Judith Maire, Washington

A very active advocate for health care of children in Washington State, Judith Maire has served as the Health Services Program Supervisor in the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for 14 years. Her unassuming demeanor gives little hint of the numerous publications, manuals and policy guidelines she has developed and disseminated throughout the state. She consults with school districts to assist in developing plans for safe delivery of services to medically fragile students, and most recently developed, and defended in the legislature, a comprehensive state model for providing health services to underserved areas of the state. Judith's accomplishments do not stop at the state level.

She currently serves on the Scholarship Committee of the American School Health Association and on the National Association of School Nursing NASN Newsletter Editorial Board. She served as president of the National Association of State School Nurse Consultants and as the first chairperson of the National Nursing Coalition for School Health (NNCSH). Due in large part to her influence and leadership style, the NNCSH became a reality, significantly enhancing the capacity of organized school nursing to influence legislative and political decisions at the national level. Most recently, she served on NASN's Standards of Practice Task Force contributing to the development of the 1998 Standards of Professional School Nursing Practice.

Her leadership style is uniquely distinguished by her far-reaching vision, exceptional cognitive abilities, and her creative approach to problem-solving. Her warm sense of humor and unique abilities to inspire others, collaborate and gain consensus have had pervasive effects on student health and learning and upon the professional practice of school nursing.