Directorate

Densford Directorate Fall 2026

 

Shirley A. Brekken, MS, RN, FAAN
Brekken, a nationally recognized accomplished leader in nursing regulation, served as the chief executive officer for the Minnesota Board of Nursing 1999-2021. She has engaged in patient safety initiatives leadership at the state and national level. Prior to her employment with the Board, Brekken was a member and president of the Board of Nursing.  She has diverse clinical and administrative experience, including, nursing education, educational administration and public health, school and hospital staff nursing. Brekken has a proven commitment to quality improvement, transparency and developing a culture of justice, learning and accountability in regulation.  She has been actively involved with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) as a member of the Board of Directors, serving as vice-president and president. She had a leadership role in numerous NCSBN innovative initiatives, including computer adaptive testing and Next Generation NCLEX®, and Nursys (national nurse licensure data base.)  She is an inaugural and current member of the editorial advisory board of the Journal of Nursing Regulation.  Brekken has made numerous presentations at the national and international level on excellence in nursing regulation.  She has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Adult Health Nursing with a focus in educational administration.

Brian K. Goodroad, DNP, APRN, CNP, FAANP, FAAN
Goodroad is a Clinical Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Minnesota and a nurse practitioner in the Positive Care Center at Hennepin Healthcare, where he provides comprehensive care to people living with HIV. He also serves as a Clinical Advisor with the Midwest AIDS Training and Education Center and is a nationally recognized educator in HIV care and advanced practice nursing. A longtime leader in APRN health policy, Goodroad currently serves as Legislative Director for the Minnesota APRN Coalition, following previous roles as Legislative Committee Chair, President, Vice President, and board member. His advocacy has contributed to major advances in Minnesota APRN practice, including full practice authority, multiple signature-recognition initiatives, and legislation expanding opportunities for new graduate APRNs. He has worked extensively with legislators, professional organizations, and APRN stakeholders to improve access to care and advance APRN practice. Dr. Goodroad has more than three decades of experience in HIV clinical care and nursing education. His teaching focuses on advanced practice nursing, primary care, HIV treatment and prevention, and health policy advocacy. He is a Fellow of both the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the American Academy of Nursing.
 
Kelaine Haas, PhD
Haas is a seasoned academic administrator and educator with extensive experience in strategic leadership, curriculum development, and student success. She has held key leadership roles at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, particularly within the School of Nursing and the Medical School, where her work has significantly influenced institutional growth and innovation in education.  As the Administrative Director at the University of Minnesota’s School of Nursing, Kelaine facilitates strategic initiatives and operations throughout the organization. In collaboration with the Dean, Haas plays a pivotal role in strategic planning, aligning resources, and ensuring the timely execution of key initiatives. A key component of Haas’s leadership is her ability to manage complex initiatives and coordinate multiple stakeholders across the school, university, and community. She serves as a vital liaison between senior leadership, faculty, students, and external stakeholders, ensuring that strategic goals are communicated clearly and executed effectively.  Kelaine holds a Ph.D. in Genetics, Cellular Biology, and Development from the University of Minnesota and a B.S. in Biology from Wake Forest University.  

Ex-Officio

Connie White Delaney, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, FACMI, FNAP
Delaney serves as Professor & Dean, School of Nursing, University of Minnesota, and is the Knowledge Generation Lead for the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education. She served as Associate Director of the Clinical Translational Science Institute –Biomedical Informatics, and Acting Director of the Institute for Health Informatics (IHI) in the Academic Health Center from 2010-2015.  She serves as an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Nursing at the University of Iceland, where she received the Doctor Scientiae Curationis Honoris Causa (Honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing) in 2011.  Delaney was an inaugural appointee to the USA Health Information Technology Policy Committee, Office of the National Coordinator, and Office of the Secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). She is an active researcher in data and information technology standards for nursing and health care. She is past-president of FNINR and past Vice-Chair of CGFNS, Inc. She holds a BSN with majors in nursing and mathematics, MA in Nursing, Ph.D. Educational Administration and Computer Applications, postdoctoral study in nursing & medical informatics, and graduate study in integrative health & healing.