Dr. Kenya V. Beard EdD AGACNP-BC ANEF FAAN FADLN is a national voice on expanding access to high-quality healthcare for all communities. She is the founding Dean and Chief Nursing Officer at Mercy University’s School of Nursing and former chair of the New York State Board of Nursing. A visionary leader, she co-founded the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing and created a platform that advances health equity nationwide.
Committed to improving healthcare outcomes, Dr. Beard became a nurse practitioner and leveraged multiple platforms to reach broad audiences. She co-produced radio segments on healthcare disparities for WBAI-FM, reaching more than 400,000 listeners, and served as a Senior Fellow at the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement, where her expertise shaped national conversations on eliminating health disparities and improving healthcare.
She played a critical role in shaping the landmark Future of Nursing 2020–2030 report and co-edited its global companion article, which provides a roadmap for advancing health equity worldwide. Currently, she is pioneering efforts to integrate artificial intelligence into nursing education, preparing future health professionals with cutting-edge tools to enhance patient safety.
Her leadership extends beyond media and academia. At the Harvard Macy Institute, she teaches the art of negotiation and innovation to healthcare leaders, empowering them to build stronger systems. For Black History month, she interviewed Mr. Arshay Cooper, author of the widely acclaimed A Most Beautiful Thing: The True Story of America’s First All-Black High School Rowing Team. Her contributions have earned her multiple presidential awards and the prestigious Mary Elizabeth Carnegie Leadership Award from the American Academy of Nursing.
Dr. Beard is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, the Academy of Nursing Education, the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing, and the New York Academy of Medicine. She also serves on the editorial board of the American Journal of Nursing. She continues to inspire audiences with her vision of a more just, inclusive, and equitable healthcare system.