Valerie Fuller is President of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), representing more than 431,000 Nurse Practitioners (NPs) across the United States. She practices in the Department of Surgery at Maine Medical Center and serves as an Assistant Professor of Surgery at Tufts University School of Medicine. A nationally recognized leader in health policy, education, and regulation, Dr. Fuller has dedicated her career to advancing nursing practice and improving patient care through advocacy and academic leadership. She was instrumental in passing global signature authority legislation in Maine and now leads national efforts to eliminate regulatory barriers to NP practice. Her work has shaped policy across the country and led to her historic appointment as the first non-physician “Provider of the Day” in the Maine State Legislature. As an educator, Dr. Fuller founded Maine’s first Adult Gerontology Acute Care NP program and co-authored an award-winning textbook used in more than 60 NP programs nationwide. She also led a system-wide initiative to reduce postoperative delirium and falls, resulting in measurable improvements in patient outcomes. Dr. Fuller earned her BSN and MSN from Boston College, her DNP from the MGH Institute of Health Professions, and her PhD from the University of Arizona.