At the July 18, 2025 Texas Board of Nursing meeting in Austin, the board voted to increase Executive Director Kristen K. Benton’s annual base salary from $171,547 to $203,337 effective Sept. 1, 2025, and to award Benton 80 hours (10 days) of administrative leave. The motion was moved by Drew Riddle and seconded by Maisie Jamieson and carried unanimously.

Board members said the raise and leave award reflected their evaluation of Benton’s leadership. The board said she provides “excellent oversight” of the agency, keeps members informed, and “has done an amazing job spearheading our Operation Nightingale.” Members also said they selected a higher level within a legislative compensation range (referred to in the meeting as “level 5”) to align the executive director’s pay with chief nursing officers of comparable organizations.

The action followed an executive session held under Texas Government Code Section 551.074 for the annual performance evaluation of the executive director. The board’s public action in open session recorded the effective date and the leave award; the vote was announced as unanimous.

No additional conditions or contingency clauses were announced at the time of the vote. The board’s statement accompanying the motion cited Benton’s statewide and national leadership and said the adjustment was intended to place her pay “more equal to, or close to” peers in similar roles.

The board returned to other agenda business after announcing the motion carried.