Cheryl G. Sullivan, PhD, CAE, FAAN
Chief Executive Officer, Emerita American Academy of Nursing
Cheryl G. Sullivan, PhD, CAE, FAAN, is CEO Emerita of the American Academy of Nursing. She has an extensive background in federal and state public policy development and implementation and non-profit association administration.
As CEO of the Academy, Sullivan promoted evidence-based innovations in health care delivery, facilitated the research and publication of policy briefs articulating the Academy’s position to improve the health of populations and achieve health equity, and established in partnership with the ABIM Foundation Choosing Wisely to reduce overused and costly treatments and procedures. Sullivan formerly served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy to former U.S. Senator Evan Bayh and played a central staff role in the development of significant health care-related legislation including the Children’s Health Care Quality Act. As Vice Chancellor for External Affairs at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Sullivan provided leadership in government relations and university administration garnering statewide support for substantial new funding for biomedical research. Sullivan was the principal advisor on social service policy serving as Cabinet Secretary of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. The state Medicaid program was restructured to reduce the rate of growth of Medicaid expenditures while maintaining the availability of quality health care for Indiana's neediest citizens and the statewide Step Ahead process was implemented to improve children's services by linking federal and state resources to local planning councils.
Sullivan earned her PhD in Environmental Science from Indiana University, Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of Maryland, and Certificate for Senior Executives in State and Local Government from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She is a Certified Association Executive (CAE) by the American Society of Association Executives and an Honorary Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.