Board of Directors

Lisa has been a staff/charge nurse on the neurology-stroke unit at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital since 2011.  She is the immediate past chair for the nurse-led acute stroke team and the chair of the safety committee for her department. Her newest adventure in neurology comes with the launch of her hospital's new Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU). Lisa also worked as a clinical nurse on the Mobile Stroke Unit for RUSH University Medical Center and loved the experience she gained working on an ambulance dedicated to stroke care. This position also allowed her to network and provide stroke education throughout the community. Lisa is double certified as a CNRN and SCRN. She has been a member of the Northern Illinois Chapter since its infancy and has served on the board as Secretary (2015-2017), President Elect (2017-2019) and President (2019-2025). She currently sits on the board as Immediate Past President (2025-2026). Lisa is also a two-time DAISY Award Honoree.

Joy is the current stroke program coordinator at Loyola University Medical Center. She has over twenty-five years of experience in a variety of nursing positions including long term care facility, pediatrics, orthopedics, medical surgical, telemetry, and intensive care. Joy received her MSN from Loyola University in 2015 and is ASC-BC and SCRN. She has served on the board of Midwest Stroke Action Alliance and now is serving as the President for NOIL.

Heidi has 15 years of nursing experience. She started her nursing career on a neuro stroke unit where she shined as part of a nurse led acute stroke team. From there, she ventured into home health with her primary focus being wound care. After several leadership positions in the home health setting, she has challenged herself by stepping into the Director of Nursing role at Montclair Assisted Living and Memory Care. While Heidi will always have a special place in her heart for neuro, her new passion is geriatrics and dementia. She is a member of the Continuity of Care Association and has become a certified dementia practitioner. She is definitely dedicated to creating an environment where seniors can flourish.

Mirjana obtained her bachelor's degree in 2010 and has since gained extensive experience in various nursing roles, including cardiothoracic surgery and medical-surgical care. Since 2019, she has served as a Stroke Program Coordinator at Loyola University Medical Center, where she focuses on quality improvement initiatives to enhance healthcare outcomes for stroke patients across the continuum of care. In 2022, Mirjana earned her Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in executive leadership. With a strong passion for improving healthcare outcomes, Mirjana leverages her creativity to develop innovative solutions that blend evidence-based practice with fresh, strategic thinking. She is an active member of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses, the American Heart Association, and the National Hispanic Latino Cardiovascular Collaborative.  Outside of her professional commitments, Mirjana enjoys cooking, spending time with her fiancé and sister, and caring for her two rescue pit bulls, Jupiter and Frajer.