For two years, the world’s largest nursing honor society was run by someone who was not a nurse. Then a leak, a suspension and a unanimous board vote changed everything. Now Sigma Nursing has handed the top job back to a registered nurse. Here is the full story, who is in charge now, and what it means for its members around the world.
Imagine you were inducted into Sigma as a nursing student. You framed the certificate, wore the purple cords at graduation and paid your dues every year because membership meant something: scholarship, leadership, belonging. Then, one morning in September 2026, your phone fills with messages about leaked communications attributed to the organisation’s chief executive, including a racial slur and remarks about slavery. Some colleagues say they are cancelling. Others say they will wait. You are left asking a simple question: who is actually leading the society you belong to, and can you still trust it?
The short version
- August 2024: Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma) appoints Lucas M. “Luke” Davis as chief executive officer. Sigma’s own announcement notes that it chose a non-nurse, an experienced association executive, for the role.
- August 2026: Sigma appoints Dr Kristi L. Reguin-Hartman as chief nursing officer, a reimagined executive role meant to strengthen the nursing voice at the top of the organisation.
- September 2026: Private communications and audio attributed to Davis circulate online. Davis is placed on administrative leave and an outside attorney is engaged to investigate.
- 18 September 2026: The Board of Directors votes unanimously to end Davis’s employment, effective immediately. Jason Allen, chief membership and volunteer engagement officer, leads day-to-day operations alongside the chief nursing officer.
- 2 October 2026: Sigma engages CP Education & Consulting to carry out an independent review of its policies, practices, governance and culture.
- November 2026: After a search led by Kirby Bates Associates, the board appoints Dr Lydel A. Wright, DBA, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, a registered nurse, as interim CEO until a permanent chief executive is chosen.
Who is Dr Lydel A. Wright?
Dr Wright is a registered nurse and board-certified advanced nurse executive (NEA-BC) with more than two decades of leadership experience across healthcare organisations, enterprise operations, financial management, nonprofit governance and entrepreneurship. According to Sigma, the new interim CEO began as a nursing assistant and licensed practical nurse before rising to lead nursing operations at enterprise level.
Education and recognition
- Bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from the University of Texas at Arlington
- Doctor of Business Administration from Temple University
- Johnson & Johnson Nurse Innovation Fellow
- Inducted into the National Academies of Practice in 2021
- 2024–2025 Fellow of the Harvard Global Nursing Leadership Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
A nurse who builds things
Dr Wright is also the founder of Access Healthwear and the designer of The Access Gown, a redesigned hospital gown intended to protect patient dignity while still allowing clinical access. It is a small detail, but it says something about the kind of leader Sigma has chosen: someone who has worked at the bedside, run large operations and tried to fix an everyday problem that patients and nurses complain about.
Four principles for the transition
In an introductory message to members, Dr Wright set out four priorities: People, building an organisation where people are valued and barriers to opportunity are removed; Purpose, honouring Sigma’s legacy while accelerating its “Sigma Forward” strategy through membership value, diversified income and global visibility; Performance, leading with transparency, operational discipline and accountability; and Possibilities, a more inclusive, financially sustainable and globally influential Sigma. The message also stated plainly that Sigma’s standards “are not negotiable.”
How Sigma got here: the 2024 decision to hire a non-nurse
For most of its history, Sigma has been led by nurses. Dr Elizabeth Madigan, a nurse scientist, served as chief executive for six years before stepping down at the end of October 2023. When the board began searching for her successor, it chose a different path.
In July 2024, Sigma announced that Lucas M. Davis would become CEO from 19 August 2024. Davis came from the International Coaching Federation, where he was vice president and chief staff officer, and had more than 20 years of experience leading nonprofits and associations. He held credentials in association management, human resources and coaching. Sigma’s announcement openly acknowledged that it had appointed a non-nurse, signalling that the board wanted strong operational and business expertise to modernise the society.
The decision divided opinion even at the time. Supporters argued that a large membership organisation with publishing, conferences, digital platforms and a global chapter network needs professional management, and that many successful health associations are run by non-clinicians. Critics asked whether an honor society built around nursing excellence should be led by someone who had never practised nursing, and whether that would weaken nursing’s voice in a world where nurses already struggle to be heard at decision-making tables.
September 2026: the leak
In mid-September 2026, private communications and audio attributed to Davis began circulating online. According to local news reports in Indianapolis, where Sigma is headquartered, the material allegedly included a racial slur. Commentators who reviewed it said it also contained offensive remarks about slavery. Sigma said at the time that it had not been able to authenticate the communications, and Davis did not respond publicly.
The board moved quickly. Davis was placed on administrative leave and an outside attorney was engaged to investigate. Sigma condemned the language attributed to him, saying it did not reflect the organisation’s values.
18 September: the board’s unanimous vote
On 18 September 2026, the Board of Directors voted unanimously to end the former CEO’s employment, effective immediately. The board announced a leadership change and said it would begin searching for an interim chief executive. Sigma has not published the investigation’s detailed findings.
To keep the organisation running, Jason Allen, previously chief membership and volunteer engagement officer, took charge of day-to-day operations as interim CEO, working alongside chief nursing officer Dr Kristi Reguin-Hartman. Both reported directly to the board.
Why the reaction was so strong
The allegations landed in a profession still reckoning with its own history. Black nurses were excluded from many nursing organisations for decades, and in 2022 the American Nurses Association formally apologised for its past actions that harmed nurses of colour. A national survey by the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing found that the vast majority of Black nurses who responded had experienced racism at work, often from people in positions of authority.
Against that background, reports that the head of a nursing honor society had allegedly used racist language felt, to many members, like a betrayal. On social media, nurses shared how to cancel memberships and asked whether dues should be refunded. Others urged members to stay and push for change from within. Students who had just been invited to join asked mentors whether they should accept.
Questions members asked
- Were the communications authentic, and what did the investigation find?
- Did anyone in leadership know about concerns earlier?
- What were the terms of the former CEO’s departure, and did members’ dues fund a severance payment?
- How does Sigma treat its own staff, particularly staff of colour?
- What will change so that this cannot happen again?
Sigma has said email is its main channel for updates, and has promised an independent review. Some of these questions may only be answered when that review reports.
Why a nurse at the top matters
Appointing a registered nurse as interim CEO is partly symbolic and partly practical. Symbolically, it signals that the society is returning to its roots after a painful chapter. Practically, a nurse leader brings first-hand understanding of what members face: unsafe staffing, burnout, barriers to promotion, and the gap between nursing research and bedside practice.
There are fair arguments on both sides. Non-clinical executives can bring financial discipline, governance experience and fresh thinking, and the problem in this case was alleged conduct, not professional background. A nurse CEO is no guarantee of good leadership either. But for an organisation whose purpose is to honour and develop nurse leaders, many members feel it should be led by one, and Dr Wright’s combination of nursing and business credentials appears designed to answer both concerns.
The new leadership team at headquarters
- Interim Chief Executive Officer: Dr Lydel A. Wright, DBA, MSN, RN, NEA-BC. Runs the organisation until a permanent CEO is appointed.
- Chief Nursing Officer: Dr Kristi L. Reguin-Hartman, DNP, APRN, ACNS-BC. Appointed in August 2026 and started on 24 August. She is Sigma’s senior nursing executive, leading nursing practice, professional development and global engagement. She has more than 20 years of experience in clinical care, academia and board leadership, previously worked in clinical transformation at Philips, and is board president of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses. She was inducted into Sigma in 2011.
- Jason Allen returns to his role as chief membership and volunteer engagement officer after leading day-to-day operations during the transition.
Having both a nurse CEO and a chief nursing officer gives Sigma something it lacked two years ago: nursing expertise in its two most senior staff roles.
The independent review
On 2 October 2026, Sigma engaged CP Education & Consulting to review its policies, practices, governance and culture. The review is expected to take four to six months, is independent of Sigma’s staff leadership, and will report to the board. Sigma describes it as the first step in a restorative process. Dr Wright has said the findings will be turned into action, including changes to policies, governance and partnerships where needed. Members should watch for whether a summary of the findings is shared publicly.
Who governs Sigma: the 2025–2027 board
Sigma is governed by an elected international Board of Directors. The CEO reports to the board. For the 2025–2027 biennium, the voting board members are:
- President: Professor Liz Westcott
- President-elect: Karen Gorton
- Vice President: Elizabeth Rosser
- Secretary: Janice Hawkins
- Treasurer: Kathleen Bradley
- Regional Chapters Coordinating Committee Chair: Jennifer Graber
- Directors: Diana-Lyn Baptiste, Benita Chatmon, Elizabeth Halcomb, Thomas Kearns and Jennifer Saylor
Professor Liz Westcott: Sigma’s first president from Europe
Professor Westcott was installed as president on 11 November 2025 at the 48th Biennial Convention in Indianapolis. She is the second president from outside the United States and the first from Europe in Sigma’s more than 100-year history. A nurse for more than 47 years, she held clinical roles at Great Ormond Street Hospital and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London, led neurosurgical nursing at Oxford’s Radcliffe Infirmary, and later became Head of Nursing at Oxford Brookes University, where she is now a visiting professor. Within Sigma, she was president of the Phi Mu Chapter in England and Europe Regional Coordinator before being elected president-elect in 2023. Her presidency carries the call to action “Lead Together”, which now has a sharper meaning than anyone expected.
Other elected committees
Beyond the board, members elect a Governance Committee, which oversees bylaws and policies, and a Leadership Succession Committee, which identifies and prepares candidates for future elected roles. Both include nurses from several countries.
Sigma’s regions explained
Sigma organises its chapters into 21 regions: six global regions and 15 regions in North America. Each region elects a regional coordinator for a two-year term. Coordinators lead a regional committee, keep chapters connected, share resources and sit on the Regional Chapters Coordinating Committee, which works with headquarters staff. Regional coordinators are often the first people chapter leaders turn to during a crisis like this one.
The six global regions (2025–2027 coordinators)
- Africa: Sylvia Oger Ofosu Dwamena
- Asia: Rick Kwan
- Europe: Marie-Louise Luiking
- Latin America and Caribbean: Francisca Marquez-Doren
- Middle East: Wafaa Bin Ali
- Oceania: Kathleen Peters
North America regions 1–15 (2025–2027 coordinators)
- Region 1: Jessica Nishikawa
- Region 2: Clarissa Waletzko
- Region 3: Krystal Davis
- Region 4: Sara Thimmes
- Region 5: Sue Yun Fowler
- Region 6: Carmen Vela
- Region 7: Karen Worthy
- Region 8: Priscilla Simms-Roberson
- Region 9: Daniel Arturo Guerrero Gaviria
- Region 10: Sandra Maxwell
- Region 11: Barbara Dewhirst
- Region 12: Tami Jakubowski
- Region 13: Charlene Whitaker-Brown
- Region 14: Amita Avadhani
- Region 15: Jason Kirchick
If you are a member outside North America, your regional coordinator and chapter president are the best people to ask how the leadership change affects local events, inductions and scholarships.
Sigma at a glance
- Full name: Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing
- Founded: 4 October 1922 at the Indiana University Training School for Nurses, now the IU School of Nursing
- Founders: six nursing students, Dorothy Garrigus Adams, Elizabeth Russell Belford, Edith Moore Copeland, Marie Hippensteel Lingeman, Elizabeth McWilliams Miller and Mary Tolle Wright
- Name: from the Greek words Storgé (love), Tharos (courage) and Timé (honour)
- Headquarters: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
- Size: around 135,000 active members and more than 500,000 inducted since 1922, with chapters on more than 700 college and university campuses across many countries
- Membership: by invitation, for high-achieving nursing students and nurse leaders
- Journals: the Journal of Nursing Scholarship and Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing
- Research: funds grants and scholarships each year and runs the Virginia Henderson Global Nursing e-Repository
Sigma has chapters in countries including Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Eswatini, Hong Kong, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Tanzania, the United Kingdom and the United States. It is also a specialist affiliate of the International Council of Nurses.
What happens next
- 19 November 2026: members-only Annual Meeting (member login and registration required)
- From late October 2026: the Global Advocacy Virtual Mini Academy
- Early to mid 2027: independent review findings due to the board
- 16–18 July 2027: 38th International Nursing Research Congress in Dublin, Ireland
- 29 October–1 November 2027: 49th Biennial Convention in Denver, Colorado, where new international leaders will be elected
- To be announced: the search for a permanent CEO
Should you stay or leave?
That is a personal decision, and nurses of good conscience are making different choices. Some are leaving because they feel the harm is too great. Others are staying to make sure the review leads to real change, and because their local chapter, scholarships and mentoring still matter to them.
If you are deciding, consider
- Whether Sigma publishes a meaningful summary of the independent review
- Whether the permanent CEO is a nurse, and how transparent the search is
- What your local chapter is doing, since chapters run inductions, events and awards
- Whether you would have more influence inside the organisation, by voting, attending the Annual Meeting or standing for election
- Whether other professional bodies better match your values and goals
Frequently asked questions
Who is the CEO of Sigma Nursing now?
Dr Lydel A. Wright, DBA, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, is interim CEO and will serve until a permanent chief executive is appointed.
Why did Sigma’s previous CEO leave?
After private communications attributed to him, allegedly including racist language, circulated online in September 2026, the board placed Lucas Davis on leave, investigated, and on 18 September 2026 voted unanimously to end his employment.
Was the previous CEO a nurse?
No. Sigma’s 2024 announcement noted that it had appointed a non-nurse, chosen for his association management experience.
Who is Sigma’s president?
Professor Liz Westcott of the United Kingdom, president for 2025–2027 and the first Sigma president from Europe.
How many regions does Sigma have?
Twenty-one: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and Caribbean, Middle East, Oceania, and 15 North American regions.
Is my membership affected?
Membership, renewals and the online community remain available. Check your email preferences with Sigma so you receive official updates.
But does changing the CEO really fix anything?
On its own, no. A new name on the door does not change culture. What will matter is what the independent review finds, whether the board acts on it openly, and whether nurses of every background feel that Sigma is truly theirs. Putting an experienced nurse in charge is a meaningful first step. The next steps are up to the board, and to members willing to hold it to account.
Your next step: If you are a Sigma member, register for the 19 November Annual Meeting and send one question you want the board to answer.
Related: Sigma Theta Tau International: a guide to the honor society · Culturally competent care · Raising concerns as a nurse
Sources: Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (news releases and board updates, 2023–2026), WIBC and FOX 59 Indianapolis reporting (September 2026), American Nurses Association and the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing, International Council of Nurses.
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