Chamberlain University Leadership

Mary Beth Kingston is chair of the Chamberlain University Board of Trustees and has served as a system chief nursing officer at Advocate Health Care, Advocate Aurora Health, and Einstein Healthcare Network. She is a member of the Board of Governors of Main Line Health and the Board of Directors of Providence St. Joseph Health. Kingston is a former AONL president and was chair of the Hospitals Against Violence advisory group at the American Hospital Association. She was a Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellow and received the Pennsylvania Nightingale Award for Nursing Administration in 2007. In 2024, she was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by both AONL and The DAISY Foundation™. She has been named one of Modern Healthcare’s 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives and became a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2020. 

Dr. Karen Cox has served as president of Chamberlain University—the largest provider of nursing education programs in the U.S.—since 2018. Prior to joining Chamberlain, she was executive vice president and chief operating officer of Children’s Mercy – Kansas City. In 2003, during her tenure as vice president for Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer, she led the organization to receive Magnet designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Dr. Cox is past president of the American Academy of Nursing (2017–2019). She started her career as a licensed practical nurse and holds an associate degree in nursing from Excelsior College, a bachelor’s in nursing degree from the University of Kansas, and a master’s and PhD in nursing from the University of Missouri – Kansas City. 

Dr. Rhonda Anderson is a member of the Chamberlain University Board of Trustees and chair of the Governance Committee. She is a healthcare consultant for RMA Consulting of Arizona and a consultant/surveyor for Global Healthcare Accreditation. She is a trustee of the Arizona Perinatal Trust, board member of the American Nurses Credentialing Center, chair of the Arizona Foundation for the Future of Nursing, board member of Make-a-Wish Arizona and chair of the Wish Committee, and board member of AONL’s Foundation for Nursing Leadership Research and Education.

She has served on the Joint Commission’s Board of Commissioners; the American Hospital Association Board of Trustees; and other patient safety, quality, and performance measurement committees over the past 15 years. In 2024, she received the American Nurses Association President’s Award. 

Dr. Angie Millan is president of the National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurse Associations. She formerly served as nursing director for Children’s Medical Services at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. She is currently an adjunct nurse educator at several nursing programs in the Los Angeles district.
She was a committee member for the Future of the Nursing 2020–2030 report and has served as the national president and a board member of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, a member of the Commission to End Healthcare Disparities, and commissioner of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists-led Women’s Preventive Services Initiative. She was inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2012. 

Eric Rosow is executive chairman of Conduce Health, a company he co-founded. He has more than 30 years of experience in healthcare technology, new venture creation, and executive management. Prior to co-founding Conduce, he co-founded and served as CEO of Diameter Health, a company dedicated to making digital health data universally accessible, organized, and actionable.

Rosow is passionate about solving problems at the intersection of technology and healthcare delivery and building high-performance entrepreneurial teams that challenge the status quo and create disruptive yet pragmatic healthcare IT innovations. He holds several patents and is the author of more than 50 academic papers, several book chapters, and a textbook on virtual bioinstrumentation. 

Since her appointment as provost of Chamberlain University in 2017, Carla D. Sanderson has worked to ensure Chamberlain students receive the highest quality education programming possible. Sanderson first joined Chamberlain in 2014 as vice president for accreditation and professional regulation. In that capacity, she supported program compliance with nursing and higher education boards in all 50 states and was responsible for meeting regional and program accreditation requirements in the fields of nursing, public health and social work

Before coming to Chamberlain, Sanderson served as provost and executive vice president for strategic initiatives at Union University for 16 years. During that time, she oversaw growth in faculty and student body populations and increased graduation rates and student and faculty retention. She so distinguished herself at Union that her work and career are recognized through the school’s Carla D. Sanderson Faculty of the Year Award and the Carla D. Sanderson Endowed Scholarship.

Sanderson began her professional life as a critical care nurse before becoming a nursing professor and then dean of nursing at Union. In her long career, she has served as a leadership development mentor and nursing education consultant for multiple universities and as a board member and committee chair in the healthcare, higher education, regulation, public policy and leadership development fields, including on the board of trustees for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Southern College of Optometry.

In recognition of her accomplishments, Sanderson has received the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Meritorious Service Award, distinguished alumni awards from Baptist College of Health Sciences and Union University and a faculty of the year award from Union University.

Sanderson earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Union University, a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Tennessee and her PhD in Nursing Sciences from the University of Florida.

Selected Publications

with Joseph, M. L., & Benson, L. (2020). Building a healthier America: Transforming health and healthcare during and after a pandemic. Lippincott Nursing Center Blog. https://www.nursingcenter.com/ncblog/may-2020/building-a-healthier-america-transforming-health-a

with Cox, K., & Disch, J. (2020). Virtual nursing, virtual learning. Nurse Leader, 18(2), 134–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mnl.2019.12.005

Evolving our culture of care. (2018). In S. L. Groenwald (Ed.), Designing and creating a culture of care for students and faculty: The Chamberlain University College of Nursing model (pp. 95–110). Wolters Kluwer.

Ethical and bioethical issues in nursing and health care. (2017). In B. Cheery (Ed.), Contemporary nursing: Issues, trends and management (pp. 166–182). Mosby[SCD1] .

with Mitchell, C. B., Thornbury, G. A., & Dockery, D. S. (Eds.). (2015). Convictional civility: Engaging the culture in the 21st century. Essays in honor of David S. Dockery. B & H Academic.

Interviews, Presentations and Appearances

Clinician well-being: Chamberlain President Karen Cox and Provost Carla Sanderson [Video]. (2020).  Cox and Sanderson discuss the moral and ethical challenges facing health professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Fim-M3Je54

Building a healthier America: Transforming health and healthcare during and after a pandemic. (2020). AARP Executive Council WebChat, Washington, D.C. https://www.nursingcenter.com/ncblog/may-2020/building-a-healthier-america-transforming-health-a  

with Hollinger-Smith, L., & Scott, C. (2019, April 5–9). Guiding student success through performance modeling [Paper presentation]. Higher Learning Commission Annual Conference, Chicago, IL, United States.

with Hollinger-Smith, L. (2018, September 12–14). Implementing a co-curricular model to promote nursing students’ learning outcomes and program success [Paper presentation]. National League for Nursing Annual Summit, Chicago, IL, United States.

Lisa Warner Wardell is a business executive with more than 25 years of experience managing business strategy, operations, finance, and mergers and acquisitions while driving shareholder value, stakeholder engagement, and company mission. She served as Covista.’s president and CEO, then CEO and chairman, and, most recently, executive chairman and chairman. During her tenure as CEO, Wardell oversaw the strategic repositioning of Covista’s portfolio to focus on healthcare and medical education.

Wardell earned her bachelor’s degree from Vassar College, law degree from Stanford Law School, and MBA from the Wharton School of Business. She serves on the board of American Express. A fierce advocate for access to education and healthcare, Wardell frequently speaks on empowering students and executives to achieve their goals. 

Adam Copher, DNP, RN, CMSRN is an accomplished nursing executive with two decades of progressive healthcare leadership experience, currently serving as Chief Nursing Officer at South Texas Health System. Known for driving clinical excellence, operational efficiency, and a culture of accountability, Dr. Copher has a proven track record of elevating patient outcomes, improving staff engagement, and delivering sustainable organizational growth.
Throughout his career, Adam has led large, complex hospital systems, guiding multidisciplinary teams through strategic change, regulatory readiness, and quality improvement initiatives. His leadership has been instrumental in achieving top-tier patient safety scores, national quality designations, and industry recognition for both clinical performance and workforce culture.
A servant leader at heart, Adam believes that the success of a nurse leader is measured not by personal accomplishments, but by the achievements they inspire in others. He is passionate about mentoring the next generation of nurse leaders, fostering environments where teams feel empowered, supported, and challenged to perform at their highest potential.
A proud three-time alumnus of Chamberlain University, Adam earned his Doctor of Nursing Practice, Master of Science in Nursing, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing — all from Chamberlain University. He also holds board certification in Medical-Surgical Nursing and is an active member of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. Adam is a sought-after speaker on leadership, nursing excellence, and healthcare transformation.

Rita Wray is the founder and chief executive officer of Wray Enterprises Inc., a national independent healthcare consulting firm. Previously, she served as deputy executive director of the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration.

With more than 45 years of service, Wray has made significant contributions. She formerly served as president of the International Women’s Forum Mississippi, treasurer of the National Black Nurses Association, and chairperson of the state initiative for the American Academy of Nursing’s Institute for Nursing Leadership National Advisory Council. She is currently treasurer for the Nurses on Boards Coalition. She is certified in nursing administration through the American Nurses Association and is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.