Kirsten is an Associate Professor at the Trent/Fleming School of Nursing.  She was the Dean of that School from 2011-2021 and has held both academic and clinical leadership roles over the past 30 years.  As Dean, Kirsten was involved in both developing, living and monitoring annual budgets as well as in developing budgets for new programs and services.   Kirsten is committed to both her academic and local community, serving on the board of the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing; working to address the peer support needs of amputees in her region and serving as chair of the board of the local nurse-practitioner-led clinic.  These roles have also exposed her to the budget process in other organisations.