It was growing up as a “preacher’s kid” that initially ignited Carla Stanley’s desire to become a nurse. The years she spent tirelessly working alongside her parents and siblings in the church laid the groundwork for her ultimately choosing the healthcare profession. Ms. Stanley started her career at the bedside working in the urban landscape of Gary, Ind. There, she learned the intricacies of navigating the red tape of bureaucracy in an environment where resources were low but addiction, illiteracy and unemployment were high. From there, she went on to hold numerous positions, including staff nurse in acute/critical care, unit manager, acute/critical care division director, director of nursing, CNO, and senior vice president of clinical services. Ms. Stanley earned an associate in applied science degree in business from Commonwealth Business College; an associate degree in nursing from Purdue University; a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Valparaiso University; and a master’s degree in business administration with a focus in healthcare from American Sentinel University. She aspires to obtain a doctoral degree. Ms. Stanley has earned Nurse Executive, Advanced Certification (NEA-BC) and Nurse Executive, Board Certification (NE-BC) through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She stays relevant in her profession and in her community through volunteerism, serving as a board member on the Preterm Birth Initiative, as an educator for the Alzheimer’s Association, and as a mentor in ACHE’s formal mentorship program, to name a few. She is board certified in healthcare management as an ACHE Fellow.