ALUMNI AFFADAVITS - School of Nursing - University of Virginia

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FROM THE BOARDROOM
Alumni Awardees
At Reunions 2005 the Nursing Alumni Association
proudly recognized three of its members, who earned
special recognition for their achievements.
Distinguished Alumna Award 2005
Jo Anne Powell, BSN 1964
Jo Anne Powell was a mentor and leader
who taught nurses and nursing students
how to protect the practice of nursing.
A lifelong member of the American
Nurses Association (ANA) and Alpha Eta
Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, she held
numerous elected and appointed volunteer
positions in nursing organizations at
the state and local level. Powell was
instrumental in helping to establish
ANA\C, the California constituent to the
ANA. She was involved in implementing
the regulations that allowed advanced
practice nurses to work in expanded roles
in California.
She provided a steady voice of reassurance
and possibility, working tirelessly
and collegially in all endeavors. Powell
encouraged the best from individuals and
from nursing, even during uncertain and
difficult times, and always maintained a
vision for the future.
Her vision created the Golden State
Nursing Foundation in 1994; she served
as its president for more than ten years,
enabling many nurses to benefit from its
scholarships. She was the beloved parliamentarian
for the California Nursing
Students’ Association for 20 years.
To quote from the nomination submitted
by her friend and U.Va. nursing
faculty member Theresa Drought, “Jo
Anne was the type of person who would
make someone new to activism feel like
it was where they belonged. She generously
shared her knowledge of how
things worked and treated all nurses as
equals.”
Sadly, Jo Anne died in January 2005.
Her work will survive her and her influence
on other nurses will live on.
Alumni Volunteer Award 2005
Cindi Colyer Allen, BSN 1975
Professionally, Cindi Allen has worked in
numerous positions over the years (most
passionately in pediatric critical care), but
she says her position as a recruitment/
retention coordinator has so far been the
highlight of her career.
Allen was honored, however, for her
many volunteer activities, including those
within her church, schools, her children’s
colleges, her neighborhood, the Beta
Kappa chapter of Sigma Theta Tau,
International and, fortunately for the
School of Nursing and its alumni, the
Nursing Alumni Association. She has
served the Nursing Alumni Association
in various capacities since 1989, and currently
serves as president of the Alumni
Council. In those roles she says she has
enjoyed meeting alumni from “all walks
of life.”
Her advice to future volunteers?
“Just do it. If you are waiting until you
have an abundance of free time, that day
may never come, so just lend a helping
hand.”
Young Alumni Award 2005
Marisa Kozlowski, BSN 1999
Since graduating, Marisa Kozlowski has
worked as a clinical research nurse in
pediatric oncology at NIH, and is currently
pursuing a career in biotechnology.
But it was her love of the University and
service to humanity that brought
Kozlowski to the attention of the
Nursing Alumni Association.
With fond memories of her time at
U.Va., Kozlowski wanted to ensure that
every student who entered the School of
Nursing had the same opportunities or
more than she did. Feeling that the nursing
school was often overlooked, she saw
the opportunity to change that by serving
on the University’s Young Alumni
Council. In that organization, she has
served as committee chair, vice president,
and president.
Kozlowski is also a member of the
Virginia Hospital Center Medical
8 The Virginia Legacy WINTER 2005–06