Board of Directors & Staff

Dr. Sanford earned her BSN and MSN in Rural Health Nursing with a specialization in Nursing Education from the University of North Dakota and completed her DNP in Public Health and Policy at Rasmussen University. Dr. Sanford later earned a postgraduate certificate in Applied Clinical Nutrition to close the research-practice gap to address vitamin D deficiency in patients, populations and the nursing workforce, improving physical, maternal, and mental health and decreasing healthcare costs.

Her 30 years of nursing experience have encompassed bedside care, public and community health, education, research, and health policy. She has worked and volunteered with underserved populations locally and globally, including tribal communities, incarcerated and homeless teens in the U.S. and Canada, orphans in Mexico, rural communities in the Amazon and human trafficking survivors in Asia. In 2005, she lived in China for five years, where she served as a Nurse Consultant and teaching English. After relocating to Fargo, she co-founded a non-profit supporting micro-businesses for women in poverty in Afghanistan and further served local underserved populations through refugee health advocacy.

Beth is deeply committed to strengthening the nursing profession through education, workforce development, advancing health policy, and fostering professional growth. She enjoys serving on the Board of Directors for the North Dakota Nurses Association, advocating for nurses and nursing students across the state and nation.

Shila Blend, PhD, MSN, RN-BC is currently employed with the State of North Dakota as the Health Information Technology Director, who is responsible for overseeing the North Dakota Health Information Network, the health information exchange for North Dakota. 

She is currently a member of the federal Health Information Technology Advisory Committee.  She is a board-certified cardiac vascular registered nurse and received her Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing with a Health Systems focus from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Mary, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing from MedCenter One College of Nursing. 

Shila brings more than a fifteen years of experience leading people and projects in the healthcare space, including patient care, implementation of healthcare technology and statewide programs.  Her leadership experience includes significant stakeholder engagement with state, local and tribal partners as well as health care associations, emergency management and legislative members.  Shila has served as adjunct faculty for University of Mary’s graduate nursing program. 

She is a systems thinker passionate about improving nursing and our rural health care systems.  

Kelly Cummings-McGrady brings a lifelong commitment to nursing and service to this role. Her journey began tending to her elders as a child, as a health careers student in high school, continued through roles as a Combat Medic, CNA, LPN, ADN, BSN, and MSN, and most recently culminated in becoming a Board-Certified Nurse Practitioner. She says, "Each step in this path has shaped my perspective, strengthened my advocacy, and deepened my belief in the power of nurses to transform health outcomes in our state." Kelly is deeply passionate about: advocacy for professional nursing, ensuring our voice is strong, respected, and represented at every table; health equity for rural and Indigenous communities, especially those carrying high burdens of trauma or limited access to care; fiinancial stewardship that strengthens our profession, supports members, and positions NDNA for long-term success; and building collaborative, trusting relationships across all levels of nursing, from students to advanced practice.
As VP of Finance, Kellly says her goal is to bring clarity, transparency, and strategic vision to NDNA’s financial planning so that our resources fully support our mission and advocacy efforts. She looks forward to learning from each of you, contributing to the Board’s work, and advancing the profession that has shaped my life.
"Thank you for the opportunity to serve. I’m excited for the work ahead and honored to walk this path with you.”

Dr. Johnson grew up in a small town in Minnesota and began her nursing journey at Alexandria Technical and Community College, graduating from their nursing program in 2009. In 2016, she made the move to North Dakota, where she went on to earn her master’s degree in nursing from the University of Mary and later completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) at the University of North Dakota. Dr. Johnson's passion for nursing grew out of a deep desire to make a meaningful impact in people’s lives during their most vulnerable moments. She says, "Witnessing the compassionate, skilled care provided by nurses across different settings inspired me to pursue this calling." Dr. Johnson has worked in acute care, long-term care, home health, clinic nursing, nursing administration, and academia—experiences that have given her a broad and well-rounded perspective on the profession. She currently serves as the Program Director for the RN-to-BSN Completion Program at Minot State University, where she is committed to supporting nurses in their educational and professional growth. Dr. Johnson says, "I have proudly served two terms as the Vice President of Finance for the North Dakota Nurses Association. This role allowed me to grow as a leader, collaborate with dedicated colleagues statewide, and support the ongoing advancement of our organization. Now, I am ready to take on a new challenge as the Director of Membership. I am excited to focus on engaging current and future members, strengthening professional connections, and fostering a vibrant, supportive community of nurses across North Dakota."

My name is Ashley DeMakis. I graduated from UND in 2001. I worked in Grand Forks for a few years before returning to my hometown in Minot, ND. I am married with 2 children. I worked at Trinity for 15 years in different departments. While working in Clinical Informatics, I found my passion in educating others. I returned to school to get my Master's in Nursing Administration from the University of Phoenix. Currently, I am an assistant professor in the Department of Nursing at Minot State University. I teach the senior nursing students in their leadership and practicum courses. I enjoy teaching students about this amazing profession! 

I have been a past president and secretary of the Omicron Tau chapter of Sigma. I am a current delegate for Omicron Tau, and I am also on the Education committee.  This committee offered multiple nursing conferences to educate nurses on recent topics, offering continuing education units. Recently, I have become more interested in the legislative issues related to nursing.

I came to nursing later in life, having been an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)-Paramedic for many years. As an RN BSN, I have worked in both rural hospitals and long-term care, specializing in emergency medicine and geriatrics. I have served on many committees, helping to write policies related to influenza pandemics and mass casualty events. I continued to serve my local community as an EMT for nearly 20 years, retiring only after earning my Master's degree in Nursing Education.

As a lifelong learner, I recently completed my PhD. Utilizing both the work of Bandura and Benner, I investigated how experiencing death on the job affected the self-efficacy of newly graduated nurses who were still in the advanced beginner stage of their careers. It was an interesting look and provided insight for nursing retention. Having recently left the academic arena, I am now the owner of P Doc CPR, a mobile CPR/AED/First Aid unit that brings American Heart Association training and certification directly to the customer. In addition to the NDNA, I also sit on the boards of the North Dakota Center for Nursing, the Stutsman County Human Rights Coalition, the Zonta Club of Jamestown, and am the Governor-elect for Zonta International District 7. I feel my experience and connections will help guide me in the Director of Advocacy position. I firmly believe in introducing young, new nurses to the legislative issues that we face as a profession. They need to know that together, nurses have a voice through the NDNA!

Sarita Wanner is a nurse at St. Alexius CHI Dickinson in the ED, and is also PRN at the Sanford Clinic in Dickinson.

I want to serve for various reasons:

 -to strengthen representation for all of ND, but specifically the western/southwestern area

 -to be an advocate for other nurses, patients, students, and potential students

 -to be “in the know” and at the forefront of information so it can be shared

 -to influence others about the importance of involvement

 -to learn from and network with other professionals