Speakers Biography

Cynthia Altemus
Cynthia Altemus has been the EMD program coordinator and a communications supervisor with Central Lane 9-1-1 in Eugene, Ore., since October 2007. She has been with Central Lane as a calltaker/dispatcher practicing EMD since 1999. She led the ProQA implementation project, developing procedures and the ProQA training curriculum for the center. Cynthia is a certified EMD-Q and chairs both the MDRC and Steering Committees. She oversees and conducts EMD continuing education and the QI process. Cynthia was instrumental in the development and implementation of the Field Feedback program for the seventeen EMS agencies Central Lane serves.

Joan Ashmore
Joan Ashmore has been a member of the Edmonton Police Service for the past 33 years. Her experience as a police officer included assignments in Patrol Division, Surveillance Unit, Forensic Identification Unit, undercover drugs, and Crime Prevention. Joan has worked in the Police Dispatch/911 Section for 11 years as a sergeant. Acting as both a team leader and administrator in the section has provided the experience essential to develop her passion in moving forward with implementation of protocol this past year. She is currently serving as the sergeant in charge of the Quality Assurance Detail.

Nancy Banks
In the 30+ years she's been with Peel Regional Police in Ontario, Canada, Nancy Banks has been a communicator, platoon trainer, and acting supervisor. Her current position is the Supervisor of Communications Training. Nancy is a member of the CRTC Emergency Services Working Group, Ontario 9-1-1 Advisory Board, Seneca College School of Public Safety, and Police Studies Advisory Board. Nancy is the current NENA Canadian Regional Director and a NENA instructor. She's a past president of APCO Canada.

Tracey Barron
Tracey Barron joined the IAED after spending nine years with the ambulance service as a paramedic, EMD, dispatcher and education manager. While Tracey still teaches EMD, the majority of her time is spent working with European agencies on research projects using the Priority Dispatch Systems.

Corinne Begg
Corinne Begg offers a coaching approach to educating and supporting emergency communications personnel. She has worked for more than 14 years in EMS, spending the last seven years working as an EMD and dispatch quality improvement coordinator. Through speaking, teaching, coaching, and consulting, Corinne inspires others to reach beyond the accepted and move into the exceptional.

Peter Bellmio
Peter Bellmio, Senior Policy Advisor to the President of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), has served NCMEC since it was founded in 1984. Peter currently manages NCMEC"s partnership with the 9-1-1 community, which led to the development of an ANSI National Standard on call center handling of cases of missing and exploited children. He has helped communities throughout the United States to develop multi-disciplinary community based strategies for dealing with problems of chronic runaways and child victimization.

Melissa Blessing
Melissa Blessing is a Training Specialist with Harford County Emergency Operations in Forest Hill, MD. She has over 12 years experience in training, quality assurance, call taking and police dispatch. Melissa is an ETC and Quality Assurance Instructor as well as an EFD-Q, EMD-Q, and EPD-Q. She is also a member of the NAED's Board of Accreditation She currently works in the Training and Quality Assurance Division developing the center's Training Academy and oversees their Continuing Education Program. Her center recently became the first Tri-Accredited Center of Excellence in the United States.

Nadine Boulanger
Sarasota County (Fla.) Sheriff's Communications Center, Technology Services Manager Nadine Boulanger oversees the research, development, maintenance and implementation of technology and projects within the consolidated communications center. She has been in law enforcement dispatch for 27 years with her current agency, the last three years she has served as the Operations Manager and previously was the team leader of the EFD QA team and guided the center to achieve ACE status. Nadine is EFD-Q and EPD-Q certified. Nadine is a 2009 CCM graduate and a previous Navigator presenter.

Erica Carpenter
Erica Carpenter is the PSAP manager with the Hays County Sheriff's Office in San Marcos, Texas. She has been employed in the emergency communications center for 10 years. Previously, Erica was a 9-1-1 operator and dispatcher with Texas State University--San Marcos for three years. She is working on her master's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on occupational leadership and will obtain certification in Professional Ethics and Corporate Communication and Training. Erica is licensed as an advanced telecommunicator and is a TCLEOSE Basic Instructor. She is the chair and founder of the Capitol Area Regional TERT in Texas. Erica continues her pursuit in the progression of the emergency communications profession by implementing improvement programs and working to get telecommunicators more involved in their professional careers.

Natasha Claire-Espino
Natasha Claire-Espino has 16 years of experience in administration, operations, training, and quality assurance. She is the training and quality assurance supervisor for the County of San Mateo Office of Public Safety Communications. While working in the dispatch center, to keep her skills fresh Natasha's emphasis is in quality compliance and employee feedback in EMD and EPD, managing the CTO and Communications Training Instructor Programs, and assisting in curricula development for the Law Enforcement Entry Level Academy. She is a 2007 CCM graduate.

Robert Clark
Robert Clark is one of the industry's leading NG visionaries and strategists who has designed regional and cross-jurisdictional solutions for funding to benefit public safety.

Dr. Jeff Clawson
Jeff J. Clawson, M.D., is the chair of the Readers Group of the Medical Council of Standards of the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch (NAED). Dr. Clawson is an emergency physician and has held the position of fire surgeon/medical director of the Salt Lake City Fire Department, fire surgeon/medical advisor for Salt Lake County Fire Department, and medical director for Gold Cross Ambulance Service. Dr. Clawson is a past faculty member of the Medical Director's Course of the National Association of EMS Physicians. Dr. Clawson was chair of the ASTM Task Force for the Development of the National Standard for Medical Dispatch Practice. As the inventor of the Medical Priority Dispatch System, widely recognized as the national standard of medical dispatch care and practice, Dr. Clawson is often referred to as the "Father of EMD."

Stephen Clinton
Stephen Clinton, executive director of Dispatch Operations for the BC Ambulance Service (BCAS), began his EMS career in 1994 in the UK training as a paramedic for the Welsh Ambulance Services. He moved to Oxfordshire and progressed through several positions, including station supervisor, dispatch supervisor, IT manager, and assistant director of emergency operations responsible for two dispatch centres. Stephen moved to Canada in 2007 for a BCAS position as director of dispatch for the Vancouver Dispatch Centre. He now directs all BCAS Dispatch Operations across the province.

Bruce Cox
Bruce Cox is staff development supervisor for the Nova Scotia Emergency Health Services Medical Communications Center. He has been a paramedic since 1993 and started working as an EMD and EMD-Q in 1997. He is an EMD instructor. His center achieved ACE status in 2002 and under Bruce's direction will be seeking its 3rd re-accreditation in 2011. Bruce has been involved with pre-hospital research in both the clinical and communications fields. He is also responsible for quality, training and educational opportunities for his Province's paramedic communications officers.

Brian Dale
Deputy Chief Brian Dale has served the fire department for 25 years and has been instrumental in improving service delivery through his knowledge of dispatch protocols and resource allocation modeling. As Deputy Chief, he oversees five divisions including; EMS, Training, Support, Technology, and Apparatus. Prior to his promotion, Brian was the EMS Division Chief for the Salt Lake City Fire Department. He is the NAED Lead Instructor for Dispatch Quality Improvement and the Chair of the Board of Accreditation. Brian also serves on both the medical and fire Council of Standards for the Academy.

Lori Daubert
Training Officer Lori Daubert has been with the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office Public Safety Communications Center since 1995, working as a law/fire/EMS calltaker/dispatcher. Lori became a certified training officer in 1997, EMD-Q in 2001, and EFD-Q in 2009.

Dr. Jan de Nooij
Jan de Nooij, MD is the Medical Director of the Regionale Ambulanceservice and Dispatch Center Hollands-Midden since 2000 and Fellow of the IAED's College of Fellows since 2009. He was the first Medical Director on mainland Europe to become a certified EMD and EDQ and is responsible for introducing AMPDS in The Netherlands Society of Medical Directors Ambulancecare and the Dutch Healthcare System. Following ambulanceservice today National Dutch Police and Fire services are planning to get involved in Priority Dispatch.

Jay Dornseif
PDC Fire Consultant Jay Dornseif has 23 years of experience as a firefighter and EMT. For 12 years he was affiliated with Nash Community College in Rocky Mount, N.C., where he was an adviser for the Emergency Preparedness Technology degree program and director of Public Health and Services. Jay is a member of the NAED Fire Board of Curriculum and an Academy-certified EFD instructor.

Holly Downs
Holly Downs, 911 Training Coordinator for Salt Lake Valley Emergency Communications Center, has over 18 years of public safety emergency communications experience. Holly has served as a 911 Communication Officer, Fire Dispatcher, Police Dispatcher, and Operations Supervisor. Holly currently serves on the Utah EMS Training Task Force Committee, Utah POST Training Workgroup and APCO International Professional Events Committee, all of which are dedicated to providing training and professional development with focus on establishing standards and best practices. Holly is an APCO CTOI, National Academy: EMD, EMDQ, EFD and soon to be EPD, EPDQ and EFDQ. As such she has a unique perspective with 1st hand knowledge of the importance of defined protocols set to best practices, professional certifications and training play in developing professional career minded employees. Her dream is to retire with her family to the big Island of Hawaii where she will spend her free time pursuing her two hobbies, stained glass art and scuba diving.

Zerena Duhaney
Zerena Duhaney is the quality assurance manager for the London Ambulance Service (LAS) NHS Trust. She joined LAS in 1999, certified as an EMD, and seven years later certified as an EMD-Q. Last year, LAS 999 received nearly 1.5 million calls and, in line with quality assurance response goals, achieved the primary target of reaching 75% of patients with life-threatening situations within eight minutes. Zerena has been a featured speaker at UKNavigator.

Eric Fayad
Eric Fayad is a Communications Training Officer for Sunstar Paramedics/Paramedics Plus. He is certified in EMD, EFD and EMD-Q and is a member of the QA/QI team. Eric is also a Firefighter/Paramedic with the City of Seminole, Florida. Eric grew up in EMS starting as an EMS Explorer in 1996. He also spent a few years as a flight communicator for Bayflite Aeromedical Transport based in St. Petersburg.

John Ferraro
DuPage Public Safety Communications (DU-COMM) Deputy Director John Ferraro has been involved with public safety communications for more than 18 years. He spent 14 years at Northwest Central Dispatch System in Arlington Heights (IL.) where he was training telecommunicator, operator-in-charge, operations manager, and EMD coordinator. He recently took an adjunct faculty position with Harper College teaching basic 9-1-1 telecommunicator courses. John and his co-presenter Ron Two Bulls have been a fixture at Navigator since 2005.

Jaci Fox
Jaci Fox is the Academy's Police Board of Curriculum Chair and an EPD and EPD-Q instructor. She's a certified quality assurance specialist on the quality assurance team at the Medicine Hat Regional 911 Communications Center in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. Medicine Hat was the first Tri-ACE in the world. Jaci spent 16 years as a calltaker and dispatcher and regularly submits police CDE articles for the NAED Journal.

Gary Galasso
Battalion Chief Gary Galasso has been a licensed paramedic since 1976. In 1989 he was selected to help develop the EMD program for the San Jose (Calif.) Fire Communications Division. Gary has been an NAED certified instructor since 1997 and serves as the NAED Fire Council of Standards chair.

Louise Ganley
Clinical Support Officer Louise Ganley provides support, training, and assistance for ambulance services in England, Wales, Scotland, Isle of Man, and Southern Ireland. Prior to joining PDC, she spent 21 years working for an ambulance service as an EMD, ED-Q, and MPDS instructor, and training manager.

Teri Griffin-Pagenkop
Teri Griffin-Pagenkop is the CQI Supervisor for American Medical Response's LIFECOM EMS & Fire Communications Center. She developed the quality assurance methodology and practices in use to ensure overall compliance to the ACE standards and thresholds. In addition to managing the QA/QI department, she has been a continual advocate for staff recognition and morale, including the implementation of the center's CISM Program. Teri has twenty years of experience in emergency communications as a dispatcher and supervisor.

Tanya Griffith
Tanya Griffith has been a member of the Edmonton Police Service for 7 years. She has worked in a patrol capacity, as a community liaison officer, and in Police Dispatch/911 Section. Over the last year Tanya has joined the Quality Assurance Team for Police Dispatch/911 and is an EPD-Q.

James Gummett
Quality Assurance Manager James Gummett is an Academy certified EMD and ED-Q instructor and sits on the Academy's Board of Accreditation. He joined the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust in 1979 and worked as an ambulanceman for 12 years before injuring his back on the job. James switched to the control center and has been there ever since. He was heavily involved in the testing and installation of MPDS and ProQA in London.

Tammy Haislip
Software Instructor Tammy Haislip travels frequently for PDC in her role as a trainer for both ProQA and AQUA emergency dispatch software systems. Her teaching schedule has put her in the classrooms of thousands of dispatchers.

Tony Harrison
Tony is the President of The Public Safety Group. He has more than 25 years of public safety communications experience. He has lectured to over 15,000 public safety professionals in more than 150 cities, 40 states and 3 countries and has presented at national APCO and NENA conferences. He holds a BA in Criminal Justice and a MA in Political Science. Tony spent many years with the Oklahoma City Police Department's Communications Division and was the supervisor on-duty during the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building. He also holds the distinction of Emergency Number Professional (ENP) from NENA.

Chip Hlavacek
Technical Support Manager Implementation Specialist CAD Liaison Chip Hlavacek has been a police officer, paramedic, and the communications and technology manager and assistant director of Charleston County EMS, Charleston, S.C. Chip is a Microsoft certified systems administrator, senior EMD instructor, EMD quality improvement instructor, and ProQA and AQUA software instructor. He is the technical support manager, CAD liaison, and a technical implementation specialist for PDC.

Robert Hodges
Bob has been in the 911 business since 1987, having held all of the positions including the agency trainer for five years. He came to the 911 system after spending eight years on the other side of the radio as a Paramedic he has vast experience on both sides of the radio. Bob has also had the pleasure of having been published several times with Public Safety and NENA's magazine on the many experiences from the communication side of things as well as the training environment. Bob has created several classes on topics not normally seen at conferences from evaluation writing, policy and procedures to taking care of yourself!

Lisa Kalmbach
Fire Liaison Lisa Kalmbach has been involved in dispatch for 20 years. She works as the Operations Coordinator for Manatee County, Fla. Lisa is an EMD-Q, EFD-Q, EPD-Q, and APCO CTO. She's a former volunteer firefighter/EMT with Southern Manatee Fire Rescue and has received awards including NAED Dispatcher of the Year and Florida APCO Telecommunicator of the Year.

Jennifer Kirkland
Jennifer Kirkland is the Training Supervisor for Vail Public Safety Communications Center in Eagle County, Colo. Proud to be a Colorado native; she has happily served Eagle County for 10 years, four of those years in her current position. She enjoys teaching people and finding new ways to help people learn. Jennifer is a 2009 CCM graduate, and is thrilled to be teaching at Navigator for her second year in a row.

Michele Kroger
Training Coordinator, Michele Kroger started her career with the St. Joseph County Fire Dispatch Office in 2003. As a CTO, she has been involved with the evolution of the agency training manual, curriculum, and assessment tools. Through introspection and self discovery, Michele began realizing the effects of a sedentary career on both the mind and body. As a result, she inspired the rest of the team at the center to get involved, lose weight, and get healthy by starting a "Biggest Loser" program. Her passions include literary arts, yoga, and fitness.

James Lake
Jim Lake is the director of the Charleston County Consolidated 9-1-1 Center in South Carolina. Jim's work experience includes 9-1-1 consulting, PSAP management, and management of statewide training and public education programs. Prior to entering into the 9-1-1 profession, Jim served as a police officer and volunteer firefighter/EMT. Jim previously served as the chair of the NAED Police Council of Standards and is a member of the NAED College of Fellows. A former member of the Education Advisory Board for NENA, Jim instructs several courses for NENA and NAED.

André Lanier
André Lanier, LCDR, USN (Ret) is an Instructor for Computer Sciences Corporation in Jacksonville, Florida. He has spent time in the Submarine, Surface, and Aviation Communities. After the Navy, he took a Store Manager position with Wal-Mart in Washington, NC. After a couple of years in retail, he decided to return to what he loves to do, teach. André has been involved in the teaching arena for over 25 years. Some of the areas of curriculum include: Management, Leadership, and Mentorship; Aviation Mishaps and Emergency Procedures; Satellite Communications and Navigation Systems. He has a Masters Degree in Operations Management.

Jim Lanier
Jim Lanier has been involved in different aspects of public safety for more than 25 years including fire fighting, EMS (paramedic), and telecommunications. He is a NENA ENP; NAED instructor in EMD, EFD, and EMD/EFD-Q; and a member of the NAED College of Fellows. Jim co-chairs the Florida EMS Advisory Council Communications Committee and is a guest faculty member for CCM. He's a regular contributor to the NAED Journal and serves on its editorial board. Jim is the ECC Division Manager and 911 Coordinator for Manatee County, Florida.

Larry Latimer
Larry Latimer has more than 35 years of experience in training, instructional design, and education. He's worked as an instructor and instructional designer for community colleges in California, Washington, and Utah, and as an adjunct faculty member at Seattle Pacific University and Weber State University. Larry joined PDC in 1998 as an instructional designer and was subsequently appointed as Director of Curriculum Design for the Academy. He's been involved in the creation and ongoing development of the EMD-Q, EFD-Q, EPD-Q, and ETC Certification Courses and the EMD Mentor Certification Course. Larry was the original designer of the EMD Advancement CDE Series, Instructor Outlook, the EMD Mentor Certification Course, the NAED Instructor Academy, and the Special Procedures Briefing publications. He has been the lead instructional designer, working with the EMD Board of Curriculum for the EMD and Advanced EMD Certification courses. Larry is an ETC-I Course instructor.

Nancy Lockhart
9-1-1 Operations Manager Nancy Lockhart has been in emergency communications for 20 years, spending 17 of those years training and managing dispatchers. She's passionate about training and is an EMD-Q, EFD-Q, ETC instructor; COML; and sits on the ETC Curriculum Board. Nancy was named Dispatcher of the Year for the State of Indiana in 2001 for her instrumental role in bringing the protocol to the area and her commitment to patient care and quality improvement through emergency calltaking.

Don Lundy
Don Lundy, BHS, NREMT-P, is EMS Director for Charleston County EMS in Charleston, S.C. A paramedic since 1974, he has directed municipal and rural services as well as helicopter operations. Don is President-Elect of the National Association of EMTs and serves as chairman of their Health and Safety Committee. He is an instructor for the National Fire Academy's EMS program and serves on several local boards, including The Lowcountry Regional EMS Council, The S. C. EMS Association, The S. C. EMS Advisory council, the S. C. American Heart Association's EMS committee on Stroke, and The Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy.

Dr. Scott MacDonald
Scott MacDonald is a husband to Sara, and father of 3 girls under the age of 9. When he is not focused on his family, he can be found working as an Emergency Physician working in the main Provincial receiving facility in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Scott has special work interest in Prehospital care, Emergency Medicine Education, and Hyperbaric Medicine.

Vicki Maguire
Communications Manager Vicki Maguire works for AMR in Grand Rapids, Mich. She serves as chair of the Medical Curriculum Council and co-chair of the Medical Standards Council. Vicki is a member of the College of Fellows. She was working in communications as a supervisor when she got her start as an EMD instructor.

Rahul Maharaj
ED-Q Senior, Rahul Maharaj has been with San Jose Fire Communications for more than 7 ½ years. During that time he's worked as a front line dispatcher, line supervisor, and has been involved in the training and development of new hires.

Susi Marsan
Susi Marsan has 25-plus years of field experience as an EMT, paramedic, supervisor, and Director of Communications in major metropolitan areas across the United States. Susi has worked during major disasters including the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake in San Francisco, Calif., and the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. She has used her experiences and industry knowledge to help design the curriculum for the courses she teaches around the world: EMD, EFD, EMD and EFD Instructor Updates, National Executive Course, Emergency Dispatch Quality Assurance, ETC, ETC-I and ETC-I-I. Susi is the ETC Curriculum Board chair, member of the EMD Curriculum Board and College of Fellow. She is past-chair of the EFD Council of Standards and Curriculum Board. Additionally, she is working full-time at Grady Hospital EMS System in Atlanta, GA as the Training Coordinator in their 9-1-1 Communications Center.

Jim Marshall
James Marshall, M.A., L.L.P. has been a clinical psychotherapist for 24 years and is the Director of 911 Training Institute devoted to fostering health-driven peak performance in the PSAP. Jim has trained over 3,000 911 telecommunicators, serves as Co-chair of the NENA Working Group on 911 Stress and has presented preconference and workshop courses at state and national NENA Conferences, and to his international clinical association of trauma therapists urging an industry-wide standard on 911 stress management. His related articles have been published in Emergency Communication Professional magazine and other 911 publications.

Deanna Mateo-Mih
Public Safety Radio Dispatcher Deanna Mateo-Mih works for the San Jose Fire Department in California and is an EMS instructor for the Oakland Fire Department; a NAED ED-Q instructor for medical, fire, and police; and a member of the NAED ED-Q Taskforce. She has been a member of the public safety community for more than 24 years, starting as a police dispatcher before becoming a fire and medical dispatcher. Deanna is passionate about quality improvement and training and looks forward to opportunities to learn as well as teach.

Sharon McCool
Sharon McCool has been employed as a firefighter/paramedic for the Eugene, Ore., Fire/EMS Department for 24 years. Fifteen years ago she began her involvement with Central Lane 9-1-1 Communications Center as its medical trainer and EMD instructor. When the center went to MPDS in 2002, Sharon became a certified EMD and EMD-Q and since then has been involved in call review and providing continuing education. In 2006, she became a regional EMD instructor for the Academy.

Ron McDaniel
Ron McDaniel is the Senior Vice President of Priority Dispatch Corporation. With Priority Dispatch, he is responsible for all aspects of the Emergency Dispatch and call-taking software marketed by Priority Dispatch; ProQA and AQUA for medical, fire and police. These responsibilities include the oversight of development, testing, documentation, support and conceptual evaluation and implementation. Ron has been with Priority Dispatch for 15 years. His experience with Priority Dispatch has included involvement in the implementation of hundreds of communication centers. This involvement has included all ranges of activities; strategic planning, technological deployment, project management, implementation planning, personnel training and acceptance testing. Ron has been involved in the emergency services industry for over 17 years. He has been working in the software development industry for 20 years and involved in the information technology industry for over 20 years.

Chris Olola
Director of Biomedical Informatics and Research, Dr. Chris Olola brings to the Academy years of academic and clinical research experience, including five years as a regional clinical data coordinator for the severe malaria in African children (SMAC) network project, with the Kenya Medical Research Institute/Wellcome Trust Research Labs. Chris received his Ph.D in Biomedical informatics, with emphasis in Public health Informatics, from the University of Utah in 2009. He received the Bruce A. Houtchens Award, presented by the University of Utah, Department of Biomedical Informatics, for his paper examining the adoption of American Society for Testing and Materials Continuity of Care Record (CCR) standard -– E2369-05, to advance continuity of care in the United States healthcare community.

Jerry Overton
Jerry Overton serves as the Chair of the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch, the organization charged with setting standards and establishing curriculum for public safety dispatch worldwide. For the previous two years, he served as the President/CEO for Road Safety International, the leading company promoting emergency driving safety. Prior, he served as the Chief Executive Officer, Richmond Ambulance Authority (RAA), Richmond, Virginia, for 18 years and had overall responsibility for the Richmond Emergency Medical Services system. Mr. Overton also served as the Executive Director of the Kansas City, Missouri, EMS system. In addition, he has provided, and continues to provide, technical assistance throughout the North America and in Europe, Asia, and Africa, including the design of an implementation plan for an Emergency Medical Transport program in Central Bosnia -– Hercegovina during the war. He is the Past President of the American Ambulance Association, was a member of the Institute of Medicine's Committee on the Future of Emergency Care in the U. S. Health System, and is the Chief Financial Officer for the World Association of Disaster and Emergency Medicine. He serves on the editorial boards of two leading prehospital care journals and has received numerous recognitions. As an expert in EMS system design and response deployment strategies, he was named one of the 20 most influential leaders in EMS by JEMS magazine.

Carlynn Page
NAED Associate Director Carlynn Page is based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her responsibilities include accreditation, legislation, the CCM course, EPD, and the Board of Certification. Carlynn completed the Peace Officer Standards and Training course and worked as a reserve police officer. She was a public safety dispatcher for 15 years and a communications center manager for three years. During Carlynn's time at the center, it became an ACE.

Kevin Pagenkop, ENP
Kevin Pagenkop provides both EMS and Fire Quality Assurance and Training for American Medical Response's LIFECOM EMS & Fire Communications Center. As a leading member of their QIU he is tasked with curriculum development, quality management, and maintenance of their Accreditation as a Center of Excellence. He has been recognized as a Public Safety Communications speaker, author, and instructor.

Eric Parry
Emergency Response Specialist Eric Parry has spent 40 years in the public safety arena having served as a police technician, police officer, and private consultant. He is EMD, EFD, and EPD certified and is an EPD and ETC instructor. Eric served as the primary police consultant for PDC before joining Mission Critical Partners. Eric co-chairs the Academy's Police Council of Standards.

Bob Pastula
Chief of Police Bob Pastula has 29 years of diverse law enforcement experience, including supervisor for the United States Marshal's Office in Fort Myers, Fla., assistant chief deputy in the Middle District of Florida, and deputy operations chief with Lee County Emergency Management. He's also worked as a lieutenant, state trooper, deputy sheriff, and police officer. Bob has worked to bring professional career development to the public safety community as a professor of criminal justice at the University of South Florida, International College, and Broward Community College. He's also instructed criminal justice and ecology at Florida Gulf Coast University and criminal justice and public safety administration at Edison State College. In 2007 Bob founded the Public Safety Institute at Edison State College. He is a senior EPD instructor and ProQA instructor with PDC.

Brett Patterson
NAED Academics & Standards Associate Brett Patterson is based in Florida. His role primarily involves protocol research, standards, and evolution. He is also an instructor trainer and QI consultant. Brett is a member of the NAED College of Fellows, Standards Council, and Rules Group, and is chair of the Research Council. He became a paramedic in 1981 and began a career in emergency communications in 1987. Prior to accepting a position with the NAED, he spent 10 years WORKING in THE Pinellas County EMS SYSTEM, Fla.

Don Perry
Don Perry has been in the emergency services field since 1987, starting as an EMT with a local volunteer ambulance and rescue service. In 1992, he became a paramedic, working mostly in rural EMS systems in Tennessee. Don also taught EMT classes part-time for a local community college before starting with the Metro/Nashville Emergency Communications Center in 1996 as a fire/EMS dispatcher. In 2000, Don started as the EMD/QA coordinator for MNECC. Don is licensed as an EMT-P in the state of Tennessee. He is also an EMD, ED-Q regional instructor for EMD and EFD, and assists with the Board of Accreditation as a reviewer.

Mark Rector
Mark has a dual role with the NAED. He is the director of consulting for Priority Solutions and the NAED director of Special Operations. He has served on the NAED Board of Accreditation for nearly a decade and is an EMD certified instructor. Prior to joining the NAED, he worked for the AMR-Denver (Colo.) communications center, transitioning over the years from field response to management positions in client services and government relations.

Kim Rigden-Briscall
Consultant Kim Rigden-Briscall has worked in EMS for 18 years in a variety of roles, including as a paramedic, paramedic instructor, EMD, EMD trainer, communication team supervisor, ED-Q, and manager of dispatch quality improvement for British Columbia Ambulance Service. Kim lives in Ontario, Canada, where she is the principal consultant of Kim Rigden & Associates. Kim is a frequent presenter at the Navigator conference and she speaks internationally to emergency dispatchers about customer service, managing 9-1-1 callers, and recognizing and reducing stress. She is also a consultant for PDC and an EMD/ED-Q/AQUA and ProQA instructor.

Grant Rinaca
911 Training Coordinator Grant Rinaca has been with the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office Public Communications Center since 1995. He has served as the agency's Training Coordinator for the past 14 years and oversees the EMD and EFD accreditation and QIU teams. Grant is certified in EMD-Q, EFD-Q and EPD-Q Grant has presented at the previous 3 Navigator Conferences. He is also an APCO, American Red Cross, and American Heart Association instructor.

Don Robinson
Don Robinson, married 25 years to Rhonda, has 3 children. He graduated from UNC Charlotte with a Bachelor of Creative Arts degree in 1990 and has worked for the Mecklenburg EMS Agency, since October of 1991. His career began as a Telecommunicator moving to his current role of QI/Training Coordinator in 2003. Medic achieved Medical ACE in 2004 and dual accreditation, Medical and Fire, in 2007. Today, Don leads a QI/Training team of 3. Medic's Omega Referral program and move to a tiered system, would be impossible without the consistent QI, and innovative training his team provides.

Geoff Rodgers
In his 20 years of work in the Human Resources field, Geoff Rodgers has worked with a wide variety of organizations across several industries including distribution, transportation, public safety, and retail. Over the past 16 years his focus has been helping agencies find the right person for the job at all levels of an organization from entry level positions, middle management, and supervisory positions. Geoff is the President of Select Advantage, a successful Human Resources Consulting Firm, headquartered in the Pacific Northwest.

Ross Rutschman
Ross is currently a Consultant for Priority Dispatch. An Oregon native, he has been involved in public safety for over 36 years (both in Oregon and all over the world) and has served in various capacities including the EMS Coordinator for a Fire Based transport service responsible for staffing, resource deployment, and training; Shift Commander responsible for all Fire / EMS Units and personnel during a 24 hour shift; and a Flight Paramedic for 15 years. Ross is an Academy (IAED)-–certified Instructor in EMD, EFD, EMD Mentor, and ED-Q (All three disciplines). He currently serves on the Medical Council of Standards and served as the past Chair of the College of Fellows from 1988 -– 1998. Ross works as an integral part of the implementation teams for Italy, China, Brazil, Lithuania, and the Middle East.

Shelby Schmidt
Shelby Schmidt is a communications supervisor with Waukesha County Communications (Waukesha, WI). She has been working in the 911 field since 1996, although her passion for this field started in 9th grade when she was a police explorer. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from Carroll University and a certificate in Public Administration from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She is a member of APCO and NENA and is a CCM graduate. Shelby is married to a State Trooper, and together they have struggled to learn how to adapt to not only shiftwork, but working different shifts throughout their relationship. She believes in life-long learning and enjoys attending conferences. Shelby has presented locally, statewide and nationally on the topic of shiftwork survival and is excited to be at the 2012 Navigator conference where she can share her knowledge and experiences in regards to working shift work!

David Schmidt
David Schmidt began his law enforcement career after graduating from Waukesha County Technical College -– Law Enforcement Academy by joining the Village of Deerfield Police Department, Deerfield, Wisconsin. In 1998, David changed gears after completing his undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Mount Scenario College, entering juvenile corrections as a Youth Counselor. In 2002, David transferred to the adult correctional system, promoting to Correctional Sergeant. As a Sergeant at a new institution, David established a Correctional Training Officer Program (a mentoring program for new officers), served on Emergency Response Unit, and was a Training Officer. He continued his education by completing a master degree in Organizational Management at the University of Phoenix - Milwaukee. In 2004, David transferred to community corrections as a Probation and Parole Agent. It was during these formidable years, the true meaning of cynicism, ethics, integrity, and emotional survival and their importance were learned. Accepting his next challenge in 2007, David joined the Wisconsin State Patrol, graduating from the 21-week academy. He is currently employed as a Trooper. Married for over 9 years, David and his wife, Shelby, live in southeastern Wisconsin.

Greg Scott
Consultant Greg Scott served as supervisor of the San Diego EMS 9-1-1 Center from 1985-1997 and has directed many emergency dispatch implementation projects across North America. He is a dispatch consultant and EMD-Q instructor for PDC and a research assistant for the NAED. Recently he was the lead writer for a white paper on best practices in 9-1-1 center management for the International City/County Management Association.

Staca Shehan
Staca Shehan joined the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) in 1999 and is currently the Director of the Case Analysis Division. She is responsible for policy decisions and daily operational oversight of three analytical units: the Case Analysis Unit, the Records & Access Unit, and the Special Analysis Unit, which includes the areas of Research, Child Sex Trafficking, and Sex Offender Tracking. She has participated in and made presentations at numerous law enforcement investigative training programs regarding child sex trafficking, sex offender tracking, high technology crimes, and online child exploitation. She has provided extensive technical assistance to law enforcement in the United States and in other countries on cases of noncompliant sex offenders and child sexual exploitation, specifically Internet crimes committed against children.

Ron Shiner
Ronald R Shiner is the Communications Training Coordinator for Sunstar Paramedics/Paramedics Plus LLC. He is a certified Paramedic, EFD and EMDQ and is the lead of Sunstars QA/QI program that includes maintenance of their Accredited Center of Excellence. Ron has 27 years in EMS and EMS education, having started his career in Luzerne County Pa. Ron has held position there as the EMS Coordinator for Wyoming Valley Health Care System, and the Clinical Coordinator for Luzerne County Community Colleges EMS Program.

Doug Showalter
Doug Showalter has been in Public Safety for over 20 years, as both a Public Safety Dispatcher (PSD) and Public Safety Dispatch Supervisor (PSDS). He was selected to supervise the California Highway Patrol Statewide Communications Training Program. During that time he completely restructured the Dispatch Academy. He has been involved with the complete redevelopment of policy and procedure manuals and created a specially designed PSD Ready-Reference. Doug has received countless accolades for his development and implementation of innovative techniques to hire, train and retain personnel. His passion for training with Public Safety Training Consultants (PSTC) has allowed him to travel nationwide providing training, education and motivation to 911 professionals.

Thomas Somers
Captain Tom Somers is a 29-year veteran of the Los Angeles Fire Department and serves as a captain in the Fire Department Communication Command and Control Center. He has held varied assignments in the field and within the communications center as a telecommunicator and as a supervisor for the past 15 years. Tom has been involved in special projects ranging from the Michael Jackson Memorial to the Academy Awards to CAD consortiums. He is a graduate of the CCM course and a member of the fire Council of Standards.

Tammy Spath
During Tammy Spath's 19-year career in 9-1-1 she's worked a variety of positions, including dispatcher, trainer, supervisor, and training coordinator. In addition to being a lead dispatcher, she's also an Academy instructor for a consolidated communications center. Tammy is a NENA and NAED member, an EMD-Q, and a consultant for PDC.

Michael Spath
Senior Public Safety Dispatcher Michael Spath is a certified Q instructor for all three protocols and works as a consultant for PDC. He serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Emergency Dispatch, the Board of Curriculum for Q certification courses, and the ED-Q Task Force. Michael has been taking 9-1-1 calls since 1991.

April Tarrant
April Tarrant began her career in the medical field before switching to public safety in 1997. She started as a dispatcher in a Southwest Missouri PSAP and served as a supervisor and training coordinator before taking her first director position in 2005. She has served as director for 3 primary PSAP's before moving to her current position as the Executive Director at Jasper County Emergency Services. She is an Instructor and on the Readers Journal Board for the National Academy of Emergency Dispatchers, an EMD-QA and serves on various committees throughout the State of Missouri. April serves her community as a City Council Alderman and through various civic organizations. She was a graduate from Missouri Southern State University, with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration and is in pursuit of a Master's in Public Administration with an emphasis on Emergency Management. April has two children.

Mike Thompson
Mike Thompson is a Medical and Fire Consultant with the Consulting Division of Priority Dispatch Corp. in Salt Lake City, Utah. Mike has been affiliated with Priority Dispatch and the Academy since 1992 and has taught certification classes and provided consulting services over much of the United States and abroad. He is an EMD and EFD Instructor, EMD-Q, IAED College of Fellows member, Fire Council of Standards member, Fire Curriculum Board Chair, and Fire Research Board Chair. Mike is a retired career Fire Service Battalion Chief after 21 years with the Rapid City Fire Department and was also a Nationally Registered Paramedic for 22 years.

Ron Two Bulls
Fire Lieutenant/Paramedic Ron Two Bulls has served in the fire service for over 20 years the last 15 as a member of the Buffalo Grove Fire Department in suburban Chicago. He is the EMD/EFD Coordinator for Northwest Central Dispatch 911 which provides Fire/EMS/Police dispatch services to a population of more than 500,000. He is an EMD/EFD Instructor, and a consultant for the NAED. Ron is also a Partner/Senior Instructor for Lifesaver Educational Services L.L.P. a training and consulting firm.

Angela VanDyke
Has 17 years experience with Prince George's County Public Safety Communications in 911, Police Dispatch. Currently assigned to the Prince George's County Public Safety Communication's Training Team (for 8 years) as a Training Coordinator, Instructor, and EPD Coordinator. Is a member of the NAED EPD Council of Standards.

Tracy Ward
Tracy Ward has been a member of the Edmonton Police Service for more than 20 years. She has worked in various areas in patrol and spent several years as an undercover operator for the Break and Enter Team, Vice Unit, Drug Section, and Homicide Section. She has been working in the Police Dispatch/911 Section for the past nine years as a calltaker and dispatcher. For the past two years she has been conducting training and quality assurance and on her agency's implementation team for ProQA. Tracy has been certified as an EPD instructor since 2008, enjoys instructing in-house courses and courses at various other agencies, and is EPD-Q certified.

Dave Warner
Dave Warner joined PDC in 2009 as a police consultant after more than 20 years in law enforcement with experience in various police field assignments, investigations, and as the operations planner for mass public safety events. Although much of his time is spent working with new clients implementing the PPDS in their center, this past year he's been working with the Police Council of Standards preparing the release of PPDS v.4 and the new Paramount ProQA.

Craig Whittington
Currently serving as the Special Projects Coordinator for Guilford Metro 9-1-1, Craig is a 32 year plus veteran of Emergency Services and has served in nearly every area of local government public safety. Including, but not limited to serving as North Carolina certified Firefighter III, a Paramedic, and sworn law enforcement officer. Craig began the 9-1-1 / PSAP area of his career as line communicator, rising through the ranks to line supervisor, Trainer, Database / Systems Manager and PSAP Director. Craig is currently the only "4 way" NAED certified instructor, holding instructor level certification in EMD, EFD, EPD and ETC. Craig currently serves on the NAED ETC Board of Curriculum and is a member of the NAED "College of Fellows". He is a past (2009/2010) President of the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) and served on the NENA Executive Board from 2007 to 2011. In September 2008, Craig became one of the very first inductees into the North Carolina NENA Hall of Fame and in June 2010 was inducted into the National NENA Hall of Fame.

Tami Wiggins
Training and QI Supervisor Tami Wiggins has been with the Harford County Division of Emergency Operations in Forest Hill, Md., since 1994, spending eight years in police dispatch and nine years as the agency's training and quality assurance supervisor. She is an EMD, ETC and ED-Q instructor. Tami is the Chairman of the IAED Police Council of Standards. She launched the accreditation process at her center, which earned them the honor of becoming the first Tri-Accredited Center of Excellence in the United States.

Kevin Willett
Training Coordinator Kevin has been a public safety dispatch professional for over 24 years, starting with the Redwood City Police 9-1-1 Center in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. He teaches for two Peace Officers Standards and Training certified police academies and is a senior instructional coordinator at Public Safety Training Consultants (PSTC). Kevin is on the editorial board for 9-1-1 Magazine and a NENA member. Kevin is also the founder of the 911 CARES program that provides support to 9-1-1 professionals nationwide after traumatic events.

Dr. Arthur Yancey
Arthur H. Yancey, II, MD, MPH, is medical director of the Fulton County (Ga.) FireDepartment and a member of the Georgia State EMS Medical Directors AdvisoryCouncil and District III EMS Advisory Council. His medical director position involves continuous quality improvement and training for the Fulton County Fire Department and oversight of the emergency medical dispatch program at the County's 911 center, addressing protocol and surveillance issues. He is a fellow of the NAED and serves on its Council of Standards.

Jamie Young
Director Jaime Young has worked in her position with the San Mateo County Office of Public Safety Communications since 1992, overseeing the department''s administration, operations, and system divisions and has over 32 years of experience in the public safety communications field. She oversaw the agency''s accreditation process, resulting in the center receiving medical ACE status and recently oversaw the implementation of the Police Protocol in the Center . Previously, Jaime was lead and supervising communications dispatcher. She is EMD, EPD and EFD certified; state and nationally certified in Incident Command Systems 200, 300, 400, 700, 800; and a 2008 CCM graduate.