Meet Synova Associates

SYNOVA

Mission

Synova delivers exceptional experiences that educate, empower, and transform nurse leaders.

SYNOVA

Vision

Synova is dedicated to creating a culture where the leadership experience is rewarding and desirable.

ABOUT

Synova Associates

Synova Associates LLC is a nurse leader education company. Synova’s leadership forums and meetings provide NICU and perinatal nurse leaders with innovative information and solutions to help them achieve their goals and find more joy in their work. Synova’s programming helps nurse leaders understand the importance of culture, leadership and team development, along with broadening their professional networks. Synova has two co-owners, wonderful staff who support all operations of the company, a board of executives advisors, and a community of long time supporters and sponsors.

E-Learning and Certification

Leadership Conferences

Private FaceBook Community

MEET THE

Synova Partners

Lori Gunther, MS, CPXP

Chief Executive Officer

(516) 658-1935
lgunther@synovaassociates.com

Lori is a dedicated advocate for transforming the culture within nurse leadership, driven by a commitment to fostering environments that promote growth and development for healthcare leaders. With a certification in patient experience and a master’s degree in crisis counseling, Lori has shared her expertise nationally as a speaker for over 20 years. As CEO of Synova Associates, she has led the company’s evolution into a thriving community for neonatal and perinatal nurse leaders, advancing support, innovation, and professional well-being within healthcare.

Prior to Synova, Lori held significant roles as a lead crisis counselor and responder, a NICU family Support Specialist at Albany Medical Center, and Senior Director of Strategy and NICU Innovation at the March of Dimes, where she directed education initiatives and supported the development of the March of Dimes Training Institute and NICU Family Support Program®. A published author, keynote speaker for over 25 years and frequent interviewee on podcasts, Lori serves on the executive board of the Patient Experience Institute, the Family Centered Care Taskforce and more recently became a volunteer cuddler in the NICU at the Children’s Hospital of Colorado. She resides in Denver CO with her family.

Melissa Gehl, MSW

Chief Operating Officer

mgehl@synovaassociates.com

Melissa is a visionary thinker and operational strategist who has been a leader in maternal child health for over 15 years. Melissa enjoys working closely with nursing leaders and industry experts to cultivate new strategies and resources for nurses that can improve patient safety, employee engagement, and give leaders the encouragement to take the next step in their career journey. As the Chief Operating Officer of Synova, Melissa is highly skilled at executing the vision for the expansion of services offered to nurse leaders by this innovative company. She seeks out opportunities to blend the use of creative approaches with an analytical basis. Melissa is a trained social worker and certified patient experience professional. Prior to joining Synova, Melissa spent eleven years at March of Dimes. In this role, she led the development of a nationally standardized NICU parent education curriculum, created print and digital educational materials, trained healthcare staff across the country on family-centered care and patient experience, and helped many NICUs achieve their patient experience goals through customized program planning. Melissa lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with her husband and two children.

MEET THE