2025 Commencement Speaker Announced

USU is excited to announce this year's commencement speaker, Dr. Marla Weston. Dr. Weston dedicated her career to improving the professional practice environment for nurses and the quality of care for patients. She currently focuses on assisting healthcare organizations, governmental agencies, and nonprofit associations with creating a positive practice environment; leadership and board development; strategic planning; employee well-being; and enhancing value for their customers, members, and constituents. She launched Nurse Capital, which provides venture capital for nurse entrepreneurs disrupting the healthcare industry with innovations in technology, devices and equipment, and clinical programs. She serves as a strategic advisor to several start-up healthcare companies, including Practicing Excellence, Mobella Health, MIDAS Healthcare Solutions, and Prolucent Health. She is a co-author of the blog, Calling the Leadership Circle.

Dr. Weston has served as a nurse executive in hospitals, the government, and, most recently, as the CEO of the American Nurses Association (ANA) Enterprise. Her leadership in large-scale change and innovation transformed ANA into one of the fastest growing associations in membership and impact. Under her leadership, membership increased by over 40% and Forbes described ANA as “an increasingly politically powerful lobbying force in Washington and state capitals across the country.” Dr. Weston has overseen philanthropic and premier grants programs, securing multimillion dollars for various initiatives.

With her PhD in nursing and over 35 years in executive practice, she is sought out for her meeting facilitation, excellent public speaking, coaching and consultative approach, which enable organizations and individuals to integrate best practices, strategy, and innovation to produce substantive results. She speaks and publishes on professional governance; the future of healthcare; improving health, wellness, resilience, and joy in nursing; building high-performing teams; governance leadership; and transforming

nursing for a postdigital era.

In 2012, she was inducted as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and has received numerous awards including being selected by Modern Healthcare as one of the Top 25 Women in Healthcare in 2017 due to her leadership skills and accomplishments in healthcare, mentorship of female health care executives, and her contributions to health care at the local, state and national levels.

USU is excited to welcome its graduates in San Diego on 9/19 at noon at the San Diego Convention Center. For more information, please click here: https://www.usuniversity.edu/current-students/commencement-information.