Sudbury nurse elected association president

NEWS RELEASE

REGISTERED NURSES' ASSOCIATION OF ONTARIO

************************** RNAO announces its president-elect

TORONTO - (April 27) - Ontario nurses have elected David McNeil [shown, front right] as the next president of the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO).

On Friday April 24, at RNAO's Annual General Meeting in Markham, Ontario, McNeil, a registered nurse from Sudbury won the election against three other candidates for the post.

In addition to being an RN, McNeil is the vice-president of Clinical Programs and chief nursing officer at the Hôpital régional de Sudbury Regional Hospital.

McNeil also has extensive management and frontline experience.

McNeil holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Laurentian University in Sudbury and a graduate degree in Health Administration from the University of Ottawa.

McNeil describes himself as a proud member of RNAO because of its reputation as a leader in advocacy and action on behalf of nurses, the health-care system, and the health of the population provincially, nationally and internationally.

Previously, he served as the association's board representative for Region 11, which includes Sudbury and district, Algoma, Nipissing, Porcupine and Kirkland Lake.

RNAO's president-elect says the quality and sustainability of a publicly funded and not-for profit health-care system depends on ensuring the long-term viability of the nursing profession and its impact on health outcomes.

He looks forward to following the path of previous presidents and to leading from strength to higher strength alongside current president Wendy Fucile and executive director Doris Grinspun.

When he officially assumes his term in office next April, McNeil will become RNAO's 51st official president.

The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) is the professional association representing registered nurses wherever they practise in Ontario.

Since 1925, RNAO has lobbied for healthy public policy, promoted excellence in nursing practice, increased nurses' contribution to shaping the health-care system, and influenced decisions that affect nurses and the public they serve.

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