The 2022-2023 NBCRNA Board of Directors

Vice President

Susan McMullan, PhD, CRNA, CNE, CHSE, FAANA, FAAN

Dr. Susan McMullan is an Associate Professor and Director, BSN-DNP Pathway in Nurse Anesthesia  at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Nursing. She earned her BSN from University of Michigan, her MSN in Nurse Anesthesia from Rush University, and her PhD from Rutgers, the State College of New Jersey. Prior to her move to Birmingham, she worked full time as a clinical CRNA in Chicago. In her time at UAB, she has received over $500,000 in Nurse Anesthesia Traineeship and AANA Foundation Research Grants. She also developed the only anesthesia workload instrument, and was key in increasing the number of CRNAs in Alabama during a critical workforce shortage. She has been inducted as a Fellow of both the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology and the American Academy of Nursing. In 2019 she received the Alabama Association of Nurse Anesthetists (ALANA) Outstanding Advocacy and Service to the CRNA Profession Award for her dedication to the profession. Susan maintains a clinical faculty practice at UAB Callahan Hospital.

Secretary-Treasurer

Garry Brydges, PhD, DNP, MBA, MHA, CRNA, ACNP-BC, FAAN, FAANA

Dr. Garry Brydges is the Director of Quality and Outcomes in Anesthesia and the former chief nurse anesthetist for 17 years at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Currently, his work includes a subdomain in artificial intelligence known as neural network machine learning for developing a perioperative oncologic collaborative registry. He is adjunct faculty at the University of Texas and Baylor College of Medicine Nurse Anesthesia Programs, Texas Woman’s University Nursing Graduate Programs, and adjunct professor at Case Western Reserve University - Shaughnessy Nurse Leadership Academy. Garry graduated from the University of Texas Nurse Anesthesia Program and was the recipient of the Agatha Hodgins Outstanding Graduate Award. He has an extensive academic background also graduating from the University of Texas Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program before nurse anesthesia training, concentrating in cardiovascular surgery. He completed his DNP at Texas Christian University in 2011, focusing research in Preoperative Considerations for the Heart Failure Patient with Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy. Other degrees include an Executive MBA, Masters in Healthcare Administration, as well as a PhD in Financial Management and Economics in Healthcare Delivery, at Texas Woman’s University.  In 2021, he was recently inducted as an inaugural fellow of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists for his leadership nationally and globally contributing to the nurse anesthesia profession. He completed his term in 2019 as the 79th President of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. He was the President of the Texas Association of Nurse Anesthetists from 2012-2013.  

Lisa M. Bennett, DNP, MS, CRNA

Dr. Lisa M. Bennett earned her BSN from the University of Michigan, her MS in nurse anesthesiology from the University of Detroit Mercy, and her DNP from Robert Morris University. She has served on the Diversity and Inclusion committee for the AANA, is a poster and scholarship reviewer for the AANA Foundation and a former item writer for the NBCRNA. Lisa was the keynote Dorothy Brangman speaker for the 2019 AANA Annual Congress and has published in the AANA Journal.

Sara C. Gonzalez, MD, DABA

Dr. Sara Gonzalez is the anesthesiologist member of the NBCRNA Board. Dr. Gonzalez received her medical degree from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and completed her residency training at Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) and obstetric anesthesiology fellowship at Cedars Sinai Medical Center.  She serves as a Commander in the United States Navy at NMCSD where she is a staff obstetric anesthesiologist and the Residency Program Director.  She deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan in 2013 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.  She is an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences.  She enjoys teaching residents and students. Her academic interests include provider wellbeing, operational medicine, and maternal patient safety.  

Sarah E. Giron, PhD, CRNA, FAANA

Dr. Sarah Giron is a full-time Academic and Clinical Instructor for the Kaiser Permanente School of Anesthesia (KPSA) in Pasadena, California and Adjunct Professor at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) School of Nursing. She is the Director of the Kaiser Permanente Anesthesia Technology program and Co-Lead of the DNP scholarly project process. Her didactic expertise includes neurosurgical cases, organ transplant, burn anesthesia, cardiac and pharmacology. Dr. Giron holds a BS in Biochemistry and Cellular Biology from University of California San Diego, MS in Nurse Anesthesiology from Columbia University, and a PhD from University of San Diego with a focus in Psychoneuroimmunology. She has previously served on the Board of Directors for the California Association of Nurse Anesthetists, Chaired the Longitudinal Assessment Committee for NBCRNA and is published in myriad textbooks and journals.

Robert T. Laird, BSN, CRNA

Robert Laird is an anesthetist in private practice in the Abilene, Texas, area. He has been in private practice for over 35 years. Robert has served in many capacities with the Texas Association of Nurse Anesthetists, including four terms as President. He graduated from Texas Christian University with a BSN, before being accepted into the anesthesia residency program at Wichita General Hospital in Wichita Falls, Texas.  While there, he developed an air transport system for sick babies, served as field triage nurse during the Wichita Falls tornado of 1979, and helped develop policies for the use of CRNAs in the Emergency Department. After graduation, Robert was recruited by a private hospital in Abilene where he became the pediatric specialist for the center. Robert worked with both State and National organizations to lobby for rules allowing CRNAs to be accepted by Medicare as independent practitioners.  Robert has continued to practice full time, managing a four- CRNA group and serving as Chief of Anesthesia for four ASCs and one rural hospital. He also serves as part-time adjunct instructor for a local university nursing program. Robert has served as a testifying expert in several cases involving CRNAs and continues to provide research and opinions concerning standard of care. 

Becky LeBuhn

Rebecca (Becky) LeBuhn is a co-founder and Chair of the Board of Citizen Advocacy Center, and is responsible for research, policy development, and publications. She has coordinated public participation on regulatory boards, specialty certifying bodies, federal regulatory proceedings, private sector decision-making, and technical standards development in such diverse fields as healthcare, medical devices, solar energy conversion, and indoor air quality. A professional writer, Ms. LeBuhn is the author of numerous publications and newsletters on various subjects including health professional licensure, specialty certification and recertification, continuing professional development, consumer-business relations, regulatory and healthcare policy, and financial services. Active in the public interest community, Becky has been the President of the National Consumers League and of the Continental Association of Funeral and Memorial Societies. She currently serves as a public member of the American Board of Medical Specialties Stakeholder Council and in the past served as the public member on the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), and on the boards of directors of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (I.C.E.), the American Board of Radiology Foundation (ABRF), and ASTM International. She received the 2020 Mary Macomber Service Award from I.C.E.  Ms. LeBuhn earned her B.A. in Economics and Government at Wells College and her M.A. in Soviet Studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. 

Sonya D. Moore, DNP, MSN, CRNA, FAANA, FAAN

Dr. Sonya Moore, with over 20 years of nurse anesthesia experience, is the Program Director of the Nurse Anesthesia Program at Case Western Reserve University, where she developed and implemented the Leadership Excel and Achievement Program (LEAP). As a part of her commitment to practice, she currently holds a PRN position with The Cleveland Clinic and an independent locums’ practice, through SDMS Anesthesia limited. Sonya is involved in the nurse anesthesia community as a member of the AANA and OSANA Board of Directors, and while on the AANA board, served as liaison to the NBCRNA. She values her roles outside of the community, such as being the co-chair of the MSK Leadership Academy DNP Founders Circles, which engages her with leaders in nursing at the national and international levels.

Ellen Reynolds, MD, FACS

Dr. Ellen M. Reynolds, MD, FACS, is a fellowship trained pediatric surgeon with over 20 years of experience of general pediatric and trauma surgery at St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital, Boise, Idaho. Her particular interest is the management and treatment of chest wall deformities. Dr. Reynolds has helped to pioneer techniques used in the surgical correction of pectus excavatum and carinatum deformities. Dr. Reynolds earned her bachelor’s degree at Pomona College; and attended medical school at Washington University in St. Louis where she graduated first in her class. She completed her general surgery residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, and a fellowship in pediatric surgery at Children’s Hospital of Michigan. Dr. Reynolds volunteers her time with IPSAC organization, serving as an educator for Danang Children’s Hospital in Vietnam. 

Audrey E. Rosenblatt, PhD, MSN, BSN, BA, CRNA

Dr. Audrey Rosenblatt is the CRNA manager at Lurie Children’s Hospital where she oversees management, strategic planning, clinical care of pediatric patients, and clinical education of Nurse Anesthetist Students. Dr. Rosenblatt has over a decade of experience as a CRNA in pediatric anesthesia, she has completed a PhD in Nursing Science at Rush University where she holds a faculty appointment as an assistant professor in the College of Nursing and serves as the assistant program director of didactic education in the nurse anesthesia program track. Her time at Lurie Children’s Hospital has been one of promotion and expansion, growing the team from 0 to 20 CRNAs with further expansion planned. Dr. Rosenblatt supported development at Lurie within pediatric subspecialties creating dedicated teams for pediatric cardiac anesthesia in the Lurie Heart Center and maternal-fetal anesthesia within the Chicago Institute for Fetal Health. She is also the director of Lurie’s CRNA pediatric anesthesia fellowship program accredited by the COACRNA in 2021. 

Unique Laylor, MSN, CRNA

Priscilla Aguirre, DNP, CRNA

Dr. Priscilla Aguirre is an Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON). Her passion for nurse anesthesia led her to obtain a Doctorate of Nursing Practice Degree at the University of Buffalo in 2017. At UMSON, Priscilla works as the Director of Simulation and provides low- and high-fidelity simulation experiences for nurse anesthesia students. She has designed and implemented numerous high-fidelity intraoperative simulations that include OB, PEDs, difficult airway, and cardiac resuscitation. In 2020, Priscilla received the New Faculty Award for demonstrating exceptional contributions to teaching, scholarship, and service. Recently, she was granted the Dean’s Teaching Scholars Award for the study titled “The Impact of High Fidelity Simulation on Nurse Anesthesia Students’ Knowledge, Self‐Confidence, and Psychomotor Skills” in which she’s the Primary Investigator.