Leadership

The CGFNS International Board of Trustees

Pamela Maraldo, PhD, RN, FAAN

Chair

Pamela Maraldo, Ph.D., RN.

Dr. Maraldo is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Girls Inc. of New York City, an organization that provides non-traditional educational programs and opportunities to girls in the most economically depressed communities throughout New York City.

Dr. Maraldo served has as Chief Executive Officer of two national organizations, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, at its height of clinic violence, providing medical care and educational services to five million Americans each year, with a $50M+ revenue budget; and The National League for Nursing, the national education and testing body that promotes quality of care to the public.

As CEO, she led financial turn-arounds of all three organizations, created strong marketing capabilities, and provided strategic direction in the public policy arena. During her tenure the National League for Nursing quadrupled in size, with revenue growth from $5.2 million to $20 million in six years.

Dr. Maraldo started one of the nation’s first primary care nurse practitioner practices at Columbia University in upper midtown Manhattan using nurse practitioners as patient advocates as well as primary care providers. The practice continues to be highly successful, despite its proximity to many well established medical practices.

During that time she also founded managing partner of PJM Associates, a strategy consulting company. She has consulted across the gamut of health care concerns including the National Cancer Institute, several of the nation’s pharmaceutical companies, such as Pfizer and Merck, NY City’s Health Department, integrated health systems and membership organizations.

She served as a mayoral appointee to the New York City Board of Health for 8 years and she is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the New York Academy of Medicine. She currently serves on several Boards and Advisory committees related to important social issues: among them: Comunilife that provides housing for the indigent mentally ill and persons with HIV; and the Global Justice Center which provides assistance to women in war torn countries and oppressive regimes around the world.

Dr. Maraldo is a speaker and writer on a wide range of health policy subjects, including women’s health. She is the author of Women’s Health for Dummies. She has appeared frequently in the media on many programs including, Good Morning America, Dateline and The Charlie Rose Show. She has a new book coming out this fall, entitled, Medicine in Search of a Soul, challenging current medical practices and discussing healing practices in the context of the latest science.

Julie A. Fairman, PhD, RN, FAAN

Vice-Chair

Julie A. Fairman, PhD, RN, FAAN

Julie A. Fairman, PhD, RN, FAAN, is an historian of nursing and the Endowed Nightingale Professor in Honor of Nursing Veterans Emerita at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Her research focuses on 20th century healthcare issues, in particular, the history of health policy as it relates to scope of practice and service models, and the history of technology. Her recent work examines the intersection of civil rights and health care. Her work has been funded by the NLM, NEH, the RWJ Foundation Investigator in Health Policy Program. In 2011 she was the first historian inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau Research Hall of Fame.

She the author/editor of 4 books. Her work has been published in the NEJM, the Lancet, and Health Matrix. She has been interviewed by national and international media, including NPR, the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, and J&J media campaigns. Dr. Fairman directs the $20 million RWJF Future of Nursing Scholars Program and is Director Emerita of the Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing at Penn. She is an American Academy of Nursing Fellow, Visiting Nurses Association of Philadelphia Trustee, and Board member of CGFNS. Dr. Fairman served as the 2009 Scholar in Residence at the IOM and worked with the Committee on the Future of Nursing. She is the first nurse to deliver the Fielding H. Garrison Lecture (the American Association for the History of Medicine). She recently was awarded a Rockefeller Bellagio Academic Writing Fellowship for 2022.

Lynwood (Lynn) Brooks, MBA

Secretary

Lynwood (Lynn) Brooks, MBA

Lynwood (Lynn) Brooks is President Emeritus of the Health Professions Network. This collaborative network is comprised of national leaders from allied health professional associations, all levels of education institutions, accrediting agencies and health care professionals with representation from each of the 50 states. The purpose of this coalition is to formulate strategies to advance the health care education agenda to include commonly identified and overlapping issues dealing with work force recruitment, development, retraining and retention. Lynn has been a member of HPN since its inception, and recently received their Distinguished Service Award for his work on the Health Professions Awareness national campaign program. HPN recently completed documents related to consolidation of core competencies related to health care workforce development and a State of the Industry Analysis of allied health professions.

Lynn has been in health care human resource management for over 38 years, and in human resource management and organizational development for over 40 years. This includes senior HR executive positions in hospitals in Oklahoma and Montana, and as a senior or associate consultant with several healthcare consulting firms. He has served as President of the Oklahoma Healthcare Human Resource Association on three occasions and has served on numerous committees and work groups for ASHHRA, the American Society for Healthcare Human Resource Administrators. ASHHRA is the HR membership group for the American Hospital Association.

Lynn has served on several other national committees and boards dealing with human resource development including an ASHHRA special project addressing the critical issues surrounding the clinical education and retraining of the healthcare workforce of today and for the future. He was part of the initial ASHHRA task force that convened meetings of providers, educators, and professional associations to address these workforce development issues. Additionally, Lynn has served on the Board of Directors of the National Consortium of Health Sciences and Technology Education, including a term as President. He has also assisted with NCHSTE project development, grant requests, and strategic planning.

Lynn has been active with HOSA-Future Health Care Professionals for over 37 years, primarily in Oklahoma and Montana as well as a frequent presenter at HOSA Annual Conferences. He led the initial startup of the HOSA program in Montana, and served as the Board Chair for over ten years before retiring to emeritus status. He also received the Lifetime Distinguished Service Award from the national organization in 2015.

Jack Needleman, PhD, FAAN

Treasurer

Jack Needleman, PhD, FAAN

Jack Needleman, PhD, FAAN, is a Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.

Dr. Needleman’s research focuses on the impact of public policy and changing health care markets on quality and access to care, and health care provider and insurer responses to market and regulatory incentives. Dr. Needleman’s research has examined quality and staffing in hospitals and the evaluation and design of performance improvement activities.  Three of Dr. Needleman’s first authored publications on quality of care and nurse staffing are designated patient safety classics by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and he was the first recipient of the AcademyHealth Health Services Research Impact Award. Quality measures he developed have been adopted by AHRQ, Medicare, the Joint Commission, and National Quality Forum and his expertise developing, testing and refining quality measures has been tapped by these and other organizations. He was lead evaluator for the Robert Wood Johnson initiative Transforming Care at the Bedside and served on the Steering Council for the NIH-funded Improvement Science Research Network. He was a member of the Institute of Medicine Committee on the Future of Nursing Report Evaluation and the Institute of Medicine Standing Committee on Nurse Credentialing Research. Dr. Needleman’s research extends beyond quality. He has directed projects on a wide range of topics, and evaluated or helped design payment systems for hospitals, physicians and nursing homes, and systems for extending insurance to the uninsured.

Dr. Needleman is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and an honorary Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.

He received his Ph.D. in Public Policy from Harvard University.

Leah F. Binder, MA, MGA

Leah F. Binder, MA, MGA

Since 2008, Leah Binder has served as President & CEO of The Leapfrog Group, an award-winning national nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., representing employers and other purchasers of health care calling for improved safety and quality in health systems. She is a regular contributor to Forbes.com and other publications, and consistently cited among the 100 most influential people and top women in healthcare and patient safety.

Since its inception 20 years ago Leapfrog has been the nation’s most influential voice for health care transparency, fostering groundbreaking innovations in quality reporting and payment policy. Over 75% of U.S. hospital beds are now represented in voluntary reporting to the annual Leapfrog Hospital Survey. Under Leah’s leadership Leapfrog added to hospital ratings with ratings of hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgery centers, and launched the Hospital Safety Grade which assigns letter grades on the safety of general hospitals across the country. Last year Leapfrog was awarded the prestigious Value Award by the World Health Congress. Most importantly, analysts estimate that Leapfrog’s influence helped save at least 40,000 lives in each of the past three years.

Before joining Leapfrog, Leah served as vice president of a nationally noted rural health system in Farmington, Maine; and prior to that as senior policy advisor in the Office of the New York City Mayor. She started her career at the National League for Nursing. She has a bachelors from Brandeis and two master’s degrees from University of Pennsylvania.

Selena A. Gilles, DNP, ANP-BC, CNEcl, FNYAM

Selena A. Gilles, DNP, ANP-BC, CNEcl, FNYAM

Dr Selena A Gilles is Clinical Associate Professor and Associate Dean of the Undergraduate Program a New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing. She is an Affiliate Faculty member of the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing (HIGN) where she serves as Co-Director of HIGN Scholars Program. Dr Gilles is also an Affiliate Associate Professor at Howard University College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences and Volunteer Associate Professor for the State University of Haiti.

Dr Gilles has a DNP from Monmouth University (2014), a MS in Adult Health Nursing from Hunter College, City University of New York, (Cum Laude, 2010) and a BS with a major in Nursing degree from Long Island University (With Honors, 2005). Dr Gilles is a certified Clinical Nurse Educator and is also certified in Critical Care Nursing. Dr Gilles has been an Adult Nurse Practitioner for 12 years, specializing in Neuro and Pain Management.

Dr Gilles is known for creating and implementing nontraditional immersive teaching/learning innovations to address nationally identified nursing education issues that will enhance student learning/program outcomes. She is regarded as a leader and prelicensure nursing education expert who has implemented curricular innovations that have been evidenced based, creative and effective teaching strategies that span across multiple courses at Meyers and settings outside of Meyers, having a significant impact on student academic success and role transitions. Her contributions have helped enhance nursing curriculum, filling identified gaps and answering the new Essentials call for all entry-level professional nurses to have knowledge and proficiencies to practice across a variety of settings in the spheres of wellness/disease prevention and chronic disease management.

Dr Gilles is passionate about the management of acute and chronic pain, as well as opioid overdose prevention. She is the Program Director of the Greater NYC Black Nurses Association Opioid Overdose Prevention Program. She has strong community advocacy and passion for global health, currently working with organizations aimed to serve the underprivileged and underserved communities in Haiti, Ghana, and Nigeria. She has been on six medical missions. Dr. Gilles is currently a member of six professional organizations/associations, including serving as Past President and current Treasurer of Meyers’ Sigma Upsilon Chapter, and Programming and Community Service Committee Chair for the Greater NYC Black Nurses Association. Dr Gilles is an NLN LEAD Alum (2019) Penn Wharton Nurse Executive Leader Alum (2020). She has received the NBNA Under 40 Award (2019), Nurse of the Year Award for Community Service (2020)., and Advanced Practice Nurse of the Year Award (2022). She has also received the Leota P Brown Community Service Award from Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc (2021). Dr Gilles is the recipient of the GNYCBNA Nurse of the Year for Community Service (2021) and the NYU Meyers Humanitarian Award (2021). Dr Gilles is also a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine (2020).

Barbara A. Green, PhD

Barbara A. Green, PhD

Barbara A. Green is Senior Vice President, Office of the President, Greater New York Hospital Association. In this capacity, she assists in the coordination and support of all activities and initiatives of the Office of the President, including operations, policy/advocacy, and administration. Previously, Dr. Green served in a variety of roles at GNYHA, including Senior Vice President, GNYHA Ventures, Inc., the business arm of the Greater New York Hospital Association; Executive Director of the Greater New York Hospital Foundation, Inc.; and GNYHA’s Director of Public Affairs and Education. Prior to joining GNYHA, she served as Special Assistant to the Executive Director, Bellevue Hospital Center; Professional Staff Member of the U.S. Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee (staff of former U.S. Senator Jacob K. Javits); and Director of Educational Programs, American Group Practice Association (now called AMGA). Dr. Green currently serves as Chair, Board of Directors, Public Health Solutions, Inc.; Member, Board of Trustees, CGFNS International, Inc. and Chair, Advisory Board, CGFNS International’s Alliance for Ethical International Recruitment Practices; and Member, Board of Trustees, New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) and Chair of the NYAM Committee on Admission and Membership.

Dr. Green has served on numerous Federal and State commissions and advisory panels focusing primarily on health care workforce development; is a NYAM Fellow; and holds a Bachelor’s degree from Bradley University (Peoria, IL), a Master’s degree from American University (Washington, D.C.), and a Ph.D. from New York University (New York City).

Paule V. Joseph, PhD, RN, MS, FNP-BC, CTN-B, FAAN

Paule V. Joseph, PhD, RN, MS, FNP-BC, CTN-B, FAAN

Dr. Joseph is an Afro-Latina nurse scientist, educator, and philanthropist who was born and raised in Venezuela, South America. As an international expert in chemosensation and metabolic diseases, she bridges the intersections of nursing, science, nutrition, public health, policy, and health disparities. She is a 2019 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Lasker Scholar and 2018 Distinguished Scholar. She is Chief of the Section of Sensory Science and Metabolism in the Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism with a dual appointment at the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR). She is the 2022-24 America Academy of Nursing Fellow at the National Academy of Medicine.

Dr. Joseph leads a multidimensional translational research program combining research and clinical practice focused on chemosensation (taste and smell). Dr. Joseph and her group are conducting pre-clinical, clinical and translational studies that aims to improve the diagnosis, prevention, and management of chemosensory disorders and symptoms. Her program of research aims to understand neurological and molecular mechanisms underlying chemosensation (taste, smell & chemesthesis) and motivational pathways of ingestive behaviors in individuals with obesity and alcohol and substance use disorders. Since 2020, Dr. Joseph and her team began investigating the effects of the SARS-CoV-2 virus on the chemical senses and its post-acute sequelaeDr. Joseph is one of the co-founders of the Global Consortium for Chemosensory Research (GCCR) aim to foster the advancement of chemosensory science at large, allowing the possibility to test larger samples of participants cross-culturally, strengthening the reliability and validity of chemosensory science across many domains. During COVID-19 pandemic, the GCCR led studies in 35 different languages around the world and showed that COVID-19 was associated with severe impairment of smell, taste, and chemesthesis. To date, she has served as Principal Investigator or Associate Investigator on approximately 20 research projects and has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles, as well as several book chapters and one textbook. Her research has been covered by several media outlets nationally and internationally, including the New York Times, NPR, The Atlantic, Hippo Hive Latin-American among others. Dr. Joseph has received numerous awards and is recognized among the top emerging nurse scientists in the United States.

Dr. Joseph is a leader of national and global nonprofit organizations dedicated to decreasing health disparities and improving healthcare access in vulnerable communities. Her background as a nurse scientist and a woman of color has influenced her commitment to increase diversity in STEM-related fields. Dr. Joseph is a co-founder of the Latino Nurses Network, which focuses on building a strong network of support for Latino nurse leaders to effect change in health care policy, education, and practice. Dr. Joseph is actively engaged in developing outreach and training initiatives to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in biomedical research and training programs at NIH and internationally through her leadership of national and global non-profits. She is the past Vice-President of the Amazing Grace Children’s Foundation based in Ghana and serves on the advisory board for the organization. Within the organization, she has led initiatives to decrease health disparities and to develop training opportunities for local students and clinicians. Additionally, she serves as the Director of Mentorship for the African Research Academy for Women based in Ghana and USA.  She is a Founding Strategic Advisor of the Smell and Taste Association of North America.

Dr. Joseph received an Associate Degree in Applied Sciences in Nursing at Hostos Community College, a BSN from the College of New Rochelle, and an MS with a specialty as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Pace University. She completed a PhD in nursing with a focus in genomics at the University of Pennsylvania and conducted her PhD work at the Monell Chemical Senses Center. She then completed a Clinical and Translational Postdoctoral Fellowship focused on genomics, nutrition, and gastrointestinal diseases at the NINR, which was supported by the Office of Workforce Diversity. Dr. Joseph is a certified nurse practitioner with clinical privileges at the NIH Clinical Center and outside NIH. Dr. Joseph is the second nurse in the country to receive the Lasker Clinical Scholars Award, a prestigious grant given by NIH and the Lasker Foundation. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, and a Fellow of the Transcultural Nursing Society.

Sylvain (Syl) Trepanier, DNP, RN, CENP, FAAN, FAONL

Sylvain (Syl) Trepanier, DNP, RN, CENP, FAAN, FAONL

Sylvain “Syl” Trepanier, DNP, RN, CENP, FAAN, FAONL, is Providence’s System Chief Nursing Officer. In this position, he serves as the voice for nursing at the senior executive level, representing nursing practice for 40 thousand nurses in 52 hospitals and 1085 clinics in seven states. He also serves as the co-chair of the system’s Workforce Council.

Dr. Trepanier is a seasoned nurse executive with healthcare system experience in executive leadership, organizational transformation, and system standardization. Dr. Trepanier is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and a Fellow of the American Organization of Nursing Leadership (AONL). He obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Nursing from the University of Montreal, Canada, and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Texas Tech University Health Science Center (TTUHSC).

In addition to his duties as a System Chief Nursing Executive, he is an assistant professor for TTUHSC in the Masters in Nursing Administration program. He currently serves as a member of the Advisory Board for the Institute of Human Caring, is one of three appointed nurse leaders serving on the American Hospital Association’s Clinical Leadership Committee, is a member of the Board of Trustees for CGFNS, the world’s largest credentials evaluation agency for nursing and allied health, the Board of Dignity Health Education Global Education, AONL’s Board of Directors, and serves on the Audit & Risk Committee for the American Academy of Nursing.

Julie Trocchio, BSN, MSN

Julie Trocchio, BSN, MSN

Julie Trocchio is senior director of community benefit and continuing care for the Catholic Health Association of the United States. She coordinates CHA activities related to community benefits and tax-exemption of not-for-profit healthcare organizations and leads the association’s programs for Catholic-sponsored long-term and elder care. Julie has nursing degrees from Georgetown University and the University of Maryland.

Timothy L. Vidale, PT, DPT, MBA, CSOMT, CSCS

Timothy L. Vidale, PT, DPT, MBA, CSOMT, CSCS

Dr. Tim Vidale is the CEO of Momentous Sports Medicine. He currently serves as a Physical Therapist for the Baltimore Ravens and was formerly the Physical Therapist and Assistant Rehab Coordinator for the Minnesota Twins. He was featured in Forbes magazine as one of the top 1000 Entrepreneurs of 2021.

Dr. Vidale is a graduate of Florida A&M University where he was a hurdler and decathlete on the track and field team. Dr. Vidale went on to attain his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Rutgers University. Following graduation, Dr. Vidale relocated to Washington, D.C. where he earned his MBA from George Washington University. He completed his Sports Physical Therapy fellowship (FAAOMPT) at the Institute for Athlete Regeneration. Prior to that he served as an Assistant Professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Howard University. He was the Head Physical Therapist for the DC Slayers and DC Furies Rugby clubs from 2012-2016 and served Team USA as a Physical Therapist at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada with the United States Olympic Committee. He also served as the Physical Therapist for USA Softball National team.

Dr. Vidale is a published author, with publications in internationally distributed textbooks and scholarly journals and is also a content reviewer for the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy. Dr. Vidale specializes in treating sports and orthopedic injuries. He sits on the State Board of Physical Therapy for Washington, DC, and currently serves as on the Nominating Committee for the American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy(AASPT). Dr. Vidale is also the chairman of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and serves on the Practice Committee in the AASPT, and is also involved in the American Physical Therapy Association, American College of Sports Medicine and the Private Practice Section. He resides in Washington, DC.

Peter Preziosi, PhD, RN, CAE

President & Chief Executive Officer

Peter Preziosi, PhD, RN, CAE

Peter Preziosi is a leader in the global effort to strengthen health systems by improving career development and mobility for health workers. Recently appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of CGFNS International, the world’s largest credentials evaluation organization for the nursing and allied health professions, he is working to revitalize its leadership in developing and implementing credentialing solutions for a globalizing health workforce.

Prior to joining CGFNS in January 2023, Dr. Preziosi led quality, standards development and credentialing at the World Health Organization’s initiative to build a technology-driven global learning center, the WHO Academy, with a goal of upskilling millions of health workers worldwide.

After beginning his career as a registered nurse, Dr. Preziosi has spent nearly three decades in high-profile positions at corporations, government agencies and nonprofits. His work has included leading strategic innovation, partnership-building and healthcare reform initiatives for national and international organizations including Verizon’s healthcare innovation incubator, Concentrix Corporation, the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the National League for Nursing and the AMDEC Foundation, a New York-based biomedical research consortium. He also worked for the City of New York’s Health and Hospital Corporation and he directed the Mayor’s Office of Medicaid Managed Care.

Dr. Preziosi holds a PhD in health policy and a master’s degree in government administration from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a master’s in education from Columbia University’s Teachers College. His bachelor’s degree in nursing is from Florida State University. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of SONSIEL, a society of nurse scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs, and is a member of the American Society of Association Executives, where he is a Certified Association Executive.

Executive Leadership Team

Peter Preziosi, PhD, RN, CAE

President & Chief Executive Officer

Peter Preziosi, PhD, RN, CAE

Peter Preziosi is a leader in the global effort to strengthen health systems by improving career development and mobility for health workers. Recently appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of CGFNS International, the world’s largest credentials evaluation organization for the nursing and allied health professions, he is working to revitalize its leadership in developing and implementing credentialing solutions for a globalizing health workforce.

Prior to joining CGFNS in January 2023, Dr. Preziosi led quality, standards development and credentialing at the World Health Organization’s initiative to build a technology-driven global learning center, the WHO Academy, with a goal of upskilling millions of health workers worldwide.

After beginning his career as a registered nurse, Dr. Preziosi has spent nearly three decades in high-profile positions at corporations, government agencies and nonprofits. His work has included leading strategic innovation, partnership-building and healthcare reform initiatives for national and international organizations including Verizon’s healthcare innovation incubator, Concentrix Corporation, the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the National League for Nursing and the AMDEC Foundation, a New York-based biomedical research consortium. He also worked for the City of New York’s Health and Hospital Corporation and he directed the Mayor’s Office of Medicaid Managed Care.

Dr. Preziosi holds a PhD in health policy and a master’s degree in government administration from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a master’s in education from Columbia University’s Teachers College. His bachelor’s degree in nursing is from Florida State University. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of SONSIEL, a society of nurse scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs, and is a member of the American Society of Association Executives, where he is a Certified Association Executive.

Mukul Bakhshi, JD

Chief Global Affairs Officer

Mukul Bakhshi

Chief Global Affairs Officer, CGFNS international, Inc.
Director, Alliance for Ethical International Recruitment Practices

As Chief Global Affairs Officer at CGFNS, Mukul Bakhshi builds relationships with government and other stakeholders to encourage efficient regulation that promotes public safety and enables health workers to leverage their skills. He also leads development and implementation of the enterprise strategy to ensure CGFNS can serve the global community at the intersection of healthcare, migration, and credential evaluation and mobility. Since 2014, Mukul has led the organization’s Alliance for Ethical International Recruitment Practices, a multi-stakeholder initiative to advance fair and ethical recruitment practices of foreign-educated nurses. Prior to joining CGFNS, Mukul served as a management strategy consultant at McKinsey & Company and Altman Vilandrie & Company. His juris doctor is from Columbia University School of Law and he earned a bachelor’s in history and economics from Yale University.

Leo Clayboss, CPA

Chief Financial Officer

Leo Clayboss

Leo Clayboss has been the Chief Financial Officer for CGFNS International for more than a decade. A certified public accountant, he has 40 years of experience in accounting and finance in various industries including healthcare, manufacturing, information technology, telecommunications, chemical, services, and higher education. His experience spans enterprises ranging from emerging businesses to Fortune 500 companies. Earlier in his career, Leo served as the CFO of a $110 million healthcare system, as financial officer for two software companies, and as senior manager for a Big Four CPA firm. He is a member of the American and Pennsylvania Institutes of Certified Public Accountants.

Nish Jayamohan

Chief Technology Officer

Nish Jayamohan

Nish Jayamohan leads CGFNS’s efforts to transform its technology platforms and processes with the goal of enhancing and streamlining customer experience, expanding programs and building a new framework for credentials evaluation and workforce development on a global scale. Nish has nearly two decades of experience managing technology product and application development and large-scale implementation projects in the healthcare space. He joined CGFNS in 2023 after serving as Senior Director of Product Management, Software Engineering and Application Development for PharMerica, a national leader in pharmacy services that focuses on senior living communities, nursing facilities, public health organizations and post-acute care organizations. While there, he worked with corporate executive leadership to design and develop technology applications and enhancements to improve the company’s customer service and operational processes.

Robin Y. Jenkins, CAE, ICE-CCP

Chief Customer Experience Officer

Robin Y. Jenkins

Robin Jenkins oversees external and internal stakeholder relationships for all services offered at CGFNS, where she leads enterprise-wide customer experience and culture promotion initiatives. Robin has extensive experience as an executive regulator in the healthcare and higher education sectors. She served as president of the Council on Licensure, Enforcement, and Regulation (CLEAR) from 2015 to 2016 and is a longtime faculty member for its board member training program. She has also served on national and international regulatory and credentialing committees, including as an item writer for the ASAE Certified Association Executive (CAE) examination and for the Certified Credentialing Professional exam at the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE-CCP), where she also serves on the membership committee. She holds a bachelor’s degree from George Mason University and a master’s in social work from Howard University. In addition to being a CAE and an ICE-CCP, Robin is a Certified Public Manager and has certificates in non-profit management from Georgetown and Drexel Universities.

Patrick King, MBA

Chief Business Development Officer

Patrick King

Patrick King is the Chief Business Development Officer at CGFNS International, bringing 12 years of experience in organizational problem solving. Throughout his career as motivated business leader, strategist, and marketer, Patrick has served clients in a variety of industries spanning public, private and non-profit sectors in previous roles at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Bank of America. Patrick holds an MBA in management information systems and a bachelor’s degree in marketing, both from the University of Scranton.

Linda Mitchell

Director, Program Operations

Linda Mitchell

In her role at CGFNS, Linda Mitchell serves as the program director for the credential verification services for the Nursing Council of New Zealand and the International Consultants of Delaware, as well as document fulfillment across the enterprise. She joined CGFNS International in 2015 as manager of document forensics and fulfillment, which included program management of the credential verification service for New York State. Her bachelor’s degree is from The Pennsylvania State University.

Jason A. Richter

Director, National Nursing Assessment Service Program

Jason A. Richter

With 20 years in the field of international credential evaluation, Jason Richter is the Director of CGFNS’ National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS) program. In this role, he works collaboratively with Canada’s National Nursing Assessment Service to ensure a fair, transparent, and streamlined process for the credential evaluation of internationally educated nursing professionals seeking licensure in 18 nursing regulatory bodies across the country. He has worked with NNAS since its launch in 2014, serving as a subject matter expert on regulatory advisory groups and facilitating workshops for internationally educated nurses, and was appointed program director in 2017. Previously, he served the international community with both the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates and the International Consultants of Delaware. Jason’s bachelor’s degree is from Albright College.

Carrie Ruddy

Chief People Officer

Carrie Ruddy

As Chief People Officer for CGFNS, Carrie brings more than 20 years’ experience in human resources, managing field and corporate HR and benefits operations, employment development and performance. Prior to joining CGFNS, Carrie was director of human resources at Simply Beautiful Smiles, where she also served on the board of directors. Earlier in her career she was with Axata Coating Systems, Sunoco, and Step-by-Step, Inc. Carrie has a bachelor’s degree from Immaculata University.

Jacklyn S. Schacht, MBA

Director of Credentials Evaluation Services

Jacklyn S. Schacht

As CGFNS’ Director of Credential Evaluation Services, Jacklyn Schacht manages the CES Professional/Academic Services, VisaScreen®, Certification Program, eDocument Authentication Service, New York Credentials Verification Service, and ANCC. She also oversees the information input section and applicant navigation services. With 25 years’ experience in the management of teams and programs, Jacklyn joined CGFNS in 2018 as manager of Credential Evaluation Services. Previously, she was the Manager of Graduate Medical Education at Temple University Hospital, managing 42 programs, 25 program administrators and 600 resident physicians. Prior to that, she was Supervisor of Graduate Medical Education at Hahnemann University Hospital. Jacklyn has a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business, both from the University of Phoenix.

Lea Sims

Chief Marketing and Communications Officer

Lea Sims

A veteran marketing and communications executive who has held leadership roles in both the private and public sectors, Lea Sims heads the CGFNS marketing organization and brand transformation strategy. An early career in clinical roles within health systems – including 15 years in healthcare documentation – led to teaching, writing, and ultimately marketing and communications for allied health professions, health information management, and HIT. She has more than three decades of experience in healthcare, most recently as the Global Marketing Lead for Verizon’s healthcare and life sciences practice, where she also led vertical marketing for Verizon Business Group. Prior to that, she served as Director of Professional Practices for the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity, a role that required strategic oversight of the association’s marketing, communications, print and digital publications, professional credentialing, government affairs, and advocacy programs. In that role, she authored multiple textbooks, most prominently The Book of Style for Medical Transcription, 3rd Ed., the standards manual used by clinical documentation specialists worldwide. She served as Editor-in-Chief of the association’s print publications and clinical journals, and led the organization through renaming, rebranding, and an industry-wide job task analysis to support the revamping of AHDI’s credentialing programs. With a BA in Education, she’s taught allied health programs within the university system and led curriculum development and revision strategies within both schools and corporate training departments across her career.

Julia To Dutka, EdD

Global Assessment Strategist

Julia To Dutka

With an extensive background as a leader and assessment strategist in higher education, healthcare, and non-profit organizations, Julia To Dutka provides CGFNS with strategic guidance and expertise across its assessment activities. As Executive Director of the TOEFL® program at Educational Testing Service (ETS), she guided its transformation with measurement and technology capabilities leading to the current TOEFL iBT®, which continues to set the global standard for English language assessment. From 2016 to 2018, Julia was chairperson of National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), after serving for four years as chair of its strategic planning committee. Coming from an interdisciplinary background between linguistics and cognitive psychology, she has served as a professor, dean, and associate provost and is widely published in the field of education, regulation, credential assessment, and language teaching and testing, as well as global labor mobility. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Hong Kong University and a Master of Arts, Master of Education, and a Doctor of Education, all from Columbia University. She is CITI certified for social and behavioral science research.