Dr. Val Gokenbach has a true passion for leadership and is recognized as the “Leadership Constructionist” for her work developing and inspiring amazing leaders and organizations through her speaking, consulting and writing. She has been in administrative healthcare positions for over thirty years with an expansive span of responsibility. Her greatest accomplishment has been leading the nursing team to the receipt of the prestigious Magnet accreditation awarded on January 14, 2004 for nursing and organizational excellence and re-accreditation in 2008.
As a professional dancer and fitness instructor for over 40 years, Val has led a dual life as a fitness presenter, consultant and dance instructor. She worked for Aerobics Fitness Association and traveled extensively presenting health and wellness programs for fitness instructors and the general public. This exposure led her to the opportunity to work with companies such as Omron and Oregon Scientific as a spokesperson for health and wellness products and serve as a guest host on the popular QVC sales network and Shopping Channel in Ontario. She also developed a line of exercise videos called “You Can Do This” which were also sold on QVC.
Val is also involved in several community initiatives and served as the co-creator of Safety City USA, the first free standing, non-profit interactive learning facility for the community, dedicated to the reduction in pediatric trauma and Mitch Albom’s S.A.Y. clinic for homeless moms and kids in Detroit and his Have Faith Haiti Mission in Port Au Prince, Haiti where she manages the medical condition of the kids.
She recently released her own wellness book “Tap Dancing Through Life: Seven steps to finding your rhythms and the life of your dreams,” with a tandem Journal product and is featured in Chicken Soup for the Nurse’s Soul: A second dose and Nurse Executive: The four principles of Management from Springer Publishing.
She possesses a doctoral degree in management and organizational leadership, a master degree in business administration and a bachelors of science in nursing and is a RWJ Executive Nurse Fellow and a Magnet Commissioner.