Dear Beta Zeta at-Large Members,

Welcome to the 2026–2027 fiscal year. As we begin the second year of our 2025–2027 biennium, I am grateful for the leadership, service, and commitment each of you brings to Beta Zeta at-Large.

Our work continues to be guided by Sigma’s call to action, Lead Together: Our Voice | Our Value | Our Impact. This invitation reflects our chapter’s commitment to bringing nurses, students, educators, leaders, and community partners together through scholarship, leadership, service, and global collaboration.

I am delighted to welcome Chris Diaz as President-Elect. Chris brings valuable experience, energy, and dedication to nursing leadership. I look forward to working closely with Chris to support leadership continuity and prepare for a thoughtful transition. Please join me in congratulating Chris and welcoming them to this important role.

As we begin the year, I would also like to remind members of several opportunities shared in our recent chapter emails.

Please complete our Peer Chapter Survey. Your feedback will help us better understand members’ needs, interests, and priorities as we plan future programs and collaborative activities.

Our Founders Day service initiative is Project Birthday Cake, supporting children and families experiencing food insecurity throughout Western Massachusetts. Each affiliated school—AIC, Bay Path University, Elms College, UMass Amherst, and Westfield State University—is encouraged to establish a collection box and select a local food pantry to receive the donations.

Requested items include:

• Cake mixes

• Cans of frosting

• Sprite, 7-Up, or another lemon-lime soda

• Birthday candles

• 9 × 13-inch aluminum cake pans

Monetary donations may also be made through the Zeffy QR code on the project flyer. We are exploring the addition of gift cards to some Birthday Cake Boxes and will share further information as plans are confirmed. Please share the project with your colleagues, students, and campus communities.

Our first board meeting will be held on Thursday, August 20, 2026, from 5:30–8:00 p.m. ET. We will review our strategic plan, discuss how Lead Together will guide our priorities, coordinate Project Birthday Cake across our schools, and continue planning our November induction.

Please also save these important dates:

• October 17, 2026: 9th Annual Sigma Region 15 Symposium at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford. Registration is open, and student registration is free.

• November 5, 2026: Beta Zeta at-Large Induction at UMass Amherst.

• December 8, 2026: Fall Chapter Event.

• April 14, 2027: Scholarship Day.

At our November induction, the Massachusetts Nurse Honor Guard will be invited to recognize Massachusetts nurses who have died within the past two years. The nurses do not need to have been Sigma members. Please help us identify nurses to be honored.

A chapter thrives when its members feel welcomed, valued, and invited to contribute. Whether you complete the survey, support Project Birthday Cake, attend an event, mentor a colleague, participate in a committee, or share your scholarship, your involvement matters.

Thank you for the ideas, collaboration, and care you bring to our chapter and the nursing community. Let us continue to lead together—with purpose, generosity, and impact.

Warmly,

Wendy Sergeant, DNP, PMHNP-BC, APRN-BC
President, Beta Zeta at-Large Chapter
Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing