Your Chapter Board

President: Melia Stephens, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC

Dr. Melia Stephens is a dedicated health care professional passionate about pediatric care and committed to advancing the nursing profession. Graduating with her DNP in 2022, Dr. Stephens has continually demonstrated her expertise and dedication to the field. She has served as a pediatric nurse since 2003 and has been a pediatric nurse practitioner since 2009, providing compassionate and comprehensive care to children and their families. Dr. Stephens has been a longstanding member of NAPNAP and is currently president-elect for the Georgia Chapter. She is a proud mother to a 23-year-old daughter and shares her home with a beloved Great Pyrenees and a flock of chickens. Dr. Stephens embodies the values of compassion, expertise, and community engagement, making significant contributions to pediatric healthcare and inspiring those around her.

President-elect: Patricia R. Lawrence, PhD, RN, CPNP-AC/PC

 
Patricia is a clinical assistant professor and director of Project Healthy Grandparents at Georgia State University. She is a dually certified pediatric nurse practitioner with more than 30 years of experience in both primary care and acute care settings. She continues to practice at the Heart Center at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, where she developed and managed the Pulmonary Hypertension Program starting in 2011.

Immediate Past President: Marlena Sherman, DNP, MPH, APRN, CPNP-PC

Dr. Marlena Sherman is a pediatric nurse practitioner at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and doctor of nursing practice in Health Systems Leadership. She loves to volunteer and be involved with NAPNAP because she is most fulfilled when she's working toward improving the quality of health care for all children. She's committed to health equity and improving health outcomes in infants, children, and adolescents through patient- and family-centered care and tackling the social determinants of health. She wants to care for patients in the exam room and transform health care on a larger scale by translating research into practice and improving the way health care is delivered to patients via quality improvement processes.

Treasurer: Alyssa Kesselman, CPNP, PMHS

Alyssa has been a pediatric nurse practitioner since 2012. After spending nine and a half years in primary care, she currently works as the clinical program manager for the vascular anomalies clinic at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Kesselman earned her master's degree in clinical nurse leadership in 2008, post-master's certificate in child health/pediatric nurse practitioner certification in 2012, and her doctorate in nursing practice in 2023. She served on the Georgia chapter board as continuing education chair for three years before being elected treasurer. She lives in the Atlanta suburbs with her husband, identical twin boys, and Boston terrier named Mookie.

Secretary: Meghan Engler, MSN, RN, CPNP-PC/AC

 

Meghan is a lead nurse practitioner in the Heart Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA). She is a dually certified pediatric nurse practitioner with 18 years of nursing experience. Meghan earned her Master of Science in Nursing from Northeastern University and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Virginia. She began her nurse practitioner career as a cardiac surgery NP in the Boston Children’s Hospital Acute Care Unit, where she cared for both pediatric and adult patients. Meghan is passionate about multidisciplinary care and works to ensure patients, families, bedside nurses, consulting services, and support staff are actively included in a patient’s plan of care. She has been an active NAPNAP member since 2014 and has attended many NAPNAP conferences. Outside of work, Meghan enjoys spending time with her family and is currently training for a half marathon.

CE Chair: Michelle Dinser, CPNP-AC

Michelle is a pediatric nurse practitioner specializing in acute care at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She earned her undergraduate degree from Georgia College and State University and completed her master’s program at the University of South Alabama. She began her career in the pediatric ICU, where she worked for 10 years. Now, she helps care for chronic disease patients with the gastroenterology group. Her journey is guided by a commitment to children’s quality care, aiming to improve healthcare for all. When she’s not working, she enjoys traveling, biking, and spending time with her Sheepadoodle, Pretzel. She has served as the continuing education co-chair for the past year and looks forward to continuing her dedication and service to NAPNAP.

CE Chair: Lady Collins, RN, BSN

Lady was born in Colombia and moved to the United States when she was 5 years old.  She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Kennesaw State University (KSU) in 2013. While in full-time school at KSU, Collins worked as a patient care tech on an adult step-down unit, working nights. As a bilingual registered nurse in a busy pediatric ED for 6.5 years, she saw a significant need for more bilingual providers to bridge the gap in health disparities, such as language barriers. She obtained her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in August 2020, concentrating on advanced pediatric nursing and forensics. Since the fall of 2020, she has served her patient population as a CPNP at La Clinica del Niño PC, doing business as International Pediatric Clinic. Continuing education is Collins' passion, as it enables her to better serve as a resource to her colleagues and patients. She has been happily married to her college sweetheart for the past 10 years and has two boys, ages 9 and 7, and a 4-year-old girl. 

Communications Chair: Katie Hillman, BSN

Katie has been a member of the Georgia NAPNAP board since 2022, serving as the communications chair. She looks forward to continuing her service to the local NAPNAP community while networking with fellow PNPs. Katie earned her Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in pediatric primary care from the University of Pennsylvania, along with a nursing administration minor. She is board certified by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board. She began her nursing career at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in 2016, where she was a registered nurse caring for urology, general surgery, plastic surgery, ENT, and orthopedic patients. This broad surgical experience served her well as she transitioned to her role as a nurse practitioner at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta in 2021. She expanded her pediatric and surgical knowledge, working as an NP within the pediatric general surgery department before transitioning to pediatric urology in 2024. Outside of caring for children, Katie enjoys exploring Atlanta, staying active, and trying new foods

Membership Chair: Brittney Grabowski, MSN, APRN, CPNP-AC/PC

Legislative Chair: Chandler Padgett, DNP, APRN, FNP-C

Chandler is a double alumnus of Columbus State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in May 2016 while playing collegiate softball and a Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner degree in May 2019. Upon graduation, Padgett began working as a family nurse practitioner in both hospital and hospice settings while concurrently teaching full-time in the undergraduate nursing program at Columbus State University. She obtained a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Georgia State University in May 2022. She serves as the executive vice president of United Advanced Practice Registered Nurses West Georgia Chapter, the legislative chair for the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners of Georgia, and is an active member of both the Georgia Nurses Association and the American Nurses Association. She also serves on both the local and regional board of Family and Children Services by the Columbus City Council to support the Columbus community. She received the NAPNAP Advocacy Scholar Award and the 2024 NAPNAP Grassroots Advocacy Award. She recently graduated from Georgia State University’s Legislative Health Policy Certificate Program.