2024-2025 IANS Board

Executive Board of Directors
Get to know your IANS Board. Contact us with your questions and let us tell you why we chose Iowa for our nursing education and how you can be part of the action!

President: Camila Murillo 
​Bio: Camila is currently serving as the 2024-2025 IANS President. She is from Des Moines Iowa and currently studies in Cedar Rapids Iowa at Mount Mercy University. At MMU, she is a senior majoring in Nursing with a minor in Psychology and plans to graduate in spring 2025. As well, she is the President of the Mount Mercy University Association of Nursing Students (MMUANS), the nursing club on campus. Camila is passionate about helping those around her and serving her community in any way shape or form. Camila works at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids in the Emergency Department. In her free time, Camila enjoys playing tennis, as well as spending time with family and friends, including her French Bulldog Minnie! Camila’s has a dream of becoming a NICU Nurse at Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa.      
Duties of the President:
  • Preside at all meetings of the association, the Board of Directors, and the Executive Committee.
  • Appoint special committees with the approval of the Board of Directors.
  • Serve as ex-officio member of all committees, except the Nominations Committee
  • Represent IANS in a matter relating to the association and perform all other duties pertaining to the office.
Vice President: Cassondra Ruzicka
​Bio: Cassondra Ruzicka is a senior nursing student at Grand View University with a passion for labor and delivery care. She is committed to making a direct impact on patients' lives and guiding them through the hospital experience with compassion and expertise. Cassondra serves as President of the Grand View Nursing Student Association and Executive Chairperson of the Grand View Association of Student Athletes. Outside of academics, she is a shooting sports athlete and an active member of View Crew.
​ Duties of the Vice President
  • Assume the duties of the President in the absence or disability of the President.
  • Assume the office of the President in case of a vacancy in the office.
  • Nominate three 3-4 members for the annual state convention planning committee.
  • Serve as chairperson of the planning committee for the annual state convention.
  • Be responsible for visiting and recommending to the Board of Directors the annual convention site.
  • Be responsible for all convention publicity including the convention program but excluding the convention edition of the IANS newsletter
  • Be responsible for selecting, arranging, and planning for speakers, educational sessions, entertainment, and convention registration and all other duties pertaining to the office in collaboration with Public Relations Director, Membership Director, and Nominations and Elections Director.
Secretary/Treasurer: Mayeli Jimenez-Gomez  
​Bio:
  • ​​Mayeli is a senior  at Grandview University. She is currently the treasurer for IANS 2024-2025. Upon graduation she will have two degrees, Nursing and Spanish. She currently is Chief Photographer for Viewfinder Magazine; her photos have won many competitions within the Iowa media world. She also works as a tutor for kids in kindergarten to ninth grade in all subjects. Additionally, Mayeli works as a CNA on a cardiac floor at MercyOne Medical Center Downtown Des Moines. Some interesting facts about her are that she grew up in Sioux City and was born in Mexico. She can buy her shoes in the kids' section due to her small feet. She loves spending time with family and friends.  Occasionally, she will take a solo road trip to some place.
Duties of  secretary/Treasurer
  • Act as custodian of organization funds and see an annual financial report
    and budget is prepared.
  • Oversee the signing and deposit of checks for monetary disbursements, in association with the Finance Committee, as bylaws provide.
  • Serve as chairperson of the Finance Committee when such a committee is established by the Board of Directors.
  • Perform all other duties assigned by the President​​
  • Keep in file a permanent record of all reports, papers, and documents submitted to him/her.
  • Sign documents with the President such as, organizational papers and documents that come into their executive and administrative spheres.​
  • Conduct general correspondence of the association as requested by the President and Board of Directors.
  • Submit annually the officially application for NSNA constituency status, which shall include the following areas of conformity for active and associate members: purpose and function, membership, dues, and representation.
  • Keep on file a register of all constituents and their constituents and their officers and the addresses of all schools with members in this organization for correspondence, roll call, and business procedures
  • Inform Board of Directors, consultants, and constituents as to the time and place of board meetings
  • Send to the headquarters of NSNA, Inc. the names and addresses of all officers and directors of their association immediately after the election.​
  • Inform Board of Directors, consultants, and constituents as to the time and place of board meetings
Nominations and Elections Director:  Lizzie Norton
​Bio:
  • My name is Lizzie Borton and I am currently a junior nursing major with a minor in Heath, Wellness, and Sports at the University of Dubuque. I'm passionate about nursing and making a difference. My role in the lANS board is Nominations and Elections Director.
    In this role, I will encourage students across the state to run for the lANS board, get involved, and apply for scholarships available.
    I am also president-elect of the University of Dubuque Student Nurse Association
    (UDSNA), and will take over the role as president next year. My long-term goal is to work in the PICU, NICU, or ER, and eventually work as a travel nurse.In my free time, I enjoy spending time with friends and family!
Duties of Nominations and Elections Director:
  • Serve as chairperson of the Nominations Committee.
  • Send registration packets with scholarship information to schools.
  • Develop a slate of candidates for position on the Board of Directors and Executive Offices.
  • Coordinate the application and selection process for state consultant.
Public Relations Director:  Blessing Gaye 
​Bio: Blessing is a dedicated nursing student at Mercy College of Health and Sciences, where she is on track to earn her BSN in 2025. Currently serving as the Public Relations Director for the 2024-2025 term of IANS, she’s thrilled about the opportunity to connect and engage with her peers while promoting the nursing community. Originally from West Africa and raised in Urbandale, Iowa, Blessing has always been deeply passionate about giving back to her community. Her commitment to charity and community development fuels her drive to make a meaningful impact both locally and globally. With a heart full of enthusiasm, she’s excited to take on this leadership role and deliver her best efforts for a bright future in nursing.
Duties of Public Relations Director:
  • ​Publish the IANS newsletter at least three times per year.
  • Collect, edit, and write articles to be printed in the IANS newsletter.
  • Keep the website current with updates, scholarship, newsletters and information; and promptly submitting changes to the website developer.
  • Keep social media up to date with information of upcoming events and current news. 
Breakthrough to Nursing and Membership Director: Genevieve Martinez 
Bio: Genevieve Martinez is serving as the 2024-25 Breakthrough to Nursing and Membership Director of IANS. She is from Atlantic, IA and studies at University of Iowa in Iowa City! There, she majors in nursing and obtained a minor in Spanish, awaiting graduating in May. She is also the school chapter board present for the Student Nursing Association at University of Iowa (SNAUI), a member of the Young Community Nurse Clinician Program, and participates in research for the BEST-ICU clinical trials. Genevieve is interested in pursuing emergency nursing, and obtaining her DNP in family medicine. She is passionate about advocating for vulnerable population and increasing access to quality healthcare to those in need. In her free time, she loves to listen to music, sing and have jam sessions with her best friends. 
​Duties of Breakthrough to Nursing and Membership Director
  • Promote the positive image of nursing students.
  • Be responsible for the organization of projects to recruit and increase the number of men and minorities into nursing programs, and maintain retention of those already enrolled in nursing programs throughout the state.
  • Coordinate activities with the NSNA Breakthrough to Nursing Project, and serve as a liaison between NSNA, IANS, and the local school Breakthrough to Nursing 
  • chairpersons.
  • Serve as chairperson of the Breakthrough to Nursing Committee, which is NSNA's program, designed to recruit students into nursing.
  • ​​Serve as advisor to Board Members in planning and development of activitie
  • Organize contact information for schools and make available to Board Members at the beginning of the term of office.​​
  • Formulate and maintain a list of all IANS members with current school and address information to be available to the Officers and Board of Directors as necessary.
  • Recruit nursing students for membership in IANS.
  • Duties of the Membership Director:
Council of School Presidents:  COMING SOON
​Bio: My name is Kyla Roberts and I am currently a junior nursing major at the University of Dubuque. I'm passionate about nursing and leadership. My role on IANS is the council of student presidents (COSP). In this role, I help keep nursing student organizations across Iowa connected and informed, sharing important updates and working to create a stronger voice for students in the nursing community.
My long-term goal is to become a family nurse practitioner with a focus on pediatrics. I’m excited about the idea of working with kids and families to improve health outcomes, and I’m committed to continuing my education to make that dream a reality.
When I’m not studying or working on leadership projects, I love spending time with my dog, crafting, and hanging out with my family and friends. I believe in staying grounded and making time for the things I love while working toward my future goals. 

​ Duties of Council of School Presidents:
  • Serve as chairperson for the annual COSP meeting.
  • Maintain contact with the school presidents throughout the state.
  • Serve as a representative for all schools at board meetings.
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Legislation and Education Director: Faith Jasper 
​Bio: Hi! I'm Faith, I am the current Legislative and Education director for IANS. I am a Sophomore at Clarke University in Dubuque, IA. I serve on our school's nursing association as the Community Service director and I enjoy it, I plan on becoming the president next year! I am a nursing major with a psych minor, and I currently work as a CNA at a local nursing home. I just want to get more involved in the big ideas that revolutionize nursing and influence my peers to do the same. My grandma is a huge inspiration for my drive so I plan on doing everything I can to be involved and make a difference in the community. When my time isn't completely taken up by school, work, and school clubs, 1 enjoy reading, hiking, and playing with my dog. I plan on graduating in 2027
which seems far but it will be over in no time!
I am currently interested in travel nursing; however, I am open to what exactly I am going to specialize in. Long-term I would love to obtain my nurse practitioner, but I would like to travel and get experience in many scenarios.
​ Duties of Legislation and Education Director: 
  • Review and recommend for changes in the bylaws and policies and procedures.
  • Monitor awareness of current legislation affecting nursing, nursing students, and 
    health care.
  • Encourage and aid in writing resolutions relating to legislative business.
  • Communicate legislative information to the local chapter
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Faculty Consultants:

LaDonna McGohan, DNP, RN | Luther College; Decorah, IA
Sara Kraus, MSN, RN |Grand View University; Des Moines, IA