Your Chapter Board

President: Samantha Lee, DNP, ARNP, CPNP-AC

Dr. Lee is an assistant professor of instruction at the University of Iowa College of Nursing in the acute care pediatric nurse practitioner program. She also practices as an acute care PNP specializing in pediatric pulmonary care. With 16 years of experience, Lee has focused her practice in pediatric acute and critical care settings, bringing a wealth of expertise to both her academic and clinical roles.

President-elect: Stephany Walk, DNP, ARNP, CPNP-AC/PC

Stephany is a pediatric nurse practitioner who has worked in pediatric surgery at the University of Iowa for eight years. The team specializes in congenital malformations, surgical emergencies, gastrointestinal problems, lung, trachea and chest wall malformations, tumors and cancer, and trauma. She also worked as needed as a nurse practitioner in the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at the University of Iowa. Before becoming a nurse practitioner, she worked for five years as a nurse in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. She serves on the executive committee for the Section of Affiliated Professionals in Pediatric Surgery of the American Pediatric Surgical Association.

Secretary: Katherine Scott, DNP, CPN

Dr. Scott is a pediatric nurse practitioner who practices in the Blank Children’s STAR Center and with the pediatric hospitalist team at both Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines and Trinity Regional Medical Center in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Her professional practice experience includes child abuse and maltreatment, care of drug-exposed children, failure to thrive evaluation and management, emergency care, newborn nursery care, and inpatient pediatrics. She is also an assistant professor of nursing at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Treasurer: Mikayla Siddell, MSN, RN

Dr. Siddell is a pediatric nurse practitioner specializing in pediatric primary care at the University of Iowa, where she also serves as an adjunct assistant professor in the College of Nursing. Before entering advanced practice, she served for eight years in the U.S. Navy, cultivating leadership and resilience that continue to shape her career. She spent two and a half years as a NICU nurse, where she developed a passion for neonatal and pediatric health. Her academic interests include sports medicine, student-athlete wellness and prevention of overuse injuries. She has authored a book chapter on guiding students through the transition from a BSN to a DNP program. She is also a mother and wife who enjoys playing volleyball and traveling.

CE Chair: Hannah Jepson-Slaughter, BSN, MSN, ARNP, PC-PNP, 

Hannah is a pediatric medicine and rehabilitation nurse practitioner at ChildServe. She has worked at ChildServe since 2014, serving in the outpatient pediatric rehabilitation medicine clinics, with an emphasis in the developmental, home enteral nutrition (HEN), and concussion clinics. Through these clinics, she provides care to infants, children, and young adults who have concussions; are at high risk for growth, feeding, or developmental issues; have acute or chronic trauma, injuries, and functional impairments; or receive nasogastric or other enteral feeding. She provides education, interventions, and referrals to help children grow and develop to the best of their abilities. In her free time, Jepson enjoys spending time outside with her children and cooking.

Social Media and Communications Chair: Emily Puetz, RN, BSN, CPN

Emily is a primary care pediatric nurse practitioner at UnityPoint. She is passionate about fostering collaboration among nurse practitioners across the state to enhance care quality and professional growth. She is committed to lifelong learning, community engagement and advancing pediatric health care through connection and shared practice.

Community Engagement Chair: Courtney E. Kremer, CPNP

Courtney Kremer is a primary care nurse practitioner working in pediatric rheumatology. Her professional experience includes treating juvenile idiopathic arthritis, juvenile dermatomyositis, lupus, uveitis, vasculitis and scleroderma. She helps oversee outpatient infusions and performs intra-articular injections and aspirations. In addition to her clinical role, Kremer serves as an APP lead supervisor in the pediatric department. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, practicing photography and being outdoors.

Scholarship & Grant Chair: Elizabeth A. Faine, RN, ARNP, CPNP

Legislative Chair: Cheryll Jones

Student Liaison: Molly Brennan