NYSANA Board of Directors & Staff
The NYSANA Board of Directors consists of nine active members (CRNAs) including 5 officers (president, immediate past-president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer) and 4 directors. Term for president, president-elect and immediate past president is 1 year. Secretary, treasurer and directors serve 2-year terms. The Board of Directors also includes four resident registered nurse anesthetists (RRNAs). These associate members serve as non-voting representatives appointed by the Board on an annual basis to serve a one-year term. All board members are volunteers. A paid executive director, executive assistant, professional lobbyist, lawyer, and PR firm support the work of the board. The board is also supported through the work of NYSANA committees. The NYSANA nominating committee is responsible for seeking eligible active members of the association who are qualified to run for board positions. The candidates selected for inclusion on the ballot are presented at the NYSANA business meeting, held in the spring each year. To reach the nominating committee chair to discuss a position, please email [email protected]. Elections occur during the summer, usually via an electronic ballot. The newly elected board members assume duties after the Annual Meeting of the Membership, held each fall. To learn more about the election procedure, please visit our Bylaws. Consider the following benefits of running for a board positionPROFESSIONAL BENEFITS
SERVICE-ORIENTED BENEFITS
TRAVEL AND CEU BENEFITS
Next steps to becoming a board memberReady to get involved? Please reach out to [email protected] to discuss opportunities and connect with our current nominating committee chair, Giovanna Mahar. Additional members include Michael Greco and Mark Blazey.
2023-2024 NYSANA Board of Directors & Staff
Dr. Blazey received his BSN at the University of Buffalo and graduated from the Nurse Anesthesia program at Northeastern University in 2013. He earned his Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Northeastern University in May 2020, with a scholarly project titled Development of a Preoperative Educational Pediatric Interactive Relational Agent Using E-Delphi. Dr. Blazey currently provides clinical care in all anesthesia areas at Niagara Frontier Anesthesia Services, New York.
MICHAEL COGAN, CRNA Michael earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Adelphi University in Garden City New York in 2000, and his Master of Science in Nursing, Nurse Anesthesia, in 2009, from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He has served as an adjunct faculty, clinical instructor, for Rutgers University. He is currently employed at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Hospital, New York, NY. Since 2006, Michael has served as a camp counselor at Camp Periwinkle, a camp for children with cancer.
Giovanna received her BSN from the University at Buffalo, the State University of New York in 2001. She went on to work in the Surgical ICU at Albany Medical Center for 6 years. She attended the Nurse Anesthesiology Program at Albany Medical College and graduated in 2009. After graduation, Giovanna worked at a rural community hospital in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. She returned to Albany Medical College’s Center for Nurse Anesthesiology as an educator in 2013 and is currently the Assistant Program Director. Giovanna is passionate about both aspects of her career in the clinical and academic setting. In her personal time, Giovanna is a mother of four active children. She enjoys driving to various locations in the northeast, eating dinner at 9 pm, and humor, lots of humor.
Sean received his nursing degree from Hudson Valley Community College in 2002. He subsequently graduated from Excelsior College in Albany, NY with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing prior to entering Albany Medical College's Center for Nurse Anesthesiology graduate program where he received a Masters of Science and was the recipient of Albany Medical College's Alumni Award for Excellence in Clinical Practice. For the past 7 years, Sean has practiced with the Anesthesia Group of Albany providing care at St. Peter's Hospital in Albany, NY, Samaritan Hospital in Troy, NY, and the Capital Region Ambulatory Surgery Center in Albany, NY. Sean is an active participant in Operation Walk, completing trips to Guayaquil, Ecuador, and Havana, Cuba, providing anesthesia for joint replacement surgery. Sean grew up in Albany in a large family. He loves to travel and is an avid Liverpool F.C. fan
David began his medical career as a U. S. Army medic. He completed his BSN in 1988and in physical rehabilitation settings as well as Neurological, Trauma and OB ICU. He attended CRNA school at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, graduating in 2002. He and his Texas-born wife moved to New York in 2015 and David is currently employed with New York-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital. The Secretary position at NYSANA has been David’s first foray into the political aspect of the CRNA profession. The critical need for CRNAs to promote their profession to an unaware public and to gain, maintain and protect their position in the marketplace has made a deep impression on him. He hopes to spend many years working for the benefit of the CRNAs of New York and the rest of the country. 
Joseph Gnolfo III , DNP, MS, BSN, CRNA, ACNP Joseph attended Stony Brook University and graduated in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. He subsequently graduated from Yale-St. Raphael’s School of Nurse Anesthesia in New Haven CT with a Masters in Biology and Nurse Anesthesia and later would earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice-Nurse Anesthesia from Buffalo University. He had previously served as faculty and staff CRNA at St. Raphael’s Hospital, Staff CRNA at Hartford Hospital. For the past 14 years he has worked at Stony Brook University Hospital as a CRNA and Director of Nurse Anesthesiology, Chief CRNA, and Clinical Coordinator of Nurse Anesthesia Education. Joseph has served as Chair of the Resident Liaison Committee for the NYSANA for the past year. While pursuing a career in nursing Joseph spent a short time with the NYPD. In his personal time Joseph is an avid fisherman, husband, and a father of three children.
Sabrina is a practicing nurse anesthetist at Northwell Health in New York City. Throughout her years as a CRNA, she provided lectures on pain management to staff nurses and advanced care providers, organized a Perioperative Skills Day to educate staff about pertinent aspects of anesthesia, provided PACU nurses with a preparatory course to attain their certification, and implemented an outpatient orthopedic ERAS protocol. These opportunities earned her the CRNA of the Year Award in 2017 and the Clinical Nursing Excellence Award in 2019 at New York Presbyterian- Lower Manhattan Hospital. Sabrina received her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Quinnipiac University, her Master of Science in Nursing, Nurse Anesthesia, from Columbia University, where she received the Anne Penland Award, and her BSN training at Dominican College. She is currently the assistant director of the AGACNP-CRNA- DNP program at Hofstra University. During this time, she graduated from the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program and became a board-certified nurse practitioner. Being a lifelong student, Sabrina is incorporating the nurse practitioner's role to provide quality health care as a full-service provider while supporting the nurse anesthesia students during their program. She hopes her work with NYSANA will continue promoting and improving the CRNA profession in New York State.
Rachel received her BSN from SUNY Plattsburgh in 1998. She spent the next 13 years working in the Cardiac ICU at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany, NY as well as the Emergency Room at Saratoga Hospital. She pursued her degree in Nurse Anesthesia at Albany Medical College and graduated with her MSN in 2013 where she received the Geraldine MacDowell Award for outstanding academic and clinical achievement. After graduation, Rachel worked at St. Peter’s Hospital for the Anesthesia Group of Albany. In 2017, she returned to Albany Medical College’s Center for Nurse Anesthesiology as an Assistant Professor and Clinical Coordinator, sharing her knowledge and her love for teaching. In 2020, she completed her doctorate and earned her DNAP from Central Connecticut State. You can find Rachel in the classroom sharing her love for teaching, in the operating room, traveling to lacrosse games or spending time with her family. She joined the NYSANA board in 2022 and is passionate about advocating for the CRNA profession.
Oludayo Akinboboye received his BS in Human Biology from SUNY Albany, then returned for his BSN a year later from the College of Mount Saint Vincent. He is currently serving as the Vice President of Columbia University’s Nurse Anesthesia Program for the class of 2025 and serves on the admissions committee. Before working in critical care, Oludayo worked in medical-surgical, ortho-trauma, and pediatric units. Prior to starting at Columbia University, he worked in various critical care settings, including cardiac, surgical, burn, and medical intensive care units. His hobbies include traveling, hiking, playing basketball, dancing, and practicing Muay Thai.
Justin graduated from Niagara Universities accelerated nursing program in 2018. After graduating he took a job in the medical ICU at Buffalo General Medical Center where he would work for the next five years becoming a member of the rapid response team. Justin is a first-year student in the University at Buffalo’s CRNA program with an expected graduation date in May of 2026. He enjoys exercising, snowboarding, and playing pickleball. He is very excited to be able to contribute to this organization and learn as much as he can.
Marta Szulc is a passionate and engaged SRNA from Albany Medical Center. She started her career in the medical field as a volunteer EMT in 2011 while working on her first Bachelors degree in Biology at the State University at Albany. After completing her biology degree, she became a patient care technician in the emergency department. Due to her drive, interest, and eagerness to better herself and better the care for her patients, she went on to complete her second Bachelor’s degree in Nursing in 2017. Following nursing school, she was immediately accepted into a nursing residency program at St. Peter’s Hospital in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care unit where she realized her interest in caring for critically ill patients. Marta understands the importance of patient advocacy and works hard to provide her patients with the highest possible care from her and her colleagues. Throughout her career she has been successful in doing this by becoming knowledgeable in her field, leading with compassion, garnering mutual respect and effectively communicating with her team, her patients, and family of the patients. All of which she will continue to do and strive to become the best version of herself as a SRNA and hopefully soon to be CRNA.
SHANNEN MOORE, HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY Shannen Moore earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Curry College in 2015. She embarked on her career at Cohen Children’s Medical Center where she worked in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. In 2017 she pursued a Master's of Science degree to become a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. After completing her graduate studies, she became the first Nurse Practitioner to join the Pediatric Cardiothoracic ICU team at Mount Sinai Hospital. In 2022, she enrolled in the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies' DNP - AGACNP - CRNA program (class of 2025). Originally from Boston, Shannen now resides in Long Beach, NY. She enjoys training for triathlons, with plans to finish her first IronMan 70.3 event in September 2023.
MOLLY METZGER Accent on Management provides professional services to 5 CRNA state organizations in addition to more than 20 additional professional associations. Looking to connect with a member of the NYSANA Board of Directors? Contact the NYSANA Office for contact information. Affiliate OrganizationsOrganizational Affiliate of American Nurses Association New York
Friend of Association of Veteran Affairs Nurse Anesthetists (AVANA)
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MARK BLAZEY, MS, CRNA, DNP
GIOVANNA MAHAR, DNAP, CRNA
SEAN MCGARRY, MS, CRNA, ACNP
DAVID R. MONAHAN, CRNA
ELYSE GALLO, CRNA
SABRINA PETRILLO, DNP, CRNA, AGACNP-BC
RACHEL DUBAY, DNAP, CRNA
OLUDAYO AKINBOBOYE, COLUMBIA UNVERSITY
JUSTIN RAGUSA, UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO
MARTA SZULC, ALBANY MEDICAL COLLEGE
AMY KELLOGG, PARTNER
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