Annual Leadership Summit and 30th Anniversary Celebration, Amy V Cockcroft

Name: Annual Leadership Summit and 30th Anniversary Celebration, Amy V Cockcroft
Start: 2026-03-27T08:30:00-04:00
End: 2026-03-27T15:00:00-04:00
Location: Pastides Alumni Center

Schedule

Fri Mar 27 2026 at 08:30 am to 03:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

Pastides Alumni Center | Columbia, SC

Join us for the Annual Leadership Summit & the 30th Anniversary Celebration of the Amy. V. Cockcroft Leadership Fellowship!
About this Event

The 2026 Annual Leadership Summit hosted by the Center for Nursing Leadership at the University of South Carolina College of Nursing features Keynote Speaker, Deb Zimmermann, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, CEO for the DAISY Foundation and AONL President on Friday, March 27, 2026, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Pastides Alumni Center, 900 Senate Street, Columbia, SC. The Amy V. Cockcroft (AVC) Leadership Fellowship Class of 2025 - 2026 will share their project presentations and graduate from the fellowship. The Amy V. Cockcroft Leadership Fellowship Class of 2026 - 2027 will be introduced.
Event Photos

Deb Zimmermann, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, is the Chief Executive Officer for the DAISY Foundation, the worldwide leader in the meaningful recognition of nurses.

Before joining DAISY, Deb served in the United States Army Nurse Corps, practiced as a nurse practitioner, and served in chief nursing officer positions in New York and Virginia. She is the president of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) and a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.

Deb is dedicated to strengthening the education and influence of nurses, creating collaborative, thriving, interprofessional care environments, and quantifying the contribution of nurses in improving health outcomes.

Registration opens at 8:30am with Beverages (coffee and water).

Conference starts 9:00am | 3:00pm closing remarks; Lunch provided at 12:15pm with the Annual Leadership Summit Award presentation

Room Temperature: The ballroom tends to be on the cooler side, so we encourage guests to bring a light jacket or sweater if they get chilled easily.

Continuing Education/Professional Nursing Development:
Approximately 3.0 hours of Professional Nursing Development contact hours will be offered. To receive professional nursing development contact hours, please sign in at the registration table - day of event, and within two weeks, you will receive an email with link to complete the evaluation and receive your certificate.

Registration for Annual Leadership Summit CLOSES on Thursday, March 19, 2026.

Amy V. Cockcroft Leadership Fellowship Class of 1996

YOU'RE INVITED! 30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF THE AMY V. COCKCROFT LEADERSHIP FELLOWSHIP (Ticket Required)
Friday, March 27, 2026, 3:30pm - 5:30pm in the Presidential Dining Room, 2nd floor, Pastides Alumni Center

Join us as we celebrate 30 years of leadership, mentorship, and community!
Enjoy a champagne toast, appetizers, and a cash bar as we honor the three decades of Cockcroft Fellows. Connect and network with Cockcroft alumni and current fellows during this special milestone event. We look forward to celebrating with you!

Individual sponsorship inquiries for the 30th Anniversary Celebration of the Amy V. Cockcroft Leadership Fellowship, should be directed to Robyn Lanford: [email protected].

Hotel Information | Discounted offer:
Below is the booking link to secure your reservations for 2026 Annual Leadership Summit. There is also the option of calling in our reservations number 1-888-492-8847 and using the group code G-ALS3 to receive your discounted rate per night ($149 plus taxes & fees) for king bed or two queen beds. The cutoff date is set to Friday, February 27, 2026.
https://www.hyatt.com/shop/rooms/caezv?checkinDate=2026-03-26&checkoutDate=2026-03-28&rooms=1&adults=1&kids=0&corp_id=G-ALS3&accessibilityCheck=false
Group rates apply to a two-night stay (Thursday and Friday). For a one-night stay, please select “Edit Stay Details” on the reservation page; otherwise, your reservation will default to two nights.

Parking Information:

Parking is in the City parking garage on Park and Pendleton Streets. The City parking garage is subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed by the College of Nursing.

The City of Columbia manages the garage, which charges hourly/daily rates for parking. Rates are Subject to Change due to nearby major events.

The Park Street Garage’s Street address is: 1007 Park StreetColumbia, SC 29201