Board of Directors

Emily Stelter is an Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist with a Doctorate in Nursing Practice degree from the University of Minnesota. Her expertise stems from clinical roles spanning adult med-surg and orthopedic nursing including Staff Nurse, Charge Nurse, Preceptor, and Co-chair of an Adult Nursing Practice Council. She is currently practicing as a CNS at M Health Fairview in the role of a System Advanced Practice Registered Nurse supporting medical surgical and intermediate care areas.

Ellen is a System Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) at Essentia Health and a board member of MN NACNS. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota, is a graduate of the University of Minnesota School of Nursing, and began her nursing career in 2012, progressing from LPN to RN and ultimately to APRN. With experience spanning inpatient acute care and emergency medicine, Ellen focuses on evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and professional governance and currently chairs Essentia Health’s System Nurse Practice Council. She is deeply passionate about advancing and promoting the Clinical Nurse Specialist role within healthcare teams and across Minnesota and proudly supports the mission and values of NACNS through her work with the Minnesota affiliate.

Christopher is a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Critical Care and Neurocritical Care at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, where he fosters innovation and elevates patient care. With more than 20 years of experience, he transforms evidence into practice, leading initiatives that sharpen outcomes and strengthen nursing excellence. He drives collaboration across disciplines, turning innovation into improved patient outcomes.

Melissa has been a nurse for 19 years with varying inpatient, outpatient, and skilled nursing care experience, mostly working within the orthopedic and neuroscience populations. She currently works at M Health Fairview. She strives to bring evidence-based practice to providers and nurses alike and works closely with the neuroscience service line and quality team to improve patient outcomes. 

Sacha is a dedicated CNS with 19 years of experience in the role and passionate about advocating for and supporting nurses at all levels. She joined the MN NACNS board one year ago to fill the treasurer vacancy and would love the opportunity to continue to serve our organization for the next full term. Over this past year, she has learned so much about nonprofit finance and looks forward to using that knowledge to continue in the role of treasurer of the MN affiliate of NACNS.

Andrea has been in nursing since 2010 and has a strong foundation in both clinical practice and education. Her clinical experience includes work in the ICU, Medical-Surgical units, and Ambulatory Care, caring for diverse and complex patient populations. In addition to bedside nursing, she has taught nursing at a local college, helping prepare future nurses for clinical practice. She is dedicated to advancing nursing through excellence in care, education, and mentorship. Andrea has been volunteering for the MN NACNS since January 2020.

Joy first studied advertising and marketing, but quickly realized it was not her true calling. Drawn to healthcare, she earned her Associate’s Degree in Nursing in 2017 and began her career as a bedside nurse in a medical ICU. She completed her BSN in 2019 and earned her CCRN certification soon after. When the pandemic transformed her ICU into a COVID unit, Joy began to feel burnt out and sought new challenges, and transitioned to the PACU. Along the way, she explored education and shadowed Clinical Nurse Specialists, sparking a passion for advanced practice nursing. In 2023, she began her CNS journey at the University of Minnesota. Now entering her final semester, Joy is excited to graduate and step into the APRN profession, bringing her compassion, resilience, and diverse experience to the role.

Kristine Hinton is a second year AG-CNS DNP student at the University of Minnesota, her anticipated graduation is May of 2027. She has worked for M Health Fairview/University of Minnesota Medical Center for over 20 years and currently works as a nurse clinician in the solid organ transplant service line. Kristine has previously served on the board for the local chapter of the International Transplant Nurses Society and is grateful to serve on the board of the MN NACNS!