Member biographies
Antwinett O. Lee MSN, RN
Antwinett was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in Gary, Indiana. She credits her close-knit family, especially her father and sisters with providing her with constant support and encouragement with her education and career. Her father who raised her and her 3 sisters by himself after her mother died was very instrumental in shaping her work ethic and ability to stand on her own feet. He always stressed the importance of education and continuing education. Due to his influence on her life, she received her Bachelors in Nursing from Michigan State University, in East Lasing, Michigan, and her Masters in Nursing from Seattle University, in Seattle, Washington.
Antwinett began her nursing career in Houston, Texas on a medical neurology unit. While working on the neurology unit, she received a Nursing Commendation for Excellence Award. After three years in Houston, she moved to Seattle and began working on the surgical oncology unit at the University of Washington Medical Center. There she was promoted to Assistant Head Nurse. Although she found the work rewarding and felt like she made a difference in her patient’s lives, she wanted to explore other options in nursing. Thus, she made the shift from acute care to the Puget Sound Blood Center. At the Blood Center, she worked several years as a Pheresis Nurse and gained valuable technical skills. All of her nursing positions prepared her for her adventures at Public Health- Seattle & King County where she began working in 1991.
Antwinett is committed to health promotion and prevention of diseases in vulnerable populations. She found her work in Public Health very enriching, interesting, and challenging. She had the opportunity to work with diverse groups of people and acted as an advocate for health promotion and prevention. She had to examine and question her own values about health and healthcare in order to fulfill the health needs of the communities she served.
In her active career with the Health Department, she worked as a Public Health Nurse and later as a Personal Health Services Supervisor at the Downtown Public Health Center. She supervised the Public Health Nurses, Maternity Support Team, and WIC Team. She was also a strong advocate and mentor for Nursing Students throughout King County.
Despite her busy work schedule she makes time to participate in volunteer nursing organizations. She is the current president of Mary Mahoney Professional Nurses Organization. She is a mentor for nursing students and nursing personnel. From 1999-2003, she was a board member with King County Nurses Association. Currently she is a member at large with Washington State Nurses Association. Antwinett believes that she can have the greatest impact on the future of nursing by raising the awareness of people to the many opportunities that exist in nursing and how nurses can make a difference in their communities to impact health and legislation.
Antwinett lives in Lynnwood, WA and shares her life with her soul mate Gary, extended family and friends. Her hobbies include reading, mentoring, hiking, event planning, jazz piano, and photography.
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