Carolina Nursing alumna Brandi Newman announced as 2026 Commencement speaker
March 26, 2026
Noted healthcare executive and visionary leader Brandi Newman ’01 (BSN), ’04 (MSN), senior vice president of community and strategic operations and chief of staff for consumer and social impact at Advocate Health, will deliver the keynote address at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing’s Spring Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 8, 2026, at the Dean E. Smith Center.
Newman has more than two decades of experience in healthcare leadership, including hospital operations, nursing workforce, service line strategy, human resources and community and social impact. After her first job as a nurse at UNC Health, Newman joined Atrium Health in 2005 and assumed a succession of leadership roles where she was able to drive change and advance the health of her community and the social impact of the health system.
At Advocate Health — which became Atrium’s parent company in 2022 — Newman leads the nation’s third largest health system’s community engagement, community benefit and corporate social responsibility portfolio. She was named to Modern Healthcare’s 2024 Diversity Leaders List for creating a culture of belonging and empowerment at Advocate Health.
“We are honored to celebrate the next generation of Carolina Nurses with our esteemed alumna Brandi, who is a remarkable example of compassionate leadership and community impact,” said Valerie Howard, Dean at the UNC School of Nursing. “Her visionary and innovative contributions to the field of nursing, her community and our school will be guideposts for our new grads as they begin their journeys in the profession.”
“To return to the place that shaped my dreams and be asked to speak into the dreams of others is both a profound honor and a full-circle moment to share my gratitude with the School of Nursing,” said Newman.
Newman is a member of UNC’s Board of Visitors and chair of the School’s Board of Visitors. An active adjunct faculty member at the School, she received the School’s Graduate of the Last Decade Award and was recognized as a Great 100 Nurse of North Carolina. Newman is board certified as an Advanced Nurse Executive by the American Nurses Credentialing Center and is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.
