Meet the INS Team!

Executive Team

Christopher Hunt

MBA

Chief Executive Officer
(781) 440-9408 ext. 317
chris.hunt@ins1.org

Chris serves as the Chief Executive Officer of INS and INCC. In this role, Chris works with the executive management team to develop strategies for new business development and overall organizational growth. Chris began his INS career in 1995 when INS did not have e-mail or the internet, and people had to use a telephone to communicate. He held positions as meetings manager, director of meetings, director of marketing, and executive vice president before assuming his current position as CEO in May 2023

An avid and passionate Boston sports fan, Chris has spent the last 20 years enjoying one Boston team championship after another while trying to convince his three equally passionate adult children that Boston sports wasn’t always this wonderful.

Maria connors

MBA, CAE

Chief Operating Officer
(781) 440-9408 ext. 364
maria.connors@ins1.org

As part of the INS executive team, Maria is responsible for maximizing the operational performance of the Infusion Nurses Society (INS) and the Infusion Nurses Certification Corporation (INCC) and achieving each organization’s financial goals. In addition, works to implement the strategic view and initiatives of both organizations as set forth by the board of directors and helps ensure that all mission objectives are met.   Maria is also responsible for all human resource initiatives and key performance indicators.

Maria completed her MBA program with a specialization in Human Resource Management. She also sat for and passed the CAE exam and was awarded the designation of Certified Association Executive. When not working, Maria’s favorite role is that of Nonnie to her 2 beautiful grandchildren.

Education

Marlene Steinheiser,

 PhD, RN, CRNI®

Director of Clinical Education
(781) 440-9408 ext. 309
marlene.steinheiser@ins1.org

Marlene M. Steinheiser, PhD, RN, CRNI®, is the INS Director of Clinical Education. In her role, Dr. Steinheiser sets the strategic direction and development of all INS continuing education programs, including in-person annual meetings and virtual offerings such as symposiums and webinars. In addition, she develops strategic alliances with other nursing associations, healthcare organizations, colleges of nursing, and other groups interested in the infusion specialty to promote INS and increase our visibility.

Dr. Steinheiser has 38 years of nursing experience and has been a CRNI since 1991. She has experience working in acute care, home infusion/home care, and long-term care settings, as faculty in pre-licensure and post-licensure nursing education, and as a nurse practice consultant and scope of practice committee member for a state nursing regulatory board. Her passion for infusion therapy and vascular access has been integrated into each of her varied career roles.

Dr. Steinheiser earned her PhD from the University of Arizona, Master’s and Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of Akron, and her nursing diploma from Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital School of Nursing. While conducting studies in the areas of infusion therapy, vascular access and compassion fatigue in nursing, Dr. Steinheiser enjoys mixed methods research with a passion for qualitative data analysis. She presents nationally and internationally on topics related to infusion therapy and vascular access.

Publications

Dawn Berndt,

DNP, RN, CRNI®

Editor-in-Chief – Journal of Infusion Nursing/Director of Publications
(781) 440-9408 ext. 341
dawn.berndt@ins1.org

Dawn serves as the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Infusion Nursing and the Director of the Publications Department for the Infusion Nurses Society. She has been actively involved in the practice of infusion therapy since 2005. Prior to joining the INS team, she practiced as a clinical nurse specialist for infusion, and nurse manager of the infusion center, venous access team, and RN response team at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics. Dr. Berndt holds a doctor of nursing practice in clinical leadership from the Henry Predolin School of Nursing at Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin and a master’s of nursing education from the University of Wisconsin School of Nursing.

Donna Knauss

Managing Editor
(781) 440-9408 ext. 312
Donna.Knauss@ins1.org

Donna coordinates the manuscript review process of the Journal of Infusion Nursing and other publications. She corresponds with peer reviewers and authors in the request, receipt, and review of manuscripts, maintaining manuscript logging control. She copyedits all accepted manuscripts for the journal. She is also responsible for collecting accepted articles, preparing them for publication, and working with the publishing production editor and printers to meet scheduling deadlines. 

Donna received her BA in Communications from the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga. Prior to joining INS, Donna worked for another medical journal, first as Circulation Manager, then as Managing Editor. She began editing early in life, when she would correct the grammar and spelling on the notes friends passed to her in school (this was not usually appreciated). Donna is an avid reader and loves cats. She enjoys watching Braves baseball and college basketball and football games.

Meetings

Meghan Trupiano,

MBA, CMP

Meetings Manager
(781) 440-9408 ext. 335
meghan.trupiano@ins1.org

Meghan manages all activities related to the INS’ national meetings. She is responsible for exhibit space sales, advertising, and sponsorship sales, as well as attendee marketing.

Meghan received an MBA from Curry College and the designation of Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) in order to enhance the INS meeting experience. She is a firm believer that in order to have a productive day it must include coffee and chocolate. Meghan enjoys spending time with her family, watching football on Sundays, and listening to country music.

Jill Cavanaugh

Education & Member Services
Project Manager
(781) 440-9408 ext. 363
jill.cavanaugh@ins1.org

Jill acts as a project manager for both member services and INS national conferences. For membership services, she ensures the current software platforms and marketing initiatives support membership needs while also locating potential places for future expansion. For INS national conferences, she coordinates all meetings logistics—hotels, vendors, and exhibitors—and educational content, including planning, organizing, implementing, and gathering data for educational program evaluations. She also coordinates speakers and educational content for other INS programs, acts as the liaison with the National Council on Education (NCOE), and oversees all of the virtual learning assets in the INS LEARNING CENTER.

 Jill received her Bachelor of Science degree from Bridgewater State University in 2015. When she’s not binge-watching Real Housewives, Jill enjoys spending time with loved ones, online shopping, and a nice glass of “sauv b.”

 

Member Services

Susan Richberg

 Senior Member Services Associate
(781) 440-9408 ext. 331
susan.richberg@ins1.org

Susan is responsible for the administrative functions of the office, coordinating office operations including general computer issues, vendor relations, shipping, stationery, office supplies, and inventory. She also helps monitor and provide statistics for our Web site and marketing campaigns, along with working on social media campaigns: a “Jacqueline of all trades.”

Susan enjoys watching Boston sports, spending time with her family, tweeting to the masses, and traveling when she can. In her secret life she is a geek. She loves social media and the communication aspect of it all. When she has time, she works on friends’ computers to solve software/virus issues. She also enjoys going to live blues shows. Susan is also a foodie, trying new food of all shapes and sizes and is always on the hunt for a good restaurant, tweeting about her experiences along the way.

Marketing

Whitney Hall

Graphic Design & Marketing Manager
(781) 440-9408 ext. 343
whitney.hall@ins1.org

Whitney is responsible for overseeing all INS marketing initiatives including implementing, evaluating, and refining INS’s annual overarching marketing plan and each department’s marketing campaigns. Whitney earned her bachelor’s degree in advertising from the University of Florida (Go Gators!). Whitney has 5+ years of nonprofit experience, including marketing, event planning, and fundraising.

As a native Floridian, Whitney enjoys spending time with her husband and puppy, exploring her new home of Tennessee. You can find her on Saturday’s cheering on the Florida Gators or drinking coffee with a book in hand.

Accounting

Cheryl Sylvia

Bookkeeper
(781) 440-9408 ext. 323
cheryl.sylvia@ins1.org

Cheryl handles the accounting and financial transactions for INS, INCC, and Gardner Foundation and ensures that financial statements are accurately represented.   She is a graduate of UMass Dartmouth, where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.

Cheryl enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons and considers herself an outdoor enthusiast.  She spends most of her free time hiking or biking with her family, taking long walks, as well as rollerblading, snowshoeing, and ice skating.  She is passionate about food (and wine), is an avid reader, loves to travel, and is a dedicated yogi.  

INCC

Darlene Leuschke

Certification Administrator
(781) 440-9408 ext. 325
Darlene.leuschke@INCC1.org

Darlene serves as the Certification Administrator and is responsible for the Infusion Nurses Certification Corporation (INCC) test development and administration activities, and implementation of the INCC marketing programs.  In addition, she is responsible for coordinating all administrative activities involving certification/recertification and assisting in compiling and editing information for various committees and publications.

Darlene and her husband collectively have 5 children and are grandparents to 8 grandchildren.  Darlene enjoys spending time with family and creating various craft projects.  She also likes taking care of her yard including mowing the grass.  Darlene and her husband enjoy watching and attending St. Louis Cardinals baseball and the St. Louis Blues hockey teams.  Outside of that, she enjoys going to wineries in the Missouri bluffs and cannot get enough of Downton Abbey.

About INS

The Infusion Nurses Society (INS) is an international nonprofit organization representing infusion nurses and other clinicians  who are engaged in the specialty practice of infusion therapy.

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Contact Us

One Edgewater Drive | Suite 209
Norwood, MA 02062

Phone: (781) 440-9408
Fax: (781) 440-9409
Email: ins@ins1.org

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