Dr. Hopla is an Associate Professor and the Director of the MSN/FNP and DNP tracks at Francis Marion University for over ten years. She continues to practice as a family nurse practitioner (FNP) one day a week at a federally qualified healthcare center, Hope Health in Florence, South Carolina (SC).

Dr. Hopla is a Fellow in the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and in the American Academy of Nursing. She has won the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) Health Policy Award for her continued work in legislation to increase access to patient care and remove barriers for NP practice.

In 2023 she was awarded the State AANP advocacy award for SC due to her legislative efforts. Dr. Hopla continues her legislative efforts as a board member with the Coalition for Access to Healthcare. She was recently appointed as Co-Chair of the Robert Woods Johnson and AARP Campaign for Action endeavor for nursing. Her research grants total over $3 million dollars. She has over 20 peer-articles published and been an invited speaker with over 30 presentations. She is the past President of the SC Nurses Foundation (SCNF) who’s purpose is to give scholarships to undergraduate and graduate nursing students in SC. Dr. Hopla serves as the Graduate Representative on the South Carolina State Board of Nursing Advisory Committee for Nursing Education. As a recipient of the Palmetto Gold Award, she represents the state as one of the top 100 nurses in SC. 

Dr. Janet Wessel Krejci was the dean and professor of the College of Nursing at Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI.

She has numerous publications and funded research grants in the areas of leadership, recruitment and retention, work climate, workforce diversity and change in both acute care and long-term care. She has consulted and presented workshops, courses and keynote addresses on Systems Thinking, Leadership, Change, Conflict and Nursing Excellence to help leaders be more effective, efficient and satisfied in their roles.

Betty Parker is the owner of Sharper Development Solutions, Inc., a training and development company.

She is a professional speaker, author, and trainer. She provides engaging presentations and training to corporations and individuals who have a desire to grow professionally and personally. She is a Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) through the Association for Talent Development and a Certified Professional Coach.

Elise Partin is a nonpartisan leader who holds the distinction of being the first female to serve in the office of Mayor in Cayce, South Carolina.

A leader on numerous boards including the Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Center for Livable Communities, she is known as a devoted servant-leader who builds consensus, activates innovations and accomplishes the unimaginable -- fundamentally transforming her city's livability, making it a low-cost high-quality place to live, work and play.  Outside of her mayoral duties, Elise Partin is an Adjunct Faculty member in the School of Public Health, Honors College, and Political Science Department of the University of South Carolina. Elise is a popular speaker and is passionate about helping others find their voice, set and achieve their goals and gain leadership skills.  She creates customized trainings that empower leaders and their teams to successfully express ideas and gain influence through effective oral and persuasive communication including managing crises, drawing from her extensive real-world experience.

Carolyn R. Swinton is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer, of Reveille Executive Coaching and Consulting Services.

Carolyn has served in several clinical leadership roles, in her over 30 years in nursing, including Chief Nursing Executive for the largest Health Care System in South Carolina. She serves as Affiliate Faculty at the University of South Carolina College of Nursing, and Clinical Associate Professor at the Clemson University School of Nursing. She is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Fellow of the Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Fellowship Program, an ANCC Board-Certified Nurse Executive, a certified Newfield Network Coach for Personal and Professional Mastery, and International Coaching Federation Associate Certified Coach. She is certified in Leadership Circle 360^© and Manager Edition and is an Everything DiSC^© Certified Practitioner.

For over 10 years, she has coached middle and senior-level leaders in the health care sector with an emphasis on supporting development in self-awareness, effective communication, executive presence,and conflict resolution skills. She has presented on Leadership Development, Communications Styles, Time Management, Conflict Resolution, A Team-Based Model of Care, at the local, regional, and national levels. She is the author of the “Nursing with a Passion” blog, “Reflections of Nursing” and co-editor of “The Untold Stories of Nursing.”

She is committed to supporting those individuals and organizations who are ready to embark on journeys to awaken their unique gifts, skills, and talents to achieve personal and professional mastery to live their best lives.

Stephanie A. John is the Employee Assistance Manager of  Prisma Health's Workforce Wellness, where she works to examine ways to help physicians and care teams navigate and thrive during the many changes and shifts in health care delivery.

Dr. Jacqueline Haverkamp has an experiential career as a professional and advanced practice nurse, educator and administrator. With 42 years of practice, she has served varying target populations, health care systems and educational institutions. Dr. Haverkamp is currently an Associate Professor and the Program Director for the Clinical Expert and Executive Healthcare Leadership Doctor of Nursing Practice programs for USC College of Nursing.

Dr. Laura Herbert is a professional and advanced practice nurse, leader, and educator. As a family nurse practitioner, she provides primary care to patients at a The Free Medical Clinic. Dr. Herbert is currently an Associate Professor and the DNP Project Coordinator for USC Nursing. As an educator, she has lectured on a wide variety of clinical topics in undergraduate and graduate programs. She serves as mentor to new faculty and leads student DNP project committees.

Tina Ralyea is the Director of the Amy V. Cockcroft Leadership Fellowship with the University of South Carolina College of Nursing.

Ralyea's career encompasses over 35 years of leadership experience. Prior to joining the University of South Carolina College of Nursing, she improved quality care and patient experience as Chief Nursing Officer for Prisma Health-Midlands, leading four acute-care and specialty hospitals throughout the Midlands region of South Carolina. She has practiced in acute care at three health care systems for 45 years.

Ralyea began her classroom teaching experience at Queen's University in Charlotte, NC as an instructor of Healthcare Finance and other graduate level leadership courses. In 2020, she was the instructor for USC's NURS 740 Facilitative Processes in Nursing Administration online course. Ralyea also has experience in teaching Population Health and Evidence Based Practice online courses at Walden University.