Speakers

Vicky Castillo, MSNed, RN, CNE, is the founder and CEO of FACETS Healthcare Training and the Council for Nurse Assistant Education and Certification (CNAE). With more than 38 years in nursing and over 17 years in nurse assistant education, Vicky has served as a nurse assistant instructor, program director, consultant, and test evaluator for both Headmaster and Prometric. Her mission is to provide credible and practical resources for nurse assistant education, close learning gaps, demystify the certification process, and remove barriers to CNA workforce entry—ultimately helping to increase the number of CNAs in healthcare.

Wendy Deras is a regional healthcare workforce development leader, nurse educator, author, and consultant with more than 32 years of experience advancing safe, competent, and future-ready patient care. Her career spans clinical practice, higher education, program design, and large-scale workforce system development throughout California.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Franklin University and two master’s degrees from Wright State University and Duquesne University: A Master of Science in Nursing with a specialization in Nursing Education and a Master of Science in Psychiatric/Mental Health Therapy. She is a Clinical Nurse Specialist and has maintained her Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) credential through the National League for Nursing since 2009.

Wendy has educated every level of the nursing and allied health workforce—from home health aides and certified nursing assistants to registered nurses in master’s-entry programs—and has led curriculum development, accreditation support, and faculty professional development across both private and public institutions.

She has authored two workforce-focused textbooks supporting Home Health Aide (HHA) and Acute Care Nursing Assistant (ACNA) training, expanding standardized, high-quality curriculum access across the country. She is the founder and CEO of Envision Education, LLC, a healthcare education and consulting firm providing program development, regulatory compliance support, faculty training, and workforce system consulting for healthcare organizations, colleges, and regional consortia statewide.

As Director of Regional Health Initiatives for the Inland Empire, Wendy collaborates with community colleges, hospitals, workforce boards, and industry partners to strengthen healthcare pipelines, expand clinical training capacity, and align education with real-time labor market demand. Her work focuses on building sustainable, equitable pathways that increase access, retention, and career mobility for healthcare professionals.

Her professional mission centers on one belief: that education—when intentionally designed and partnered with industry—has the power to transform individuals, organizations, and entire communities.

Yuko Kawasaki