Your Chapter Board

President: Christine Schindler, PhD, DNP, RN, CPNP-AC/PC

Christine is an experienced critical care pediatric nurse practitioner, health systems leader, and educator. She is passionate about using her knowledge of health systems and pediatric care to advocate for equitable policies that promote the health and well-being of children and families at the local, state, and national levels. Schindler is actively involved in advocacy efforts addressing gun violence as a public health crisis. She serves as the faculty advisor for the Marquette University Team ENOUGH chapter, a youth-led organization focused on educating young people about gun violence and mobilizing them to take meaningful action. She holds a joint appointment at the Marquette University College of Nursing, where she is a clinical professor, and the Medical College of Wisconsin/Children’s Wisconsin, where she serves as the advanced practice provider director for critical care. Dr. Schindler leads global health programs in South Africa and Peru, where students explore health disparities through the lens of health, human rights, and social justice.

Treasurer: Crystal Bales, DNP, APNP, RN, CPNP-PC, CLC

Crystal is a board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner at the Medical College of Wisconsin, working with the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin-Fox Valley Pediatric Hospital Medicine department. She specializes in neonates and works primarily in the newborn nursery. She also serves as one of the advanced practice providers for the hospital’s pediatric outpatient infusion clinic. Before coming to MCW, Crystal worked at a community hospital as the lead PNP for the newborn nursery for eight years. During that time, she helped develop the hospital’s special care nursery and collaborated to start a pasteurized donor human milk program while also establishing a local human milk depot. Crystal is a certified lactation counselor. She earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison while completing the nurse educator certificate program. In her free time, she enjoys coaching soccer, exploring the outdoors and spending time with her family.

CE Chair: Norah Johnson,PhD, CPNP-PC, FAAN 

I am a tenured full professor, fellow of the American Academy of Nurses, nurse scientist and pediatric nurse practitioner-primary care at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where I currently serve as program director. I have worked as part of a multidisciplinary team, including experts in psychology, engineering, social work, speech and language, and education. My research has explored family caregiving stress, family functioning, quality of life, and the benefits of exercise as medicine, such as swimming programs for children with autism and their caregivers, and exercise for parents. I am also a member of the Milwaukee Pediatric Nursing Research Consortium, which focuses on translational research, implementation evaluation and the development and evaluation of staff development curricula for pediatric hospitals. My research has been published in more than 50 peer-reviewed journals.

Communications and Social Media Chair: Julie Banda, MSN, RN, CPNP

Julie is a pediatric nurse practitioner at the Medical College of Wisconsin, working with the Children’s Wisconsin Gastroenterology department. She specializes in pediatric disorders of gut-brain interaction, with a focus on cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS), abdominal migraine, and chronic nausea. She received the 2022 Marquette University College of Nursing Preceptor Service and Excellence Award for her work with pediatric graduate students. She also earned the 2024 Poster of Distinction Award at the Association of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition Nurses international conference for her pediatric CVS quality improvement pathway in the emergency department. She enjoys coaching soccer. Before becoming a pediatric gastroenterology nurse practitioner, she worked as a pediatric critical care nurse at Children’s Wisconsin. She earned her master’s degree in pediatric nursing in 2007 and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at Marquette University.
President Elect Jill C. Kuester
Immediate Past President Denise M. Kilway DNP, RN, APNP
Legislative Chair Allison Grady DNP-c, MSN, APNP, PPCNP-BC
Membership Chair Renee Wenzlaff MSN, CPNP