ACN Board of Director Elections

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Candidates in alphabetical order

Every 3 years ACN elects a new Board of Directors to oversee the organization, develop a strategic plan and guide the mission. Elections will be held in April for the 2022-2024 term.

The ACN Board includes nurses, and has 2 non-nurse positions. All ACN members with current membership are eligible to vote, a link to the ballot will be in member inboxes soon.

Get to know the candidates, elections are coming up in April!

Matt Hecht, RN

Pennsylvania
ACN Member – 8 years
Camp Nurse- 8 years

Matt just finished his 8th summer as a camp director with his wife, Holly and his 16th as a nurse. He lives at his non-profit camp, Camp Onas, a residential, co-ed camp in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Matt’s nursing background is informed by 14 years of Critical Care nursing (SICU, MICU, Neuro ICU) and he can muddle his way through a shift in the ED as well. 
Matt’s camp nursing experience is as one of two nurses for a total population of 210 for 8 weeks each summer. He is a Visitor for the ACA and is finishing his first term on the Board of Directors for the ACN. During his time as his camp’s Health Care Manager he developed standing orders, Health Center guidelines, SOP, checklists, and communication & record keeping guidelines and for his camp. 

I really think this organization has a lot to offer. My experience in camp nursing prior to finding this group was isolating. Coming from a hospital background (ICU – no less) I was used to having a large team to bounce ideas/get help from others. Camp nursing isn’t like that for everyone. Many of our camps use only one nurse and when coming across something new, that can be difficult. I want to be a part of any group that will make that experience less intimidating.

Lynne Rodrigues, RN

Pennsylvania
ACN Member – 5 years
Camp Nurse – 10 years

Lynne earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from The Catholic University of America in May 1990.  In school, she feel in love with pediatric nursing. She has spent the last 31 years caring for children in various places. The bulk of her professional career has been in pediatric critical care.  Six years ago she transitioned from nursing primarily in a tertiary care setting to working as a school nurse in the community setting. She still maintains a hospital nursing position but work in the hospital setting only about once per month.

Lynne is a long time camp person. She currently serves as the Health Director for Falcon Camp.  Falcon is  a private, co-ed, residential, summer camp in central eastern Ohio. She has a long standing relationship with Falcon,  her father was a camper and a counselor at Falcon the first years it opened.  My grandfather was Falcon’s first insurance agent. She grew up tent camping with my family on weekends on Falcon’s property. She attended Falcon’s sister camp for four weeks each summer for many years as a child and teen.  When she was camper age, Falcon was all boys so she was across the same lake with the girls at Firebird. Years later, she wanted to send her daughter to camp and Falcon was first on her list. Ultimately, all four of her children attended camp at Falcon. She began working in the Health Center to help offset tuition costs for her children. Today, although none of her children are camper age, she is still drawn to camp. She continues to run the Health Office and has become a part of camp administration.  She cherishs the time she spends at camp each year and the work she does keeping camp communities healthy and going strong.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my first term as a Board Member. I have become involved with ACN’s Research Committee. I have learned a great deal as I have worked with other committee members supporting ACN’s research initiatives. I am hoping I can continue working on the Board as ACN continues its current work and develops new initiatives. ACN has grown remarkably in the last several years. I hope I can continue to be a part of the growth and part of ACN’s future.

Beth Schultz, PhDc, DNP, RN

Indiana
ACN Member – 14 years
Camp Nurse – 28 years

Published for CompassPoint and Speaker at ACN Symposium

 
Beth Schultz is completing her second term on the ACN Board and has served as the secretary and is an active member of the research committee. She has served as a camp nurse in a variety of camps including all boys, all girls and mixed gender. She recently worked as a camp nurse at Camp Brave Trails, a leadership camp for LGBTQ youth. She has been the Director of the Health Center at two camps and instrumental in their accreditation processes. When she is not at camp, she serves as nurse educator, currently the Nursing Program Director at Manchester University, and until recently maintained an active practice as a bedside nurse. She has taken nursing students to camp for a clinical experience, a great way to show them another aspect of our profession.
 
I believe every child should have a camp experience. I have four children, all attended camp when they were young. My oldest son is deaf and was a camp counselor at a camp for both hearing and deaf children. A rich experience for him and his campers. Every summer he attended camp from the time he was seven, until the summer prior to his last year of college I could see what a positive impact camp had on his personal growth. 
 
I have seen ACN grow and become even more widely recognized as a leading organization in health care in recent years. I have enjoyed being a part of the research committee and part of a great research team. I have worked on the fatigue and COVID research initiatives, both supported by ACN. I promote our organization every opportunity I get and was recently a mentor for a student at the University of South Carolina who received a research grant from ACN. We still have much work to do and I would like to continue my support of our organization, and camp nurses by continuing to serve on the Board.