NJADONA Board of Director s Biographies Judith McFarland RN (President) - Ms. McFarland has been working in Long Term Care for 40 years and currently is President of NJADONA. She has been a charge nurse, in-service coordinator, assistant director of nursing and lastly a director of nursing for 29 years. Judie addresses issues and concerns which are faced by fellows DON s in her column Dateline DON which runs in NADONA s Director Magazine. She is certified as a certified Director of Nursing Administration in Long Term Care and is a member on NADONA s Academy of Fellows. She was awarded Nursing Administrator of the year by both NJADONA and NADONA in 2004 and has earned NADONA s circle of excellence award for the past 5 years. Ms. McFarland serves on all NJADONA committees. Judie attended Clara Maass School of Nursing and that is where her nursing career began. Judie has been both a nurse and wife to her husband Jim for 45 years. She is a native of New Jersey and has resided in Byram Township since 1965. Steven Missaggia RN, CDONA, FACDONA (Vice President/Newsletter Editor) - Steven Missaggia has been in health care since 1981; bringing to the NJADONA Board, a vast experience in various settings, including acute cardiac care, Infectious Disease, sub-acute, LTC, psychiatry and most recently hospice/palliative care. He is currently serving as the Vice President to the board, as well as the Newsletter Editor. Mr. Missaggia has an18 year LTC Administration background; in both profit and not-profit settings. Mr. Missaggia is a certified Director of Nursing through NADONA and a member of NADONA s Academy of Fellows.
Yolanda Golebiowski BSN/RN-BC/RAC-CT/CDP (Secretary/Monmouth County )- Yolanda has worked in Long Term Care for the past fourteen years, she has firsthand experience as a Unit Manager, MDS Coordinator, Staff Development, ADON and DON. She has managed privately owned LTC facilities and CCRC s with oversight of all aspects of LTC. Yolanda is board certified in Gerontological Nursing through the American Nurses Credentialing Center and an Item Writer to ANCC; MDS 3-0 certified through The American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators and certified Dementia Practitioner through ANCC. She is a dementia instructor. Yolanda is and advocate for person centered care and a member of the New Jersey Alliance for Culture Change, inspiring new leaders. She is a board member for NJADONA and a volunteer parish nurse. Yolanda s accomplishments include a nomination of nursing excellence in 1990 and ADON of the year in 2012. She is a freelance writer to NJADONA. Her favorite pastime is ballroom dancing and she has competed in several competitions. Her philosophy is a passionate vision to bring about change in LTC and the aging services. She believes all persons deserve to be treated with dignity, honoring their preferences and their individuality; therefore, creating an environment that celebrates life regardless of disease, building enduring relationships between staff, residents and families. Kathleen Powell RN/BSN/CRRN/CALA (Treasurer/Education Committee/ Somerset County) - Kathleen has been working in Long Term Care for over 25 years, and has devoted her life to the care of the frail and elderly. She is licensed as a Certified Assisted Living Administrator and is a Certified Registered Rehabilitation Nurse. Kathleen is an active member of NJADONA, NADONA, ANA and NJSNA. She currently serves on the Executive board of NJADONA as the treasurer and the Somerset County representative. Kathleen graduated from Seton Hall University with a BSN degree in 1981.In her spare time Kathleen enjoys boating, hiking and reading. Ms. Powell is currently semi-retired and pursuing volunteering and part time work in the field she is so passionate about.
Pat Alfano (Essex County) Pat started as a Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant working Psychiatry. She later became a Registered Nurse and worked in acute care, home care and then found her love in Long Term Care. She has worked for many years as a Director of Nursing in Bergen County and as an Assistant Administrator in Newark. Pat, in collaboration with a Hospice company was instrumental in opening the first Hospice Unit in long term care. She has been a member of NERBEC- the Northeast Region Bioethics Coalition. Pat also is a state board member of the NJADONA where she presently serves as secretary. Marjorie Berleth (Burlington County) - Margie was a 1963 RN diploma graduate of Thomas Jefferson University School of Nursing and has practiced nursing for over 50 years. Experiences included pediatric, OR and emergency room, labor and delivery, school nursing, family practice, visiting nurse, and geriatric nursing. She has been an instructor for Special Needs students in the field of Health Occupations and an adjunct instructor for Burlington County College s RN program. She spent the last 29 years of her career as Director of Nursing Services at the Masonic Home of NJ and presently works part time for CareKinesis, a pharmacy provider for PACE Programs throughout the United States. Margie obtained her Bachelor s degree in Education from Rowan University (then, Glassboro State College) and Master s degree in Health Administration from St. Joseph s University in Philadelphia.Margie is a founding member of NJADONA/LTC serving first as an alternate and then as a full member and has held positions as Historian, Vice President and President. Margie has served on NADONA s education committee and represented the National Association at the Medical Director s Think Tank in Washington DC. Margie is a certified Director of Nursing through NADONA and a member of NADONA s Academy of Fellows. She was awarded Nursing Administrator of the Year by both NJADONA and NADONA in 1992. Margie was born and raised in New Jersey, has 2 sons, a daughter and 6 grandchildren. She and her husband are residents of Edgewater Park, NJ.
Joseph Boney MSN, RN, NEA BC, CDONA, FACDONA (Education Chair/Essex County) - Mr. Boney is certified in Advanced Nursing Administration through the ANCC, and is both a certified Director of Nursing and Fellow in the Academy of the National Association of Nursing in Long Term Care Administration. Joe is a former Director of Nursing and is now working full time in nursing education. He is presently the Director of Adjunct Faculty Development at Rutgers School of Nursing in Newark, NJ, and also holds the academic rank of Nursing Instructor. His volunteer efforts focus on ESL education, where he teaches English as a second language weekly in a community based program. Licensed in both New Jersey and New York, Joe resides in Staten Island, New York. Maureen Cholette (By Laws Chair/Burlington County) - Maureen Cholette has been working in Long Term Care for 37 years. She has been a staff nurse, Assistant Director of Nursing, Director of Nursing, and Assistant Administrator of Clinical Services. She was a founding member of NJADONA and has been a board member since 1993. She is a past vice president and legislative chair person. Ms. Cholette is a certified Director of Nursing through NADONA and a member of NADONA's Academy of Fellows. Maureen is board certified in Gerontological Nursing through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She was awarded Nursing Administrator of the year by both NJADONA and NADONA in 1995. Maureen was born and raised in New Jersey and resides in Browns Mills.
Patricia Feeley (Camden County) - Patricia is a registered nurse graduating in 2005 with an Associates of Science degree. Patricia has been employed by St. Mary s Catholic Home since October, 2006. Ms. Feeley displays professionalism, dedication and leadership earning the respect of administration, staff, residents and families. In her capacity of DON, the Department runs smoothly and efficiently, meeting the care and needs of 215 residents while orchestrating staffing of 50 nurses and 100 CNAs. Patricia is a member of the New Jersey and national chapter of the Association of Directors of Nursing Administration/LTC, Inc. since 2007 and is an active member of Healthcare Quality Strategies, Inc., (HQSI) for the last five years. She oversees student interaction in collaboration with our sub acute unit and Our Lady of Lourdes Nursing Program. Patricia serves as Chair on the LTC Working Group Steering Committee for a two-year term commencing April 2013 working in conjunction with the Cherry Hill Office of Emergency Management and the New Jersey Department of Health. Alicia Fereno RN/MSN (Ocean County/Newsletter & Education Committee) - Since coming to the United States, over 25 years ago, Alicia has worked in numerous positions in the Long Term Care/nursing field. After completing her Master s degree in 1991, Alicia decided to put her knowledge to good use and apply for a position as a Director of Nursing and to this day holds that very same title. During this span of time she also served as adjunct nursing instructor at Christ Hospital in Jersey City, NJ. Alicia has been a member of NJADONA since 1992, and is currently the Director of Ocean County. She is also on numerous committees in the association including; newsletter, education and chairman of the awards committee. Along with NJADONA, Alicia is also an advisory member of both the Ocean County College and Ocean County Technical School. She is also the Vice President of the Philippine Nurses Association. 2010 was a big year for Ms. Fereno as she was awarded the DON of the year award at the NJADONA annual convention as well as the Nurse Leader and Administrator Award in 2011 by the Philippine Nurses Association.
Frances Gerber- (Hunterdon County) - Frances Gerber has been practicing nursing for over 30 years. The last 15 years have been in the area of geriatrics and Long Term Care. She is currently the Director of Clinical Services for Bridgeway Senior Healthcare in Bridgewater, New Jersey. Prior to this, she served as Director of Nursing for Bridgeway Care Centers in both Bridgewater and Hillsborough. Fran started her career in hospital nursing as a staff nurse in the US Army, following the completion of her nursing program. She later worked in advanced clinical and management positions at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and the Veterans Administration. Frances received her BSN from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and her MSN from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. In addition, she has completed post-masters course work in management at the University of Pennsylvania. Fran has been on the NJADONA Board of Directors for approximately 5 years, is a member of Sigma Theta Tau National Honor Society, and is the recipient of the Nurse Administrator of the Year Award from NADONA for the Northeast Region. Fran is a certified Interact Trainer and one current project is the implementation and evaluation of the INTERACT quality improvement program at Bridgeway. The goal of INTERACT (Interventions to Reduce Acute Care Transfers) is to improve care and reduce the frequency of preventable transfers to the acute hospital that result in unnecessary hospitalization and hospital readmissions. The project is supported by a grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research at the National Institutes of Health. Fran resides in Ringoes, New Jersey, with her husband. Ester Levyash RN, BSN (Mercer County Alternate) - Ms. Levyash has been working in long term care since 2009, currently an alternate board member of NJADONA, representing Mercer County. She graduated from Middlesex County College with an Associate of Science Degree (A.S.) in 2009, and obtained her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN) from Kean University in 2015. Ester plans to continue her nursing education and pursue an advanced practice nursing degree. She has experience in various settings, including: sub-acute, LTC, rehabilitation, hospice/palliative care, and acute care. Ms. Levyash has firsthand experience as a Staff Nurse, Unit Manager, Infection Control Coordinator, Staff Development, and ADON. With administration background; in both profit and not-profit settings. Her philosophy is one of compassion, dignity and dedication in providing the geriatric population with the highest quality of care.
Antonio M. (Tony) Onday BSN, RN, BC, CDONA, FACDONA, CDP (Union County) Mr. Onday began his career in nursing over 38 years ago, 25 years of which have been spent as a Director of Nursing in LTC. While in LTC, he has worked as a charge nurse, head nurse, nursing supervisor, infection control, MDS coordinator, and an assistant director of nursing. Tony has worked in both public and private healthcare. For the past 17 years, Mr. Onday is at South Mountain Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Vauxhall, NJ. He has been instrumental in achieving Deficiency Free Status at South Mountain for 6 years, Five Stars for most of the years since it was first enacted; advisory standards recipient for many years. Under his leadership, South Mountain became accredited by the Joint Commission since 1998 to the present and most recently in 2013, one of the few facilities in nation which achieved the Post-Acute Care Certification status. His facility was also accredited by QAPI under Providigm oversight. Mr. Onday was named DON of The Year by NJADONA in1995; Nursing Administrator of The Year by NADONA, Northeast Region in 1997. He is a Certified Director of Nursing and a Fellow in the Academy of Nursing Administration by NADONA/LTC. Also, Tony is Board Certified by ANCC in Gerontological Nursing as well as being a Certified Dementia Practitioner by NCCDP. He has been very active as a member of NJADONA and NADONA since 1990 and a yearly attendee of conventions for both. He is an Active member of Association of Practitioners in Infection Control (APIC). Tony was awarded the Circle of Excellence Awards by NADONA for past eight years in a row. He is a leader with wealth of knowledge and experience in the field, my goal is to reach out every DON to assist us in protecting, preserving, and promoting the nursing profession and our DON organization and above all to bring PRIDE AND EXCELLENCE to every Director of Nursing in LTC. Tony resides in Middlesex County with his wife and four daughters. Linda Sue Patron RN/BC/CALA (Middlesex County) - Linda Sue has been the DON of the Francis Parker Home since June 25, 1991. During her 27 years in long term care, her focus has always been on providing excellent care to her residents, outstanding customer service to families and a feeling of staff satisfaction. Linda is also the Infection Control Officer and one of Parker s first certified Eden Alternative Associates. Ms. Patron has dedicated her life to the elderly. She is the Middlesex County representative to NJADONA. In 2005, she was awarded the DON of the year award and was also nominated on the national level. The Health Care Association of NJ also awarded Linda in 2007, giving her
the Nurse of the Year award. Ms. Patron is Board Certified as a Gerontological Nurse by the American Nurses Credentialing Center; has completed both Basic and North Eastern Advance Courses in infection control, a member of APIC, won the NJADONA circle of excellence award for Parker Home from 2004-2008. Linda graduated from Middlesex County College, has two children, Marc and Scott, and a 3 year old granddaughter, Lauren Addison. Janet M. Patullo RN Janet graduated from St Peters School of Nursing in 1985, and began working at St. Peters University Hospital on the Cardiac Progressive Care Unit, soon after she was recruited as the telemetry charge nurse. She began supervising the operation of the 40 bed telemetry unit. In 2005, she gained a 40 bed Medical-Surgical unit, which specialized in the care of patients with metabolic and diabetic mellitus disease/care. She managed both units until 2010, achieving Magnet Accreditation for nine consecutive years and successful Joint Commission and NJ Department of Health surveys consistently. Janet also assisted the nursing department in attaining the accreditation as a primary stroke center in 2009. In 2010, Janet was instrumental in formulating a geriatric action plan which assisted the hospital in attaining accreditation from Nurses Improving Care for Health System Elders (NICHE) and presented at the 2011 Summer Institute on Evidence-Based Practice Conference. In 2011, Janet collaboratively developed an epileptic program. In 2011, Janet joined the administrative team at Margaret McLaughlin McCarrick Care Center, the LTC facility and part of the St. Peters University Health System. In her tenure at McCarrick Care Center, the multidisciplinary team has ssuccessfully developed a dedicated 30 bed sub acute nursing unit within the facility. Janet is a partner and Director of Nursing for Aquinas Healthcare and a member of the Immaculate Conception Parish Nurse Committee. Janet attended Thomas Edison State College to achieve her BSN. She achieved a Bachelor s of Science in Healthcare Administration and Education Supervision from Rutgers University in 1988 and achieved an Executive Masters in Business Administration in 2008 from Kean University. Janet maintains her American Nurses Association, Medical Surgical Certification She resides in Hillsborough, New Jersey, and is the wife of Dennis and the mother of a son, Brendan. She enjoys time with her family, the beach, her many friends and her two furry friends, Sammy and Sophie.
Rowan J. Reyes RN/ASN/BS (Mercer County/Nominations Chair/Education Committee) - Rowan has worked in the health care field for the past 25 years. The past 14, she has been working as a Director of Nursing and is also managing the clinical operations of a 218 bed Long Term/Rehabilitation facility. She is a board member of NJADONA, the representative for Mercer County and serves on the education committee and nominations chair. She received her nursing degree from the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey School of Nursing and Middlesex County College, and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business, with a specialization in Health Care Management, from Capella University. In her role as Director of Nursing, she has developed and implemented clinical initiatives to enhance people s skills for improvement to the delivery of high quality, value driven, and resident care for the achievement of organizational goals. Rowan lives in New Jersey with her family, and in her spare time enjoys reading. Toni Swick RN/CDONA/FACDONA (Newsletter Committee) - After being in the nursing profession for 52 years, Toni has recently retired. Toni served on the NJADONA board for approximately 15 years, including being a past president, a position that improved many elements of her career. She continues to be a board member, writing clinical articles and mentoring. Also, contributing to the educational growth of its members and remaining on the Newsletter Committee. Toni is currently living in NC and enjoys every moment of retirement. Being with her grandchildren completes the circle of life. Sherry Robb Director of Association Affairs - Sherry graduated from Gloucester County College in 1983. She has been the Director of Association Affairs for NJADONA for 25 years. Also, Ms. Robb served as President for the New Jersey Long Term Care Leaders Association from 2010 until 2012. Sherry loves vacationing around the world with her family.
Marge Reese Administrative Assistant - Marge began working for NJADONA in 1997. She serves as both the NJADONA s Administrative Assistant and Policy & Procedure Coordinator. Ms. Reese currently resides in Florida and enjoys traveling to Walt Disney World with her family.