Mari is a co-chair of the Nursing Workforce Development Committee as well as the Erie VA Nurse Recruiter. Although Mari does not participate in direct patient care, she works diligently on nursing recruitment and retention of staff, which does impact direct patient care. Her dedication to nursing recruitment and retention is unwavering. Mari goes above and beyond to mentor, motivate, and encourage staff to work at their highest potential for the best Veteran outcome. As the Nurse Recruiter, Mari has decreased the time to hire and fill vacancies. The Erie VA has the lowest RN/LPN vacancies in the VISN. Mari was instrumental in the implementation of the Stay in the VA initiative, providing Supervisors with valuable training, resulting in 100% retention of nurses hired in 2023. Mari has a charisma that inspires staff to listen and engage in conversation. Mari communicates shared governance. Mari puts in extra hours to complete projects for NWDC and always includes great team-building activities to maintain a healthy and positive culture amongst our committee and staff. Mari is a true example of the ICARE Values. Thank you, Mari, for all you do day in and day out for the recruitment and retention of Erie VA Nurses.