MARK BLAZEY, MS, CRNA, DNP
NYSANA President 

Dr. Blazey received his BSN at the University of Buffalo and graduated from the Nurse Anesthesia program at Northeastern University in 2013. He earned his Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Northeastern University in May 2020, with a scholarly project titled Development of a Preoperative Educational Pediatric Interactive Relational Agent Using E-Delphi. Dr. Blazey currently provides clinical care in all anesthesia areas at Niagara Frontier Anesthesia Services, New York.

MICHAEL COGAN, DNP, CRNA
Vice President

Michael earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Adelphi University in Garden City New York in 2000, and his Master of Science in Nursing, Nurse Anesthesia, in 2009, from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He has served as an adjunct faculty, clinical instructor, for Rutgers University. He is currently employed at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Hospital, New York, NY. Since 2006, Michael has served as a camp counselor at Camp Periwinkle, a camp for children with cancer. 

GIOVANNA MAHAR, DNAP, CRNA
Secretary 

Giovanna received her BSN from the University at Buffalo, the State University of New York in 2001. She went on to work in the Surgical ICU at Albany Medical Center for 6 years.  She attended the Nurse Anesthesiology Program at Albany Medical College and graduated in 2009. After graduation, Giovanna worked at a rural community hospital in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. She returned to Albany Medical College’s Center for Nurse Anesthesiology as an educator in 2013 and is currently the Assistant Program Director. Giovanna is passionate about both aspects of her career in the clinical and academic setting. In her personal time, Giovanna is a mother of four active children. She enjoys driving to various locations in the northeast, eating dinner at 9 pm, and humor, lots of humor.

SEAN MCGARRY, MS, CRNA, ACNP
NYSANA Immediate Past President

Sean received his nursing degree from Hudson Valley Community College in 2002. He subsequently graduated from Excelsior College in Albany, NY with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing prior to entering Albany Medical College's Center for Nurse Anesthesiology graduate program where he received a Masters of Science and was the recipient of Albany Medical College's Alumni Award for Excellence in Clinical Practice. For the past 7 years, Sean has practiced with the Anesthesia Group of Albany providing care at St. Peter's Hospital in Albany, NY, Samaritan Hospital in Troy, NY, and the Capital Region Ambulatory Surgery Center in Albany, NY. Sean is an active participant in Operation Walk, completing trips to Guayaquil, Ecuador, and Havana, Cuba, providing anesthesia for joint replacement surgery. Sean grew up in Albany in a large family. He loves to travel and is an avid Liverpool F.C. fan

DAVID R. MONAHAN, CRNA
Treasurer

David began his medical career as a U. S. Army medic. He completed his BSN in 1988and in physical rehabilitation settings as well as Neurological, Trauma and OB ICU. He attended CRNA school at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, graduating in 2002.

He and his Texas-born wife moved to New York in 2015 and David is currently employed with New York-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital. The Secretary position at NYSANA has been David’s first foray into the political aspect of the CRNA profession. The critical need for CRNAs to promote their profession to an unaware public and to gain, maintain and protect their position in the marketplace has made a deep impression on him. He hopes to spend many years working for the benefit of the CRNAs of New York and the rest of the country.

Joseph Gnolfo III , DNP, MS, BSN, CRNA, ACNP
Director

Joseph attended Stony Brook University and graduated in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. He subsequently graduated from Yale-St. Raphael’s School of Nurse Anesthesia in New Haven CT with a Masters in Biology and Nurse Anesthesia and later would earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice-Nurse Anesthesia from Buffalo University. He had previously served as faculty and staff CRNA at St. Raphael’s Hospital, Staff CRNA at Hartford Hospital. For the past 14 years he has worked at Stony Brook University Hospital as a CRNA and Director of Nurse Anesthesiology, Chief CRNA, and Clinical Coordinator of Nurse Anesthesia Education. Joseph has served as Chair of the Resident Liaison Committee for the NYSANA for the past year. While pursuing a career in nursing Joseph spent a short time with the NYPD. In his personal time Joseph is an avid fisherman, husband, and a father of three children.

OLUFEMI "FEMI" ODUMOSU, MSN, BSN, CRNA
Director

Femi earned his Bachelor of Science degree in International Relations from Geneseo state college in 2008. He pivoted to a career in nursing and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Long Island University 2013. Femi graduated from Albany Medical College in 2020 where he earned his Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia.

He currently practices in the Liberty Educational region of the state. Femi is credentialed at Jacobi Medical Center Level I trauma hospital as well as New York Presbyterian Hospital Columbia campus.

SABRINA PETRILLO, DNP, CRNA, AGACNP-BC
Director

Sabrina is a practicing nurse anesthetist at Northwell Health in New York City.  Throughout her years as a CRNA, she provided lectures on pain management to staff nurses and advanced care providers, organized a Perioperative Skills Day to educate staff about pertinent aspects of anesthesia, provided PACU nurses with a preparatory course to attain their certification, and implemented an outpatient orthopedic ERAS protocol.  These opportunities earned her the CRNA of the Year Award in 2017 and the Clinical Nursing Excellence Award in 2019 at New York Presbyterian- Lower Manhattan Hospital.

 Sabrina received her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Quinnipiac University, her Master of Science in Nursing, Nurse Anesthesia, from Columbia University, where she received the Anne Penland Award, and her BSN training at Dominican College. She is currently the assistant director of the AGACNP-CRNA- DNP program at Hofstra University. During this time, she graduated from the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program and became a board-certified nurse practitioner. Being a lifelong student, Sabrina is incorporating the nurse practitioner's role to provide quality health care as a full-service provider while supporting the nurse anesthesia students during their program. She hopes her work with NYSANA will continue promoting and improving the CRNA profession in New York State.

RACHEL DUBAY, DNAP, CRNA
Director

Rachel received her BSN from SUNY Plattsburgh in 1998. She spent the next 13 years working in the Cardiac ICU at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany, NY as well as the Emergency Room at Saratoga Hospital. She pursued her degree in Nurse Anesthesia at Albany Medical College and graduated with her MSN in 2013 where she received the Geraldine MacDowell Award for outstanding academic and clinical achievement. After graduation, Rachel worked at St. Peter’s Hospital for the Anesthesia Group of Albany. In 2017, she returned to Albany Medical College’s Center for Nurse Anesthesiology as an Assistant Professor and Clinical Coordinator, sharing her knowledge and her love for teaching. In 2020, she completed her doctorate and earned her DNAP from Central Connecticut State. You can find Rachel in the classroom sharing her love for teaching, in the operating room, traveling to lacrosse games or spending time with her family. She joined the NYSANA board in 2022 and is passionate about advocating for the CRNA profession.

ALEXIS CONDE, ALBANY MEDICAL CENTER
Resident Representative

Alexis Conde is a resident at Albany Medical Center, set to graduate as a CRNA in May 2026. Originally from Plattsburgh, NY, she began her healthcare journey as an EMT in 2014 while studying biology at St. Lawrence University. After earning her degree in 2017, she completed an accelerated bachelor’s of nursing at Utica University. Alexis began her nursing career at St. Peter’s Hospital on a med-surg unit. After gaining experience she moved into the step-down unit in 2019. During the summer of 2020, she felt she could be more helpful to the pandemic response and started working at Albany Medical Center in the then-COVID-19-designated Medical ICU.

Outside of work, Alexis and her husband Eric volunteer at Whiskers Cat Shelter, fostering over 25 cats. They live in Albany with their two cats and enjoy fitness, coffee, and board games. She’s excited to be part of the NYSANA board and learn all she can.

ANDREW FERNANDEZ, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
Resident Representative

Andrew Fernandez is a nurse anesthesia resident at Columbia University where he also serves as president of his class. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from New York University and worked as a Surgical ICU nurse at New York Presbyterian Columbia University Irving Medical Center before transitioning to anesthesia training. Andrew’s career is deeply rooted in his passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion, with a focus on breaking barriers in healthcare. He is particularly committed to serving underserved communities, an interest that began during his time as a health educator at a federally qualified health center prior to becoming a nurse.

In addition to his professional pursuits, Andrew is passionate about community outreach, having spearheaded several initiatives to give back, and remains dedicated to advancing representation in nurse anesthesia spaces. Outside of work, he enjoys exploring new cuisines, traveling, and staying active through exercise. His commitment to both his patients and his community is at the heart of his career, as he seeks to make a lasting impact on healthcare.

JACKIE CANTERA, UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO
Resident Representative

Jackie Cantera is a nurse anesthesia resident at University at Buffalo. Originally from Florida, she graduated with her Associate Degree in Nursing in 2017 from Polk State College. She immediately began working as a Registered Nurse in the SICU, and later received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in 2020 from the same institution. Jackie worked in the SICU for 3 years as a charge nurse and preceptor, where she gained a lot of clinical and leadership experience. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, she decided to pursue travel nursing where she took numerous contracts to help assist hospitals in communities that had the greatest needs for ICU nurses. During her 4 years as a travel nurse, she worked in numerous teaching, trauma, and community hospitals in a variety of ICUs across the U.S. including New York, Maryland, Texas, and California to name a few.

In her spare time, Jackie and her partner like to travel, and can often be found hiking with their adventurous Yorkie.

JOHN CODELIA, HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY
Resident Representative

John Codelia is a second-year resident at Hofstra University with an expected graduation date in August 2026. Before attending CRNA school, John received his BSN from Felician University in 2018 and started his nursing career at NYP-Brooklyn Methodist Hospital on a medical surgical unit.  In 2019, John began working at Lenox Hill Hospital in the Surgical ICU and Neurosurgical ICU and later held the roles of Assistant Nurse Manager and Interim Nurse Manager. Through his experiences at Lenox Hill Hospital, John developed a strong interest in anesthesia. John enjoys cooking, traveling, and attending professional sports events during his free time. John is excited to be a NYSANA Board resident representative.

MOLLY METZGER
NYSANA Executive Director
Message from the NYSANA Executive Director
Together with her team at Accent on Management, Molly Metzger provides professional association management. Her team manages the day-to-day operations of NYSANA, which includes managing finances, contracts, and the website. She plans meetings and events and coordinates communication with the membership. She assists the board president in leadership onboarding. These services leave the volunteer board members and committee chairs with time and resources to pursue the goals of advancing the profession of CRNAs in the state of New York. 

Accent on Management provides professional services to 5 CRNA state organizations in addition to more than 20 additional professional associations.