Your Chapter Board

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

Dr. Patricia Lawrence is Director of Project Healthy Grandparents, a research-based community program at Georgia State University where she teaches in the School of Nursing and in the School of Public Health. She is a dually certified pediatric nurse practitioner with more than 33 years of experience in both the primary care and acute care settings. Her research populations of interest include children with medical complexity, caregivers (such as grandparents raising grandchildren), and how to improve the health and well-being of children and adults with disabilities. She continues to practice in the Heart Center at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, where she developed and managed the Pulmonary Hypertension Program from 2011 to 2018, and now cares for cardiology and cardiac post-surgical patients. She enjoys teaching and mentoring, and values multidisciplinary collaboration. She received her BSN from the University of Rochester, her MSN from Boston College, and her PhD from Georgia State University. In her free time, she loves being with her family and riding her horse "Dragon".

President-elect: Alyssa Kesselman, CPNP, PMHS

Immediate Past 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.

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.

Treasurer: Kadian Magerl, DNP, C‑PNP‑PC

Dr. Kadian K. Magerl is a board-certified Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner with advanced clinical training in pediatric primary care, mental health, global health, and community-based care. Her doctoral project focused on early detection and intervention for pediatric mental health within the primary care setting. She earned her DNP from Emory University in 2024. Her clinical background includes pediatric emergency and critical care at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, as well as global and community-based health. Before entering healthcare, she spent over a decade in sales and finance, which shapes her strategic and fiscal leadership style. As Treasurer, Dr. Magerl applies her accounting and financial acumen, dedicating herself to transparent stewardship that supports student scholarships, continuing education, and outreach to strengthen the impact of pediatric APRNs in Georgia. She is deeply passionate about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) advocacy and addressing social determinants of health (SDOH), championing equitable care for underserved children and families. Grateful for the mentorship and resources NAPNAP provided during her student years, she is excited to give back by supporting current students through scholarships, continuing education, and community outreach across Georgia. At home in the Atlanta suburbs, Dr. Magerl lives with her husband and three children. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, cooking, and creating memories with her family.

Communications Chair: Jessica Podlaski, MSN, MHA, APRN, CPNP-P

Jessica Podlaski is a CPNP-PC who brings her previous experiences as a bedside nurse and health communication expert to patient care. She cares for a diverse group of children and families at a large primary care practice in Gwinnett County. Jessica previously worked as a RN caring for Nephrology and GI/Hepatology patients on the Transplant Step-down Unit at CHOA. It was her experience as a patient care volunteer on that unit that became the catalyst for her career change to nursing. Prior to nursing, Jessica spent nearly 15 years as a health communication expert working for various healthcare, nonprofit, government, and public health organizations. She received both her MSN and BSN from Emory University. She also holds a MHA from Simmons University and a BS in Mass Communication from Boston University. In her free time, she loves exploring the outdoors with family and friends and hopes to hike the world. 

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

Brittney Grabowski has been a pediatric nurse practitioner since 2019. Prior to that she was a nurse extern, patient care tech, RN, and nurse educator on the surgical/trauma floor at Children’s Healthcare. Since obtaining her MSN from The University of Alabama at Birmingham, she has spent her PNP career caring for pediatric kidney transplant patients at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. This position sparked a desire to raise awareness about access to transplant and caring for immunocompromised children. She is passionate about being an advocate for underserved communities, protecting vulnerable children, and patient and family education. Brittney is also involved in research and QI initiatives within her department, always aiming to improve patient care and ensure that vulnerable pediatric populations are included in evidence-based care. Outside of work, Brittney enjoys spending time with her family and friends, eating amazing food, reading, and binging a good TV show (although that rarely happens now that she has a toddler). She is so excited to continue to support and grow the GA NAPNAP chapter as Membership Chair!

Legislative Chair: Lady Collins, MSN, CPNP-PC

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. 

CE Chair: Michelle Dinser Worthington, CPNP-AC

Michelle is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner with a specialty in Acute care at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She went to Georgia College and State University for undergraduate and went on to continue her education at the University of South Alabama for her Master’s program. She began her career in the Pediatric ICU for the first 10 years but now helps take care of Chronic Disease patients with the Gastroenterology group. Her journey is guided by commitment to Childrens quality care, aiming to better healthcare for all. When she is not working, you can find her traveling, biking and hanging out with her Sheepadoodle named Pretzel. She has served as the Continuing Education co-chair for the past year and looks forward to conitnuing her dedication and service to NAPNAP.