National Nursing Assistant Educator Conference

Kimberlyn "Kim" Walthour is a dedicated healthcare professional, educator, and entrepreneur with a passion for transforming lives through education. She founded Healthcare Resources in 2017 to address a gap in skill development for aspiring healthcare professionals. Her business offers a hybrid CNA program and a Georgia Board of Nursing program that helps LPNs and RNs reenter the workforce or gain licensure.

Kim holds degrees from Augusta Technical College (LPN), Augusta State University (ASN), American Sentinel University (BSN), and Western Governors University (MSN-Ed). With a strong background in med-surg and telemetry nursing, she works with various organizations, including personal care homes and the South Carolina Department of Special Needs and Autism, to provide top-tier training.

In addition to her educational ventures, Kim founded the CSRA Nursing Gala, an event that honors and celebrates the achievements of nurses. Kim is a proud wife, mother, and grandmother, and her family is a constant source of inspiration. She is driven by the belief that "There's greatness in you."

Vicky Castillo MSNed, RN, CNE, with over 36 years of diverse nursing experience, is the founder and CEO of FACETS Healthcare Training. Her platform is innovatively crafted to supply nursing assistant students and educators with essential training and state-specific certification resources. For the past 15 years, Vicky has devoted herself to nursing assistant education, working in various roles, including nursing assistant instructor, program director, consultant, and test evaluator for Headmaster and Prometric. She founded FACETS Healthcare Training to deliver essential resources to the training community, demystify the complexities of the certification exam, and ultimately increase the number of CNAs in the workforce.   

Dr. Serafini entered her nursing career as a nurse aide. Over the next 20 years she progressed through her academic journey. Her MSN is focused in nursing education and her Ph.D. is in Educational Leadership. She holds the NLN certification as a nurse educator. 

Dr. Serafini is currently the Director of Assessment Services for the National League for Nursing. She speaks nationally on the topics of transition to practice, assessment of learning, and innovative solutions and pathways for advancing academic progression in nursing.

Dr. Serafini resides in Colorado. She has three grown daughters and four grandchildren who are also in Colorado. She enjoys time with family, reading, sewing, the mountains, hiking, and fishing. She also serves on the Board of Directors of a community resource center which includes a food bank, nursing services, and employment assistance.

Wendy Deras has dedicated her work the last 29 years to safe and competent patient care, teaching, curriculum design, management and leadership in the nursing field, with the last 13 years in Southern California. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Science in Nursing from Franklin University as well as a Master’s in Science in Nursing specializing in Nursing Education, from Wright State University, both in Ohio. 

She strives to bring together the resources of funding, trainers, educational institutions, and employers to bring a more qualified workforce to Southern California and believes that the power of education can transform lives, business, and the community. She is currently an Industry Sector Manager for Health for the Inland Empire working with health partners, K12, adult schools and community colleges to increase and improve health sciences program opportunities.