Position: Nominating Committee
David Leos, MBA, RN, OCN®
Manager, Clinical Protocol Administration
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
ONS member: 30 years; Special Interest Group member: 5 years; Special Interest Group
Coordinator/Coordinator-Elect: 3 years; Chapter member: 3 years
EDUCATION:
Our Lady of the Lake University, MBA, Health Care Management, 1999
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, BSN, 1984
ONS PARTICIPATION (national and local):
2014: Congress presenter, Oncology Nursing Society
2013: Editoral Review Board member, Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing (CJON)
2012-present: Coordinator/Coordinator-Elect, Clinical Trial Nurses SIG
2012-2015: Member-At-Large, Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Audit Committee
2009-2010: Member, Clinical Trial Nurse Competencies Project Team, Oncology Nursing
Society
2009: Fellow/graduate, Leadership Development Institute, Oncology Nursing Society
WORK RELATED SKILLS AND LEADERSHIP:
2012-2015: Research Nurse Supervisor at MD Anderson Cancer Center
2015: Manager, Clinical Protocol Administration at MD Anderson Cancer Center
2012: Member of competencies subcommittee of the Clinical Research Nurse’s Committee at
MD Anderson Cancer Center
2010: Chairperson of Institutional Policy & Procedure Committee at Memorial Hermann
Southwest Hospital
HEALTH CARE/ CANCER ORGANIZATIONS EXPERIENCE, OTHER PROFESSIONAL
NURSING ORGANIZATIONS /Additional experience (community, political etc.):
2013-present: Member, Oncology Nursing News Advisory Board
2002-2004: Member, National Black Leadership Initiative on Cancer (NBLIC) Chapter,
Savannah, GA
2002-2004: Member, Southeast Georgia Cancer Coalition
2002-2004: Member, Southeast Georgia chapter
Position Statement:
I believe that a leader must be a model for others. Part of being a good model is to be authentic and ethical in what one does. Throughout my career, my personal reputation has been based on being consistent in what I’ve said and done; to be seen as having integrity. Life-long learning is also a trait I value in that it also provides insight as to what might be in one’s personal life and professional practice. Because I value this for myself, I encourage others to do the same. This awareness lends itself to the leadership quality of challenging current beliefs and practices, with my at times taking a riskier outsider’s view for a more holistic perspective. In terms of how this relates to an ONS leadership position, I believe this will make me the leader that will benefit
ONS’s mission. I know this perspective has served me well in my current and prior roles both as a nurse and as an ONS volunteer. The lessons learned from the bumps in my path will be an effective basis to continue building skills to support the core values of the organization to which I have devoted my entire career.

Chose two of the ONS Core Values and discuss how you have actualized them in your leadership experiences.
Stewardship
My work roles have provided me ample experience in allocating resources to safely and thoughtfully care for oncology patients. Not being afraid to question whether processes justify their costs, if the evidence shows otherwise, is a hallmark of good stewardship. As a recent member-at-large for the ONS Finance Audit Committee, I participated in overseeing the effective use of finances that will sustain our organization. As a dues-paying member, I have a vested interest in knowing that we are getting the best outcome for our investment.
Excellence
My role as Coordinator of the Clinical Trial Nurses SIG provides me with the opportunity to impact the quality of my sub-specialty. As such, I support efforts to provide educational opportunities such as Webinars and Congress sessions. I was part of the project team that developed the CTN competencies that outlined the core values, knowledge and expertise needed to succeed in this role. In my own work setting, I am involved with a competenciesbased sub-committee of our Clinical Research Nurse Committee. In this group, we seek improvements to the practice of research nursing. My guiding principle has been that these efforts will promote our common pursuit of excellence in our practice.
Reflecting on the mission and vision of ONS, how have you addressed relevant issues to oncology nursing?
As a way to prepare oncology nurses for the future, I have advocated for and assisted nurses in obtaining their oncology certification. Believing that this is a true measure of one’s commitment to optimizing their practice, I have helped teach at review courses. I have also provided one-onone guidance and coaching to my fellow nurses on study methods and provided reference tools for test preparation. Upon success in obtaining this certification, I have also pro vided “pinning” events to bestow “OCN” stickers to ID badge holders. I have also been in education roles that enabled me to be a resource for CE information to assist staff in maintaining this certification.
The future always mandates change and preparation for change involves staying current through continuing education and certification.