Welcome to the 2023-2025 Texas DNP Board!

We are excited to introduce you to the 2023-2025 Texas DNP Board. Please welcome:

President: Tammy McGarity, DNP, RN, NEA-BC

Dr. McGarity is a nursing professor and entrepreneur. Dr. McGarity has been a nurse for 40 years with experience in critical care, healthcare administration, quality and lean management, and nursing education. Possessing a national board certification from American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Nurse Executive Advanced and a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Grand Canyon University, Dr. McGarity is committed to quality healthcare. Focused on quality patient experience, care and nursing satisfaction, Dr. McGarity developed and published a conceptual model focused on improving competencies of the frontline nurse leader. As a nurse educator, Dr. McGarity is currently an Assistant Professor and the DNP Program Coordinator at Texas A&M Corpus Christi with a focus on research and practice improvement in nursing competency. Dr. McGarity has served as hospital CEO for Long Term Acute Care Hospitals, CNO, Director, Nurse Manager and Educator in Acute Care and has experience across the continuum of care with service as a mentor with both ANA and AONL. She is also founder and CEO of Clinical Advisory Team since 2007, where she works with national, regional, and local partners to conduct regulatory readiness preparation, pre-surveys and ongoing support, legal nurse consulting, staff education and competency testing, in-services and checklist development. Dr. McGarity has been an active member in many Nursing Organizations: ANA/TNA, AONL and Texas DNP, and has served on many community boards and serving as officer in Metrocrest Healthcare Foundation, United Way of Abilene, Foodbank of the Golden Crescent, and Healthy South Texas Diabetes Advisory Board. As a member of Sigma Theta Tau, Dr. McGarity serves on the Board of Directors for Eta Omicron Chapter.

President-Elect: Jane Dimmitt Champion, PhD, DNP, FNP, AH-PMH-CNS, FAAN, FAANP

Dr. Champion is currently a Professor at the University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing and practices in a rural health clinic in Southwest Texas. Jane received her BSN from UTHSCSA, MSN in Adult Health Nursing from UTMB, an MA in Bilingual/Bicultural Studies from UTSA, PhD in Nursing from UTHSCSA, and DNP from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center at Memphis. She has earned post-graduate certifications as a FNP from Texas Tech University, as a CNS in Psych/Mental Health from UTHSCSA and as a CNS in Adult Health from UTMB. She completed a 2-year NIH post-doctoral fellowship in Minority Women’s Health, STI, and Violence at UTHSCSA, and a second 1-year CDCD/Association of Teachers of Prevention Medicine post-doctoral fellowship in STI/HIV Research at UTHSCSA. She is a founding member of Texas DNP and has served on the Board since 2019.

Secretary: Shannon E. Boyd, DNP, APRN, FNP-C 

My name is Shannon Boyd. My husband, Billy, and I have been married for 24 years, together 30 and we have 3 grown sons and 4 beautiful grandchildren. We reside in Abilene where my entire family is located. I started my path to nursing in 1997 as a non-traditional LVN student at 22 years of age with 2 small children. I practiced as an LVN for seven years as an office nurse for two cardiovascular surgeons. During this time my third son was born, and it was then I decided to further my career as an RN and earned my ADN in 2005. Shortly after, I transitioned into a hospital nurse to learn new knowledge and skills and ultimately earned my BSN while working there. I went back to school for my MSN-FNP in 2011 and have been working as a FNP for the past 10 years with experience in CV surgery, urgent care, internal medicine, and family practice. I recently earned my DNP and am hoping to secure a place as adjunct faculty for a FNP program while continuing working full-time as an FNP.  My hobbies include reading, walking, traveling, and spending time with my family. 

Treasurer: Deanna Adams, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, GS-C, AGACNP-BC, CEN

Dr. Adams is dual-certified as a FNP and as an AGACNP. She is the owner of Adams NP Medical Services, PLLC. Dr. Adams practices in long-term care and a rural emergency department in East Texas. She also works with renal patients in the dialysis unit. She earned her DNP from Texas Christian University, an MSN from the University of Texas at Arlington, and her BS at Texas Woman’s University. Dr. Adams is active in many professional organizations, currently serves as chair for the Acute and Emergent Care SIG in the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association and is on the National Kidney Foundation Spring 2024 Clinical Meetings planning committee.

Membership Coordinator and Social Media Chair: Kelli Dahlgren DNP, APRN, FNP-C

I am a Family Nurse Practitioner living in Corpus Christi. I currently work part time in endocrinology and am an adjunct clinical faculty at TAMUCC. Prior to becoming an NP, I worked in various intensive care units. I just recently graduated from the TAMUCC DNP program this summer and am excited and honored to be part of the DNP community. I have 3 elementary age sons, and my free time is devoted to their sporting events. I enjoy cooking, reading, and being outdoors. 

Board Chairman: Brittany Christiansen, PhD, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC/AC, FNP-C, AE-C, CNE

Dr. Christiansen is a founding member of Texas DNP and has been serving on the Board since its inception in 2016. She is triple board-certified as a pediatric acute and primary care and family nurse practitioner and has over twenty years of healthcare experience. In faculty roles in both California and Texas, she has developed and implemented new curriculum in advanced practice nursing and DNP programs. Brittany has chaired numerous DNP student Scholarly Projects and actively mentors students through the process of publication. She is dedicated to quality clinical instruction and innovative teaching strategies; her excellence in teaching has received national recognitions including the 2020 American Association of Colleges of Nursing Novice Faculty Teaching Award and selection into the NONPF 2021 Faculty Leadership Mentor Program. Dr. Christiansen provides service on boards and committees in several organizations, including NONPF, NAPNAP, AFPNP, and TNP.  She received her Master of Science and Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees from The University of Texas at Austin and her PhD in Nursing Science from Texas Woman’s University.