Meet Our Speakers

Keynote Speaker: Tonka Williams, DNP, MHA, RN, CMSRN

Tonka Williams, DNP, MHA, MSN, RN, CMSRN, serves as president of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) Board of Directors from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, after completing a term as president-elect from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. As senior nursing director for practice and innovation at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C., Williams advances clinical excellence, innovation and quality outcomes while championing environments where nurses can thrive.

Guest Speaker: Dr. Paul Helgerson, MD

Paul Helgerson, MD is a practicing hospital medicine physician and presently serves as the interim Chief Medical Officer for UVA University Medical Center, having taken on that role in March of 2026.  He has previously served at University of Virginia in leadership roles as the Vice Chair for the Department of Medicine (2020-26), the ACMO for inpatient acute care (2020-26), and the Section Head for Hospital Medicine (2017-2020). Dr. Helgerson’s professional and scholarly interests center around quality, safety, and operations. 

Guest Speaker: Shenia Thompson MBA, MSHM​

Shenia currently serves on the executive team at University of Virginia Medical Center as Associate Chief for Hospitality and Support Services, where she leads seventeen operational and patient-facing teams. Collectively, her teams are often the first faces patients and families see when they arrive and the last they encounter before leaving, shaping the experience at every step in between. Under her leadership, these teams work to ensure that every interaction reflects UVA Health’s commitment to exceptional service, dignity, safety, and compassionate care.