Meet your 2023 WI IAFN Board of Directors!
2023 WI-IAFN President
Lynette Volkers MSN, RN (She/Her/Hers)
Lynette has been a nurse for over 20 years of nursing experience ranging from long Term Care, Emergency Nursing, Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing, Clinical Education and Risk Management. She received her Bachelor’s in Nursing degree from UW-Oshkosh and in 2012 completed her Masters in Nursing from Saint Xavier University in Illinois. She is an active Forensic Nurse / SANE in the Wausau area, where she resides with her husband Mike, children Courtney (16) & Ryan (15), a beloved dog and cat. Lynette is passionate about seeing justice prevail and advocating for those who need help finding their voice
**Chapter President. The Chapter President shall be the principal director of the chapter and shall preside at all meetings of the Chapter Board of Directors. The President shall also serve as the Chair, with right to vote. He or she shall have the right to supervise and direct the operation of the chapter and to make all decisions as to policy and otherwise which may arise between meetings of the Chapter Board of Directors. He or she shall perform such other duties and have such other authority and powers as the
Chapter Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe.
2023 WI-IAFN President-Elect
Mary Ellen Soltys
Mary Ellen is a graduate of Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in South Bend, IN. She has been an RN for over 30 years. She primarily worked ICU before going to Outpatient and Urgent Care Nursing. Mary Ellen started as a Forensic Nurse July 2021. She works for Aurora in Sheboygan, also covers for Two Rivers, Grafton and picks up hours at Aurora Sinai SATC/AHAS in Milwaukee. Mary Ellen is passionate about Forensic Nursing and looks foward to becoming a certified SANE. Mary Ellen resides in Manitowoc with her husband and Great Dane. She enjoys spending time with her 4 adult children and their families including 8 grandchildren.
**Chapter President-Elect, shall, in the absence or disability of the President, perform the duties and have the authority and exercise the powers of the President. He or she shall perform such other duties and have such other authority and powers as the Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe or as the Chapter President may from time to time delegate.
2023 WI-IAFN Immediate Past President
Deanna Grundahl RN, BSN, SANE-A
Since 2008, Deanna began her career as a Forensic Nurse Examiner. In early 2009, she became responsible for the Forensic Nursing Examiner (FNE) Program at Aurora Sheboygan Memorial Medical Center (ASMMC), on January 1, 2016 she started a FNE Program at Aurora Medical Center in Manitowoc County (AMCMC), on July 1, 2017 started the FNE program at Aurora Medical Center in Washington County (AMCWC), and on September 1, 20198 at Aurora Medical Center Summit (AMCS). All four programs in Manitowoc, Sheboygan, and Washington counties serve patients 24/7. In 2014, Deanna became certified in Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner-Adults (SANE-A). Deanna received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at University of Oshkosh in 2015. Deanna is currently involved with the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE)faculty, Dodge, Manitowoc, Sheboygan, and Washington, Waukesha County Sexual Assault Response Teams (SART), Sheboygan County Domestic Assault Response Teams (DART), co-creator and co-chair of Sheboygan County Human Trafficking Response Team, Board of Directors member for Sheboygan County Advocate services, the Sheboygan County Child Death Review Team, Sheboygan and Manitowoc County Drug Endangered Children (DEC) program, Lakeshore Child Advocacy Team Member, Washington County Anti-Trafficking Team Member, and Board Member with the Wisconsin Chapter for the International Association of Forensic Nursing.
**The Immediate Past President, in the absence or disability of the Chapter President and President Elect, shall perform the duties and have the authority and exercise the powers of the President. He or she shall perform such other duties and have such other authority and powers as the Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe or as the Chapter President may from time-to-time delegate.
deanna.grundl@aah.org
2023 WI-IAFN Secretary
Melissa Vesperman RN, BSN, SANE-A
Melissa has been a nurse for sixteen years with a background in labor and delivery, postpartum, medical surgical nursing and mental health nursing. Out of those sixteen years, nine years have been spent in her current role as a Forensic Nurse. While those initial nursing roles have been immensely rewarding and fulfilling, the role of forensic nurse and caring for victims of violence by promoting health and healing to those who have gone through traumatic and stressful experiences has been her passion.
Melissa is the Executive Director and Forensic Nurse Coordinator at St. Croix Valley SART; a non-profit, independent Sexual Assault Program based out of River Falls, WI and obtained her SANE Adult/Adolescent Certification in 2014.
In her free time, Melissa and her husband try to keep up with their two very active teenagers. Between competitive dance, basketball, golf and baseball, they are always cheering for something. She tries to make it to at least one Badger basketball or football game a year and loves to camp and kayak. Go Bucky!
**The Chapter Treasurer shall ensure proper custody of the chapter funds and securities and shall ensure full and accurate accounts of receipts
and disbursements of the chapter are kept and shall ensure the deposit all monies and other valuables in the name and to the credit of the chapter
into depositories designated by the Chapter Board of Directors. The Chapter Treasurer shall ensure the funds of the chapter are disbursed as ordered by the Chapter Board of Directors, and ensure that financial statements are
prepared at such interval as the Chapter Board of Directors shall direct.
The Chapter Treasurer shall perform such other duties and have such other authority and powers as the Chapter Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe or as the Chapter President may from time to time delegate.
2023 WI-IAFN Treasurer
Cary Christianson BSN, RN, SANE-A
My name is Cary Christianson.Currently I am an ER nurse at Gundersen Health System in Lacrosse and have been there since 2007. I have been a SANE nurse since 2010 when I took my initial training. I am the current Lead Sane at Gundersen and work to keep our sane nurses updated on current practices, manage our protocols, work with county wide teams that service sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, manage sane related statistics, and serve as a resource to our sane nurse group. I recently obtained my SANE-A certification in 2021. I am a Faculty member with the WI Department of Justice helping teach our upcoming sane nurses.
I have worked to become more active in our WI IAFN Chapter since 2017 and have made many connections throughout the state. I finally felt it was time to make a greater investment in the Chapter and decided to run and was elected Treasurer. I look forward to working with a great group of sane nurses that serve on our Chapter Board of Directors and cannot wait to see what we have planned for the next year.
Outside of work I stay busy with my 3 children and their activities. We are quite the bowling family, all of us being in leagues and my husband being a coach for HS and MS teams and youth league. I work straight weekends in my current job and serve as a substitute school nurse in my school district.
**The Chapter Treasurer shall ensure proper custody of the chapter funds and securities and shall ensure full and accurate accounts of receipts and
disbursements of the chapter are kept and shall ensure the deposit all monies and other valuables in the name and to the credit of the chapter into depositories designated by the Chapter Board of Directors. The Chapter Treasurer shall ensure the funds of the chapter are disbursed as ordered by the Chapter Board of Directors, and ensure that financial statements are prepared at such interval as the Chapter Board of Directors shall direct. The Chapter Treasurer shall perform such other duties and have such other authority and powers as the Chapter Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe or as the Chapter President may from time to time delegate.
2023 WI-IAFN Director-at-Large
Cassilynn (Cassie) Brown, RN, MSN, SANE-A, SANE-P (She/Her/Hers)
Forensic Nurse Examiner at Unity Point/Meriter in Madison and for DaneMAC in Madison, Wisconsin
Former Electronic Technician for the US Navy turned registered nurse. I completed my Bachelors of Science in Nursing at Bellin College of Nursing in Green Bay, WI. I became an FNE in 2016 and went on to complete a Masters of Forensic Nursing through Texas A & M in College Station, TX. I serve on the Documentation and Protocols Committee and also assist with the training of new SANEs across the state. I’m an active member of my local MakerSpace, where I serve as a board member and lead up the Craft area as well as the Stained Glass area. I have a spouse, three kids, three cats, one rabbit, one dog, and a Father-in-Law. Kentuckian turned Madisonite but remains an avid Wildcats fan.
**The Director at Large shall perform such other duties and have such other authority and powers as the Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe or as the Chapter President may from time to time delegate.
2023 WI-IAFN Director-at-Large
Stephanie Huenink, BSN, RN, SANE-A
Stephanie has been a nurse for about 13 years starting her nursing career in the Emergency Department. She received a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing degree from UW-Milwaukee in 2010. It was in the Emergency Department where she learned about and became passionate about Forensic Nursing. Stephanie became a Forensic Nurse in 2014 and has been a full time Forensic Nurse in the Sheboygan area since 2020. Stephanie resides in Sheboygan County with her husband Andrew, 3 daughters, and their Mini Irish Goldendoodle Molly.
**The Director at Large shall perform such other duties and have such other authority and powers as the Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe or as the Chapter President may from time to time delegate.
WI-IAFN Board Member Emeritus
Collene O’Brien, RN, MS, SANE-A
Colleen started the first SANE program in the state of Wisconsin in 1988 and one of the very early programs in the nation. Ms. O’Brien designed and implemented the first education program for SANE in the state where nurses and physicians from all over the country and Canada were able to advance their forensic skills.
Collene O’Brien consulted on the SANE-SART Development and Operation Guide with Dr. Linda Ledray, the VAWA National Focus Group on Standards, Practice and Training for SANE Exams, the National Summit on DNA Evidence. She has also been a member of numerous national committees related to SANE practice, education and standards.