We are the nation’s leading professional organization for Latino nurses.

Valeria Martinez Tenreiro had a rather unusual path into nursing. Born and raised in Argentina, she obtained her MD degree at the University of Buenos Aires and immigrated into the US in 2000. As a new immigrant she knows the struggles of starting life anew. She worked as a medical assistant initially and then spent the next 10 years working as a Social Security and Workers’ compensation paralegal, where she learnt about the struggles faced by our immigrant workforce when injured at work and facing permanent disability. In 2016, she felt her family was able to afford the financial cost of her going back to school, she enrolled in the accelerated BSN at the University of Colorado where she graduated with honors. Valeria defines herself as a born caregiver, she is happiest when caring for others, be it her family, friends, patients, or co-workers. She is currently enrolled in the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program and due to graduate in December 2023. Her passion for underserved and particularly for our Latino community led her to become a member of NAHN in 2016, a secretary in 2017 and then President elect/President. She is determined to make a difference for our communities in any way she can, and continually strives to engage all Latino nurses in the organization. She believes all nurses, and Latino nurses particularly must stand together in order to generate change.

Maria Milagros Kneusel is a Registered Nurse and has a Master’s in nursing education, a master’s in healthcare ethics, and a Doctorate in Nursing Practice with an emphasis in quality improvement. Maria has worked in various clinical settings from acute care to public health. Currently she is the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant at Centura Health. Maria is also an affiliate professor of nursing at Regis University, where she teaches Health Policy. Her professional interests focus on the dignified care of underserved populations, and the use of Promotoras to improve care access for Latino communities. Maria is a past president of the Denver chapter of the National Association of Hispanic nurses and received the National Hispanic Nurse of the Year award in 2021 for her efforts to vaccinate and educate the Latino community during the Covid pandemic.

Sky Arce is the Treasurer for the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) Denver Chapter. She has been a member with NAHN since April 2017 and became the treasure in% 2018.Sky has her Masters Degree in Nursing (MSN) with a dual focus in leadership and education andhas her Progressive Care Certified Nurse (PCCN) . Sky resonates with the mission of NAHN to improve the health of our communities and to advocate for culturally competent quality healthcare for all Hispanics and hopes to expand the membership which would help serve the vulnerable. She always knew she wanted to work in healthcare and feels that it’s her responsibility to make changes to improve the health and wellbeing of those we serve.%Sky is currently a clinical nurse manager of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Neurocritical Care (NCC) at SCL Health Lutheran Medical Center in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. She began her medical career in 1999 and continues to progress her professional development within SCL. Sky started her career as a Certified Nurse Assistant and Telemetry Technician. She also worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Registered Nurse (RN), Clinical Coordinator, and currently as Manager.% As a LPN, she worked on a Transitional Care Unit (TCU). Sky worked on ProgressiveCare Unit (PCU) as a RN and Clinical Coordinator. She first became a manager in 2014 on the Internal Medicine/Oncology unit and transferred to critical care in 2018.%Sky originally is from Roswell, New Mexico and moved to Denver in 1995. She currently resides in Lakewood, Colorado with her husband and two children. When she is not working she enjoys time spent with her family and friends, relaxing in her yard enjoying the beautiful weather, and traveling to experience different cultures

Jessica Hughes is a highly experienced and accomplished nurse practitioner. Originally from El Salvador, Jessica began her career in healthcare as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) before pursuing a nursing degree in Tennessee. Despite working full-time, she managed to excel academically and graduated with honors.

Throughout her career, she has gained extensive experience by working in labor and delivery, pediatrics, and pediatric psychiatry. She furthered her education at the University of Colorado, where she obtained her Family Nurse Practitioner Degree in 2018. After graduation, she began working in Family Medicine before transitioning to the Urology specialty at the University of Colorado Hospital. In addition to her clinical work, Jessica is also a current doctoral candidate at the University of Nevada, Reno, and a proud member of Sigma Theta Tau International, the Honor Society of Nursing.

Outside of work, she enjoys traveling overseas, learning about new cultures, and trying new foods. She is also an avid outdoor enthusiast who loves skiing, paddleboarding, and kayaking. Additionally, she enjoys salsa dancing with her fiancé in her free time.