Vicky Rae Byrd

Vicky Byrd, MSN, RN, is CEO of the Montana Nurses Association and has been a registered nurse since 1989. She started her career as a certified pediatric nurse and in 2002 moved forward with her professional development and became a certified oncology nurse. Byrd practiced as an oncology nurse until 2014, and then transitioned to her nurse leadership role as CEO for the MNA.

In that role, Byrd works tirelessly for professional nurses in Montana and advocates for issues affecting professional nurses, healthcare workers and the health of all Montana citizens. She continues in her governor-appointed position on the Montana SWIB board (State Workforce Innovation Board—Apprenticeship/Career Pathways/On-the-Job Training Committee). As a member of the board, she advises the governor on statewide workforce development strategies that maximize the state’s education, training and employment resources in support of economic development.

Under Byrd’s leadership and direction, MNA has developed an ongoing legislative campaign— Your Nurse Wears Combat Boots—to address workplace violence for nurses and healthcare workers. Byrd champions this campaign and other legislative initiatives at the local, state and national levels, advancing the profession of nursing, protecting healthcare workers and safeguarding patient care.

In 2019, Byrd earned a Master of Science in nursing degree, with program study in nursing leadership and management.

At the national level, as the MNA CEO, she leads the MNA members with their affiliation with the American Nurses Association and with the American Federation of Teachers. Byrd serves as an AFT vice president and as a member of the Nurses and Health Professionals program and policy council to address nursing and healthcare workers’ issues locally, statewide and across the nation.

Her leadership inspires nurses and other healthcare workers to achieve excellence and be a voice for safe working conditions and to be advocates for high-quality patient care.