter Key Award for the first time in chapter history.  

An award-winning Graduate Faculty Manager at a national, nonprofit university, Dr. Liske is committed to developing and sustaining a team culture of joy.  Her decades of experience leading and mentoring nurse colleagues allows her to advance the education of diverse student populations through personalized, practice-relevant instructional support.  Dr. Liske is an avid proponent of professional satisfaction and is currently collaborating with global nurse researchers to explore the meaning and perceptions of joy in nursing.  

Dr. Liske is a staunch advocate for nurses and vulnerable populations and served on governmental, political, and non-profit boards for over 30 years.  She leverages this experience to actively support Sigma and its global regions in her role as Regional Chapters Coordinating Committee Chair and member of the International Board.

Liz Madigan, PhD, RN, FAAN, is the Chief Executive Officer of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma). She assumed the position in November 2017 following a 21 year period as a tenured professor at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Ohio. Her clinical background and her program of research focused on home health care. She has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and private foundations for her research. She is widely published in the area. During her time at Case Western she led the global health initiatives for the school of nursing and has provided consultation in multiple countries for home care and aging care in the community. She is a graduate of Wright State University, Dayton Ohio (BSN), The Ohio State University (MS in nursing) and Case Western Reserve (PhD), a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and proud member of Sigma Theta Tau.

Since assuming the position as Chief Executive Officer, she had led initiatives in strengthening the scholarship offerings from Sigma, raised funds for new research grants in conjunction with partner organizations, and obtained funding to support nursing students in accelerated baccalaureate and doctor of nursing practice programs. Sigma continues to work with universities around the world to develop chapters with recent changes to simplify the chapter development process. The two scholarly journals, Journal of Nursing Scholarship and Worldviews on Evidence Based Nursing are ranked in the top ten in impact factor among all nursing journals worldwide. The online continuing nursing education/continuing professional development program offers more than 100 contact hours of programming for Sigma members.