Columbia Southern University Dean Elected to Board of Commissioners

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. – Columbia Southern University is proud to announce that Bonny Kehm, Ph.D., RN, CNE, dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences and assistant provost, was recently elected to the Board of Commissioners of the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA).

The 15-member board provides leadership and direction to the accreditation services and is responsible for all accreditation decisions on nursing programs that seek accreditation from the NLN CNEA. The Nominations Committee is one of many standing committees and special task forces that facilitate the work of the Commission.

"I’m grateful for this opportunity and excited for what lies ahead,” said Kehm. “As dean of Columbia Southern University’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences, I’m passionate about empowering future nurse leaders through innovation and academic excellence. I look forward to supporting NLN CNEA’s mission and collaborating with fellow commissioners to shape the future of our profession."

Other members elected to the board include:

• Amber Heimberger, DNP, MSHL, RN, CNE, dean, College of Science & Health; founding dean of nursing; professor of nursing, Missouri Baptist University, Saint Louis, Mo.
• Pavel Pugh, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, PMHNP-C, FEP, CNE, director of nursing, SABER College, Miami.
• Pamela Sandvig, DNP, MSN-Ed., RN, CNE, executive director, Pathways & Compliance and Dean, Post-Licensure Nursing, West Coast University, Richardson, Texas.
• Kimberly Wiegand, DNP, RN, CNE, assistant vice president for nursing, Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, Indianapolis.

Kehm’s term will begin Jan. 1, 2026, and end Dec. 31, 2028. For more information, visit CNEA.NLN.org.

About Columbia Southern University
As an innovator in online education, CSU was established in 1993 to provide an alternative to the traditional university experience. CSU offers online associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees such as business administration, criminal justice, fire administration, military studies and nursing. Visit ColumbiaSouthern.edu or call (877) 347-6050 to learn more.