Dr. Natalie Baker, DNP, ANP-BC, GNP-BC, CNE, FAANP, FAAN

ABN Executive Officer; NLC Commissioner

Natalie R. Baker, DNP, ANP-BC, GNP-BC, CNE, GS-C, FAANP, FAAN, has enjoyed a distinguished career as a registered nurse, a nurse practitioner, and a nurse educator in the state of Alabama. Dr. Baker became an RN upon earning a Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in 1985. In 1990, she earned a Master of Science in nursing (MSN) degree from UAB and began practicing as a nurse practitioner, five years prior to the codification of the nurse practitioner role into the Alabama Nurse Practice Act. In 2010, she earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from UAB. As one of Alabama’s first nurse practitioners, Natalie recognized that the role would be vital to the future of healthcare in our state and she has been a dedicated leader in advancing CRNP practice ever since. In 1999, following nearly a decade of practice as an Adult and Gerontology nurse practitioner, Dr. Baker began her career as a nurse educator, first with the University of Memphis School of Nursing, and later returning to her alma mater, the UAB School of Nursing, from which retired as a professor in 2025, having contributed to the preparation of a generation of Alabama advanced practice nurses, while maintaining active clinical practice as a CRNP for more than 35 years. Dr. Baker also is nationally and internationally recognized as an expert on health policy, having published dozens of book chapters, peer-reviewed journal articles, and web publications. She serves or has served as a member and leader in a number of professional and regulatory organizations, including the Alabama Board of Nursing, on which she served for eight years, holding the position of Vice President in 2017, and seven years as a member and two terms as chair of the Joint Committee for Advanced Practice Nursing. Dr. Baker is a former member and President of the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association (GAPNA) board of directors and has won numerous awards for her work in gerontological nursing, as well as leadership as a professional, advocate, and regulator. These include the Dave Butler Spirit of GAPNA Award, the GAPNA Excellence in Leadership Award, as well as the State Award for Excellence – Nurse Practitioner Advocate Award, which was bestowed by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners in both 2016 and 2019. Dr. Baker also has been inducted as a Fellow by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (2017) and the American Academy of Nursing (2021).

Dr. Skylar Couch, DNP, CRNP

CRNP & Assistant Professor, East AL Health & Auburn University College of Nursing

Skylar Couch is a dual-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric–Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with extensive experience in clinical practice, nursing leadership, healthcare advocacy, and graduate nursing education. With more than 18 years of nursing experience in Alabama and over a decade in advanced practice nursing, her professional work focuses on psychiatric care, behavioral health integration, workforce development, and advancing access to quality mental health services across the state.Dr. Couch practices with East Alabama Health and East Alabama Psychiatric Services, where she provides psychiatric care across diverse patient populations. She also holds a joint academic appointment with the Auburn University College of Nursing, where she contributes to the development of a future Psychiatric– Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program and supports graduate nursing education initiatives.A recognized leader in healthcare advocacy, Dr. Couch serves as President-Elect of the Nurse Practitioner Alliance of Alabama and is the founder and president of Nurse Practitioners on the Plains, a regional organization focused on education, mentorship, collaboration, and policy engagement for nurse practitioners. She was named the 2025 Alabama Nurse Practitioner Advocate of the Year in recognition of her legislative and professional advocacy efforts. Dr. Couch was also selected as a 2025 Fellow in the Duke University School of Nursing and Johnson & Johnson Nurse Practitioner Entrepreneurship Program, a national fellowship designed to support nurse practitioner leaders in innovation, healthcare entrepreneurship, and practice transformation.Dr. Couch is a frequent presenter on psychiatric care, behavioral health integration, healthcare policy, provider wellness, and advanced practice nursing. Her work is centered on improving access to mental health services, supporting the nursing workforce, and advancing evidence-based, compassionate care across all practice settings.

Dr. Helen Coronel, DNP, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC

Chair, Graduate Department University of North Alabama

Dr. Helen C. Coronel, DNP, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC, is a tenured professor and Graduate Department Chair at the University of North Alabama’s Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions, where she also serves as Director of the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner graduate track. With more than 30 years of experience in nursing, primary care, mental health, military medicine, and neuroscience, she has served diverse patient populations in clinical, academic, and community settings. Dr. Coronel currently practices as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and provides care for underserved populations through community health initiatives. Her professional interests include mental health care, traumatic brain injury, nursing education, and evidence-based practice. She has presented nationally and internationally, contributed to peer-reviewed publications, and remains active in professional leadership and community service.

Nicki McKee

RN, DON, Washington County Hospital

Nicki McKee, RN, DON, WCC, RHCNOC, is a dedicated healthcare executive currently serving as a Director of Nursing. McKee brings a powerful blend of clinical and administrative expertise to the Alabama Board of Nursing panel, backed by advanced credentials in wound care and a national Rural Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Certification (RHCNOC). A passionate advocate for workforce leadership and high-quality patient care, McKee focuses on driving operational excellence and supporting the nursing community throughout Alabama.

Marie Hodges

Director of Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for Huntsville Hospital

With more than 40 years of experience in advanced practice psychiatric mental health nursing, she has dedicated her career to supporting mental health care, clinical practice, and nursing education. She earned her undergraduate degree from Jamestown College in North Dakota and a master’s degree in Adult Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing from UAB. Her career includes eight years of inpatient psychiatric nursing and 36 years with the Huntsville Hospital Health System. In addition to her extensive clinical practice, she has contributed to the preparation of future nurses through 25 years of service as clinical faculty in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing at UAH.

Lakeyra Palmer, PharmD

Pharmacy Manager, Controlled Substance Surveillance and Compliance UAB Medicin

Lakeyra Palmer, PharmD is Pharmacy Manager of the Controlled Substance Diversion Prevention Program for UAB Medicine and UAB St. Vincent’s. With 21 years of service as a pharmacist at UAB, she has served for the past seven years as the inaugural manager of the organization’s diversion prevention program. In this role, Dr. Palmer leads systemwide initiatives focused on controlled substance accountability, diversion prevention, regulatory compliance, proactive surveillance, process improvement, suspected diversion investigations, and DEA regulatory readiness. Her investigative responsibilities include employee interviews and drug screening when applicable. Dr. Palmer collaborates closely with pharmacy, nursing, anesthesia, Human Resources and Employee Relations, and clinical leadership to strengthen medication-control practices and foster a culture of accountability and patient safety. She has also participated in two DEA visits involving UAB Medicine, both of which resulted in no administrative findings or citations.

Dr. David Tytell, Psy. D.

Psychologist, Bradford Health Services

Clinical Psychologist currently with Bradford Health Services. Prior to working with Bradford, Dr. Tytell was the northern regional psychologist for the Alabama Department of Corrections overseeing the mental health services of five max security prisons and second in command of the Critical Incident Stress Management Team (CISM) for the ADOC. Before Dr. Tytell was with the ADOC for twelve years, he obtained his doctorate in clinical psychology from Carlos Albizu University in Miami, FL. In his early life, Dr. Tytell worked as a high school teacher in the inner city of Miami, was a drug treatment counselor, and honorably served in the Military. When not saving the world, Dr. Tytell can be found spending time with his wife of almost thirty years, his three children and playing his ukulele.

Dr. Bernadette Powe, EdD, M.Ed

ABN Director of Leadership Institute and Education, Center for Nursing Excellence

Bernadette’s passion as an educator and keen interest in organizational leadership can be traced back to her pre-professional days. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in social science and receiving the education award in her graduating class, she inspired to change the world. She brings over 20 years of experience in educating others to the ABN. Her previous roles include, high school teacher, Parole Officer, Youth Detention Coordinator, Certified Instructor, Staff Development Trainer, and several others. She is a lifetime member of the Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society and Delta Epsilon Iota Academic Honor Society. She served as part of the Public Safety Command in 2004 for the G8 Summit and received a Commendation from Sonny Perdue, GA Governor. Bernadette served on the Governor’s inaugural Commission on Certainty in Sentencing in 2002. Again, she received a letter of commendation and Governor’s coin for her efforts. Bernadette holds a doctoral degree in education with concentrations in organization leadership and conflict resolution from Nova Southeastern University.

Dr. LaDonna Marsh, PhD, MSN, RN, CEN, FRE

ABN Administrative Director, Discipline/Compliance Monitoring

Dr. Marsh is the Administrative Director of Monitoring at the Alabama Board of Nursing. These duties include providing oversight to the ABN’s Voluntary Disciplinary Alternative Program (VDAP), Disciplinary Probation Monitoring, and the Graduate Nursing Scholarships, Advanced Practice Loan Repayment, and Nursing Education Loan Repayment Programs. Dr. Marsh also coordinates the ABN’s participation in research and data collection and sharing activities. Prior to this role, she worked at the ABN in various roles, including Discipline-Legal and Continuing Education/Professional Development. Dr. Marsh’s clinical experience includes the Emergency Department (staff, clinical educator, shift manager, traveler), Corrections, and Adult-Adolescent Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE). She has an ADN from Calhoun Community College; BSN from the University of North Alabama; an MSN from Troy University; and a PhD in the Interdisciplinary Studies of Higher Education Administration and Organizational Leadership from Amridge University. She is a Fellow with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing’s Institute of Regulatory Excellence.