NPCB Announces Results of the 2026 Board of Commissioners Election
The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (NPCB) announces the results of its 2026 Board of Commissioners election, held September 15–30.
Taiwo “Tai” Arise, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CNE, and Katherine Reina, DNP, APRN, AGNP-C, CCRN, were newly elected to three-year terms. Alison Farr, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, MSCP, was re-elected to a second term. All terms begin in January.
The elected commissioners bring experience in clinical practice, graduate education, advanced practice leadership and certification examination development. Their stated priorities include certification integrity, leadership development and representation for practicing nurse practitioners.
Taiwo Arise, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CNE
Tai Arise is an experienced nurse practitioner who currently still serves in clinical practice. She has more than ten years of clinical practice as a clinician, her background includes correctional health, primary care, and urgent care medicine, where she continues to provide comprehensive assessment, diagnostic reasoning, and evidence based management for adult patients across the life span. Tai brings significant governance and leadership experiences, she has served as curriculum chair and administrator for graduate programs, while contributing to program quality and competency based education. Tai is committed to NPCB’s mission of ensuring certification excellence, public protection, and advancement of nurse practitioner practice through rigorous, equitable, and evidence-driven assessment.
From her candidate statement:
“My priorities will focus on three main pillars. Certification Integrity, advancing competency based assessment, and ensuring that certification standards remain tightly aligned with current nurse practitioner trends and practice”
Katherine Reina, DNP, APRN, AGNP-C, CCRN
Katherine Reina, DNP serves as Director of Advanced Practice Nursing, providing strategic leadership for advanced practice nurses and advancing initiatives that promote clinical excellence, quality, and patient-centered care. A recognized leader in age-friendly healthcare, she has served as clinical program director for delirium services and currently helps lead system-wide standardization of delirium care across a large academic health system. As part of this work, she has contributed to the development and deployment of an innovative AI-enabled tool designed to support the early identification and management of patients at risk for delirium. Dr. Reina’s expertise spans advanced practice leadership, healthcare operations, workforce development, and interdisciplinary collaboration. She is deeply committed to mentoring future NP leaders and advancing NPCB’s mission through excellence in practice, innovation, lifelong learning, and leadership development.
From her candidate statement:
“I will bring forward the voice of nurse practitioners as leaders, innovators, and advocates who are transforming healthcare across all settings. My experience advancing age-friendly care, leading delirium prevention and management initiatives, and supporting the development of AI-enabled tools has reinforced my belief that NPs are uniquely positioned to drive meaningful improvements in patient outcomes and healthcare delivery.”
“I am passionate about giving back to a profession that has provided me with extraordinary opportunities to lead, grow, and serve. As a Board member, I hope to support and inspire future generations of nurse practitioners, creating pathways for leadership, mentorship, and professional advancement. My vision is a strong, engaged NP community that continues to elevate our profession, influence healthcare policy, and improve the lives of the patients and communities we serve.”
Alison Farr, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, MSCP
Dr. Alison M. Farr, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, MSCP, is a full-time family nurse practitioner, founder of Ascent Healthcare, and current member of the NPCB Board of Commissioners. She leads an independent Vermont practice providing relationship-based primary care and menopause management through a hybrid membership and insurance model designed to improve access, continuity, and sustainability for patient and provider. Her clinical background spans primary care, cardiology, urgent care, college health, emergency nursing, and forensic care. Since 2022, Dr. Farr has supported AANPCB/NPCB through item writing, practice bank and exam development, standard setting, exam review, and practice-exam development. She joined the Board in 2025 to complete an unexpired term and contributes the perspective of an actively practicing clinician and small-practice owner. Her leadership is grounded in advancing rigorous certification, representing NPs outside large academic systems, and developing comprehensive care models that help patients feel heard, respected, and well cared for.
From her candidate statement:
“My priority will be to ensure that full-time practicing NPs – especially those in small, independent, and private-practice settings – have a meaningful voice in NPCB governance. Representation matters. Many NPs do not work within large academic or university systems, yet they deliver community-based care while navigating the practical realities of certification, regulation, reimbursement, and practice sustainability. I bring that perspective every day as an independent practice owner and full-time clinician. My previous AANPCB/NPCB service and two years on the Board have given me a strong understanding of the organization’s responsibilities and opportunities. I will advocate for certification standards and strategic decisions that remain rigorous, relevant, and responsive to practicing NPs. I will also support sustainable, comprehensive models of care that allow providers to listen deeply, serve patients well, and make high-quality care more accessible to communities that feel unheard or underserved.”
NPCB thanks all members who voted in the 2026 Board of Commissioners election. Your participation helps select the nurse practitioners who bring their clinical experience and professional perspectives to Board service.