Speakers
Laura Kincheloe, Ed/D, MSN, RN, NE-BC is an experienced educator and nurse leader with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry and in nursing leadership. Dr. Kincheloe has practiced in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas with a clinical background in nephrology, oncology, pulmonology, trauma progressive care, and has worked in Unit and Hospital Supervisory positions. With a passion for mentorship and empowering the next generation of nurses, Laura worked as a Nurse Educator for both Associate and Baccalaureate degree nursing programs.
Dr. Kincheloe earned her Doctor in Education in Leadership and Nursing Education from The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and is a Board-Certified Nurse Executive. She resides in Georgetown, Texas, with her husband and four children.
Joyce Batcheller, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAONL, FAANN currently serves as a system leader in nursing practice for Ascension Texas. She joined Ascension in June 2014 as a network lead for Magnet & Pathway to Excellence where she developed a new methodology for nursing peer-to-peer
Batcheller received her DNP from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. She served in the U.S. Air Force as a second lieutenant and held many positions in hospitals in across the US, later taking on the position of senior
vice president of operations of Seton Medical Center Austin in 1994 and then the Seton Healthcare Family as system chief nursing officer. In 2013, she went on to pursue consulting and leadership development as well as starting
the All About Nursing radio show, doing speaking engagements and writing publications. She is an active member of TNA District 5 and an issue advisor for the TNA Policy Council.
Jack Frazee, J.D. is a graduate of the University of Houston Law Center. He is the Director of Government Affairs and General Counsel for the Texas Nurses Association and owns and operates the Frazee Law Firm as a civil litigator.
His litigation work has received the support of the Texas Attorney General's Office through amicus briefing; shaped the interpretation of laws by litigating issues of first impression; and advanced the interests of workers, patients, homeowners, consumers, and taxpayers. He advocates on behalf of the Texas Nurses Association to advance nurses' interests through legislative and regulatory reform.
Serena Bumpus, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Texas Nurses Association where she is responsible for providing oversight of related entities and programs including the Texas Nurses Foundation and the Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses and other programs as identified. She is responsible for executing the ongoing vision for the association as it relates to the changing healthcare landscape and the nursing profession.
Dr. Bumpus’s nursing career spans over 20 years where she has held various positions from staff nurse to Director of Nursing, all in the acute care hospital setting. Most recently, she was the Senior Regional Director of Clinical Surveillance at Ascension Health. She has demonstrated a strong career trajectory with involvement in leadership, governance, and advancing the nursing profession. She has made significant strides in improving outcomes and advancing nursing practice throughout her career.
Serena received her Doctor of Nursing Practice in 2019 from Texas Tech University health Sciences Center in Lubbock. She is also an active and engaged member of numerous professional nursing organizations.
Amy K. McCarthy, DNP, RNC-MNN, NE-BC, currently serves as the Director of Nursing for Women, Infants, and Oncology at Texas Health Hurst-Euless-Bedford. An alumna of The George Washington University, she earned her DNP with a focus on Executive Leadership. McCarthy is a champion of transformational and heart-led leadership, aiming to foster innovative and health-centered environments for nurses. Her decade-long experience involves collaborating with state and national leaders in nursing, improve outcomes for the public and employees she serves at the bedside and in leadership.
Presently, McCarthy is the President-Elect of the Texas Nurses Association and the Past-President of The Dallas Fort Worth Great 100 Nurses. She has notably served as a Director-at-Large on the American Nurses Association Board of Directors, addressing crucial issues like safe staffing, workplace violence, and racial equality in nursing. Her involvement with the National League of Nursing includes contributing to the advisory board of the Accelerating to Practice program, focusing on new graduate integration into the workforce.
McCarthy’s roles extend to the Nurses on Boards Coalition, where she was a Texas Action Coalition representative and Co-chair of the Communications Work Group, overseeing coalition marketing and communication strategies. As the Secretary of the Texas Nurses Association from 2019 to 2021, she was instrumental in integrating younger voices into the organization, fostering ties with the Texas Nursing Students Association, and launching a podcast that highlights nursing innovation and mental health. McCarthy’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Southern Methodist University, and both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Nursing Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington. She holds professional certifications in Executive Nursing and Maternal-Newborn Nursing.
Senator Lois W. Kolkhorst is a sixth-generation Texan, with ancestral roots dating back to the Texas War of Independence. Married to her high school sweetheart Jim, she is a dedicated mother and small business owner. Born and raised in Senate District 18, she attended public schools before graduating from Texas Christian University, where she was an Academic All-American four-year letter winner on the Lady Frog golf team.
In 2014, after seven successful terms in the Texas House, she was elected to the Texas Senate in a special election, becoming only the 17th female to serve in the Texas Senate since 1845. Encompassing nearly one million constituents, Senate District 18 spans all or parts of 18 counties and includes a portion of the Texas coastline.
As Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, Senator Kolkhorst sets public health policies and oversees physicians and licensed health professionals. Senator Kolkhorst led the State of Texas through the COVID-19 pandemic and created new initiatives that improve women's health and maternal mortality rates. She has worked with hospitals to see that they provide better care for high-risk pregnant women and newborns and created an innovative funding method for newborn screenings in Texas. In 2022, the Senator was also appointed to Chair the Special Committee on Child Protective Services to work closely with advocates to protect abused children and reform our foster care system.
Senator Kolkhorst is known for achieving significant public policy changes that impact the lives of every Texan, such as lowering the price cap for insulin, increasing homestead property tax exemptions, and enacting constitutional protections for patient visitation rights during a pandemic. Known by her colleagues for being a hard worker, Kolkhorst has also passed legislation that impacts every code of Texas law, ranging from increased government transparency to fighting human trafficking. A longtime voice for private property rights, Senator Kolkhorst has worked with landowner groups to stop eminent domain abuse. To protect and increase funding for our state parks and historic sites, she authored Proposition 5 in 2019, which passed statewide with overwhelming support. She has also led efforts to enhance Texas roads, ports and trade corridors delivering millions of dollars in funding for the state highways across her district.
Senator Kolkhorst and her husband are blessed with two children, Lois Kate and Jake. A frequent volunteer at her church, Senator Kolkhorst also enjoys hobbies such as hunting, fishing and gardening.
nursing organizations.
Senator César J. Blanco proudly represents the people of Brewster, Culberson, El Paso, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Pecos, Presidio, and Reeves counties in the Texas Senate.
César was first elected to the Texas Senate in 2020. Senator Blanco currently serves on the distinguished Senate Committees on Health & Human Services; Natural Resources & Economic Development; Water, Agriculture, & Rural Affairs; Veteran Affairs; and Border Security. In addition, he serves as the Vice-Chairman of the Texas Senate Hispanic Caucus. Prior to being elected to the Texas Senate, César also served in the Texas House of Representatives for 6 years and was named a Best Legislator by Texas Monthly in his freshman session.
César has delivered for El Paso and West Texas by leading initiatives to strengthen our workforce, economy, and border communities, improving the quality of life, expanding access to healthcare, and increasing economic opportunities in the region.
During the 88th Legislative session, Senator Blanco championed legislation to expand SNAP food assistance for Texas families, increase access to quality healthcare, provide farmers and ranchers financial assistance for property damage, promote environmental protection, and deliver economic relief for working families.
For his work in the 88th Legislative Session, Senator Blanco earned several accolades and recognitions, including the Public Education Champion Award from Raise Your Hand Texas, the 2023 Legislative Equity Champion by Dia De La Mujer Latina, the Hunger Leadership Award from Feeding Texas, the Legislator of the Year recognition from Texas Nurse Practitioners (TNP), the Trailblazers Legislative Award from The Family Place, the Distinguished Legislative Service Award from Habitat for Humanity Texas, and the 2023 AARP Texas Legislative Champion Award from AARP to name a few.
Senator Blanco is active in the community as a member of the American Legion, El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), the Rio Grande Council of Governments (RCOG), the Medical Center of Americas (MCA), National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund Board of Directors, and Project Bravo Board of Directors. César lives in El Paso with his wife Lili, his daughter Amelia, and their dogs Lulu and Skipper (Skip).
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