Rear Admiral (RADM) Kerry Paige Nesseler was selected as the Chief Professional Officer for the Nurse Category effective 1 November 2009.  As Chief Nurse Officer, RADM Nesseler is responsible for providing leadership and coordination of the Public Health Service (PHS) nursing professional affairs for the Office of the Surgeon General and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  RADM Nesseler will provide guidance and advice to the Surgeon General, the Nurse Professional Advisory Committee (NPAC), and the Nation’s nursing community on matters such as recruitment, retention, and career development of PHS nurses.

RADM Kerry Nesseler received her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing in 1978 from the University of San Francisco and her Master of Science degree in Nursing in 1985 from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  She is currently pursing a doctoral degree at the University of Maryland, School of Nursing.  

RADM Nesseler’s nursing career reflects experience in varied positions, agencies, geographical locations, and types of health venues from work in hospitals, clinics, and community health to policy positions and academic posts.  RADM Nesseler began her Commissioned Corps career in 1986 as a Maternal and Child Health Clinical Nurse Specialist at the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation in Cloquet, Minnesota.  In addition to her service for the Indian Health Service (IHS), she has held positions at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and most recently at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).   In 2002, she was appointed as the first woman and first nurse to lead the Bureau of Health Professions (BHPr) as the Associate Administrator at HRSA.  In this capacity she provided leadership for the education and training of the Nation’s primary care providers and managed the health professions workforce programs, including the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development program, the National Health Service Corps, and the Ready Responder Program.  During her tenure as the Associate Administrator for BHPr, the national nursing education program funding was increased two fold and the Nurse Reinvestment Act was passed by Congress. RADM Nesseler has participated in the World Health Organization’s Global Advisory Group on Nursing and Midwifery for six years, representing the U.S., HHS, and HRSA.  She has served on special assignments in Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Libya, Virgin Island, Louisiana, and Minnesota.  Her deployment role assignment is Senior Health Official for national emergencies in Region IX and the Pacific Basin. 

In 2006, she was appointed as the Director of the HRSA Office of International Health and Commissioned Corps Affairs.  She serves as the principal advisor and consultant to the HRSA Administrator on international policies, health systems, and programs to increase the health status of the population worldwide.  She also directs the agency’s policy development and implementation of Commissioned Corps initiatives. 

RADM Nesseler’s membership in numerous professional organizations includes the PHS Commissioned Officers Association where she served as Chair, Board of Directors. She is also an active member of the PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation for the Advancement of Public Health, the American Nurses Association, and the American Public Health Association.