Baltimore County, MD – (June 25, 2026) Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) has named Nicole Beeson, DNP, MBA, CENP, RN, as its 2026 Distinguished Alumni of the Year. She serves as vice president of nursing operations and care delivery innovation for the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS).
Beeson earned her Weekend Nursing Certificate from CCBC in 2008 and gradually worked her way through the ranks to become a senior health care executive. After graduating from CCBC, she entered UMMS as a registered nurse. She went on to earn a master’s degree in nursing and an MBA before completing her Doctor of Nursing Practice—the highest academic and clinical degree in nursing.
She has built a distinguished career advancing nursing practice, clinical operations and care delivery innovation within complex academic health systems. At UMMS, she leads enterprise-wide strategy across multiple hospitals, focusing on advancing workforce strategy and optimization, care model redesign, and the integration of AI-enabled technologies to improve patient outcomes and operational performance.
Previously, she served as senior vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center from 2020 to 2025. Under her leadership, the organization achieved a Five-Star Quality Rating—the highest rating possible—from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; a Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade A—also the highest possible rating—for four consecutive years; and recognition as a top hospital in the Baltimore region.
Her ties to CCBC have remained strong. Recently, she helped establish a workforce training partnership between UMMS, CCBC, and the Baltimore County government. The program helps students from underserved populations earn their Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) credentials from CCBC tuition-free, with the promise of a guaranteed position at an UMMS hospital. Students can go on to earn a tuition-free Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) credential from CCBC, also with the health system’s support.
“This workforce development program has now become a statewide model that provides stipends and provides wrap-around support for social drivers that often make completing education difficult,” Beeson said. “My passion is creating strategic workforce development programs to ensure our health care teams represent the communities they serve.”
Beeson mentors students through CCBC’s nursing initiatives, including participating in the college’s “Dinner with a Professional” event. Beeson also contributes to the development of onboarding and orientation materials for CCBC’s nursing program, appearing in videos that help students understand what to expect as they enter the healthcare workforce.
The CCBC Alumni Association began honoring graduates with the Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award in 2008. The award recognizes graduates with outstanding academic and professional achievements as well as service to the college and their community.
Since 1957, CCBC has opened the doors to accessible, affordable, high-quality education empowering generations of area residents to transform their lives and the lives of others. Each year, over 50,000 students enroll at the college’s main campuses, extension centers and online to make their starts, earn degrees, launch and build careers. CCBC offers the region’s most expansive selection of degree, certificate and workplace certification programs that prepare students for transfer, job entry and career advancement in such industries as business, education, health care, information technology, cybersecurity, construction, and transportation. Designated as the “Best Community College” among the Maryland Daily Record’s 2025 Reader Rankings, CCBC is also nationally recognized as a leader in innovative learning strategies and among the nation’s top associate degree producers.
Director of Communications