Your Chapter Board

President: April Meras, DNP, FNP

Dr. April Meras, is a family nurse practitioner. She was born and raised in Dallas, TX. April graduated from the High School of Health Professions at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet Center in 1999. She received her BSN in 2004 from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, and her MS in 2012 from Texas Womans University. April completed her DNP through the University of Texas at Arlington in 2022. She has been a Family Nurse Practitioner for 13 years. Her nursing background includes inpatient gynecology/oncology surgery at Baylor University Medical Center and inpatient general pediatrics at Children's Medical Center Dallas. After graduating from NP school, she worked in family practice for 5 years and later was the owner and sole provider of a pediatric practice, Kidz Choice Pediatrics, in Dallas. April currently works for Parkland at two locations working in pediatric primary care mostly with newborns. April is married with two daughters, ages 5 and 16, and two stepdaughters, ages 21 & 22. In her spare time she loves to travel and spend time with family and friends. 

President-elect and Communications Chair: Lindsey Clark, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC, PMHS

Lindsey began her career in pediatrics in 2005. Her nursing journey has included roles in the newborn nursery at both an urban medical center and a small community hospital, the acute care pediatric floor, pediatric primary care, and the NICU, where she was a member of the neonatal transport team. Despite her diverse experience, she fell in love with primary care due to the trusting relationships she could build with her patients and their families. In 2019, she graduated from Maryville University with a Master of Science in Nursing as a pediatric nurse practitioner. From 2020 to 2022, she was a visiting professor of nursing at Arkansas Tech University, where she honed her skills as an educator and mentor. She completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice at Maryville University in August 2022. In 2025, Lindsey completed her Primary Care Mental Health Specialist certification (PMHS) through PNCB to better serve her rural community's mental health needs in the primary care setting. She is married to her husband, Dallis, and they have two boys, Parker, 15, and Emmett, 11. In her spare time, she enjoys shopping, watching her boys play sports, and helping them with their FFA show goats.

Secretary: Allison Harker, RN, MSN, CPNP

Allison is a pediatric nurse practitioner at Parkland Hospital, where she has worked for more than 30 years as part of the APRN team that cares for all the normal newborns born at the hospital, which can be more than 1,000 a month. Before working at Parkland, she worked as a pediatric nurse practitioner for an allergy/immunology doctor and began her career as a pediatric nurse at Baylor. Allison loves the diverse population at Parkland and enjoys being part of a happy time for many families. She has precepted numerous students and new nurse practitioners over the years. Allison is married to her husband, Dan, and has two children who are both married. She has a grandson and twin granddaughters due in October 2024. In her free time, she enjoys taking walks, reading, volunteering, and babysitting her grandson.

Treasurer: Melissa Rowles, MSN, APRN, CPNP

Melissa is a pediatric nurse practitioner at John Peter Smith Hospital. She has worked at JPS for 12 years as a primary care provider in the Haltom City School-Based Clinic and now in the Grapevine Colleyville Pediatric Clinic. She previously worked at Children’s Health in Dallas for 19.5 years as an RN, team leader, and practice manager. She has a passion for caring for the underserved pediatric population and children with developmental problems, such as autism. Rowles also promotes the nursing profession by being a mentor and preceptor for nurse practitioner students. She has worked with more than 50 students in her role as a nurse practitioner, encouraging them to be their best to better serve the children they will see in the future. She is married to her husband, Kevin, and has a stepdaughter, son-in-law, grandson, and two fur children. In her free time, she enjoys scrapbooking, reading, and spending time with family and friends.

CE Chair: Quanica Darden, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC

Dr. Darden is a pediatric nurse practitioner and primary care provider at Parkland’s Community Oriented Primary Care of Southeast Dallas Health Center. She obtained her Doctorate of Advanced Practice Registered Nursing from Texas Tech University in 2020 and her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Grambling State University. She has worked in primary care and has served as a preceptor to nurse practitioner students in pediatric and family tracks for more than 11 years. She dedicates her professional time to advocating for and enhancing pediatric care. She has a passion for preventive health and provides guidance using a collaborative coaching style. She finds great joy in working with children and their families, demonstrating cultural competency and providing personalized, quality care. She is especially passionate about working with adolescents as they transition into young adults.
 

Immediate Past President: Joyce F. Jenry, PNP

Legislative Chair: Cathy Lux, DNP, RN, CPNP-PC

Nominations Chair: Julianne Doucette DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC

Julianne Doucette DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC has served as a Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner for 29 years caring for pediatric patients and teaching graduate level students. She is currently an Associate Professor and Program Director for the Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner DNP Program at Rush University in Chicago. Her area of scholarship includes food allergy, asthma and immunology, physical activity, infant and child development, graduate nursing curriculum, competency-based education, simulation and access to care.  She is involved in Texas Nurse Practitioners advocating for full practice authority, Grassroots Advocacy Legislative Subcommittee, and the FARE Education Advisory Council.  In addition, she has served in the past as the President of the Greater Texas NAPNAP Chapter,  the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) as the Research and Scholarship Committee Chair, a Clinical Expert for the Food Allergy Prevention Provider and Consumer Education Project and presented many food allergy topics at the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and NAPNAP annual conferences.

Community Engagement Chair: Theresa M. Willey MSN, CPNP

Membership Chair: Van Nguyen MSN, RN, CPNP