James “JP” Paluskiewicz is a senior policy advisor in the Health Care group. JP advises health care clients on legislative and public policy matters before Congress, the Administration, and other government agencies. JP devises strategies for effective outreach and messaging to assist health care clients in navigating complex legislation and regulation. He develops and executes legislative and regulatory solutions on behalf of health care provider groups, health care systems, hospitals, biopharmaceutical and medical device companies, and health payers while working directly with policymakers on the Hill and in the Administration to secure their passage and implementation.
JP was chief counsel on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Health Subcommittee and oversaw all policy matters under the committee’s jurisdiction, including legislation affecting the Food and Drug Administration, Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, health information technology, and public health. He managed the committee’s health agenda, policy development, and legislative strategy for Republicans. He was also the sole policy staffer overseeing Medicare Parts B and D and health information technology. During his tenure on Capitol Hill, JP developed and shepherded numerous policies throughout the legislative process.
JP is an adjunct professor at The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management and Milken Institute School of Public Health. JP regularly serves as a panelist and speaker on policy matters to health care audiences throughout the Washington, D.C. area.
John F. Jonas is a partner at Capitol Counsel, LLC, and brings to the firm extensive knowledge in public policy within the healthcare sector, particularly in Medicare reform and health care tax policy. He has substantial experience representing numerous healthcare sector areas, including hospitals, emergency medical services (EMS), physician groups, and pharmaceuticals. Jonas has been actively involved in Medicare restructuring, Medicaid expansion, new drug and device development, reimbursement issues, and healthcare tax-related issues. Previously, Jonas served in various roles during his ten years of public service, including the House Ways and Means Committee staff and as counsel to the Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures.
Kim is currently the Corporate Secretary and Vice President of Legal, Government Relations, Corporate Compliance and Education for Superior Air-Ground Ambulance Service, Inc. and has been with Superior since 2007. Kim advocates for the EMS industry in the five states in which Superior operates (IL, IN, MI, OH & WI) and in DC through her Board positions on the American Ambulance Association, the IL Department of Public Health EMS Advisory Council and the Illinois EMS for Children’s Advisory Council. She also serves as President of the IL State Ambulance Association, and chairs Government Relations for the Indiana EMS Association.
Kim started her career as a crime victim advocate serving as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for child abuse and neglect victims which led to a career with the IL Attorney General’s Office as Chief of the Crime Victim Services Division overseeing victim rights and advocacy policy. Outside of the EMS industry, Kim serves on the boards for IL Chamber of Commerce, Cook County Sheriff’s Merit Board, WorkNet DuPage, Choose DuPage, Illinois Suicide Prevention Alliance (ISPA) and the DuPage Local Emergency Planning Committee (DuPage LEPC).
Kim lives in Chicago with her two teenage daughters and her husband of 25 years. She graduated with her BA in History and Political Science from Purdue University and with her Juris Doctorate from DePaul College of Law.
Allyson has oversight responsibility for the legal & risk management, governmental affairs and public relations departments. She joined Acadian in 2001 as associate general counsel and now serves on the company’s executive committee, which has operational oversight for the administrative affairs of the organization as a whole.
Allyson received her bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 1990 and her Juris Doctorate in law from Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center, in May 1993. She is admitted to practice law in the states of Texas and Louisiana and in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana and the Eastern District of Texas. She is a member of the Louisiana Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel.
Amy Gnojek is a highly experienced Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and esteemed consultant specializing in the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Public Safety industries, boasting 25 years of expertise. Recognized for her adeptness in financial management, strategic planning, and operational efficiency, Amy has earned a reputation as a trusted authority in these vital industries. Notably, she was honored with the Hero Award by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for her exceptional leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating her contributions to EMS management. Based in Colorado’s picturesque mountains, Amy is deeply involved in her community and serves on various boards and committees, including her roles as a founding advisor of Women in Emergency Services and Board member for the Savvik Foundation and The Code Green Campaign.
Macara Trusty, MS, LP, SHRM-SCP, is a seasoned professional with over 30 years of EMS experience and 18 years in leadership roles. She holds a Master of Science in Management & Leadership and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. Throughout her career, Macara has excelled in various capacities, from dispatcher to Critical Care Paramedic, and has taken on numerous leadership roles. Currently, she serves as the South Region Director of Leadership Development and Business Optimization at Global Medical Response.
Macara’s extensive experience includes working in urban, suburban, and rural county EMS agencies early in her career. She spent over 20 years with MedStar Mobile Healthcare in Fort Worth before accepting a transformational role with Global Medical Response in 2020. She is a recognized national conference speaker and author.
Macara actively contributes to the EMS community by chairing the Texas Governor’s EMS & Trauma Advisory Council EMS Education Committee, serving on the EMS Workforce & Lighthouse Leadership Committee with NAEMT, and serving as the South Central Regional Director. Her journey is marked by a commitment to excellence and a passion for advancing the field of EMS.
Justin began his career in the Australian army after graduating from the Royal Military College and served for eight years. During this time, he served in command roles in Iraq and Afghanistan, working closely with U.S. and coalition forces.
After his military service, he entered the maritime industry and was based in Singapore for five years. During this time, he worked primarily in West Africa, South America and the subcontinent in business development and project management roles. Justin moved to the U.S. to work as a project manager in the domestic onshore oil and gas industry before joining Acadian in June 2013 as vice president of fleet operations. He later served as regional vice president for Acadian’s North Texas, Tennessee and Louisiana (West) service areas, as well as VP of Integrations. Justin has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Southern Cross University and an MBA from LSU.
BJ Newbury is currently the Healthcare Preparedness Coordinator for the West Kentucky Healthcare Coalition. She has a Master of Science in Public Administration from Murray State University and a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She has worked in public health since 2011 and has had the opportunity to cross train in multiple disciplines within local/state health departments. As an employee of Kentucky Department of Public Health, BJ works with a team of professionals to provide the highest standard of preparedness education and situational awareness to her coalition team members.
Robert is the Director of Fire and EMS Operations for the International Association Fire Fighters (IAFF) in Washington, DC, previously serving as the Deputy Director and Fire-Based EMS Specialist for the past eight years. Prior to starting his career with the IAFF, Robert retired as a Captain after a 25-year career with the City of Hackensack Fire Department. Over the course of his career with the fire department, he implemented a very successful Medical First Responder Program, Community CPR/AED program, and a school CPR/AED program for Hackensack, NJ. Robert also worked at MONOC, a paramedic agency in NJ, serving in the following positions over a 17-year career as an EMT, paramedic, 9-1-1 dispatcher, Communications Coordinator, and finally as the Operations Coordinator for the agency’s South Division. Robert has a baccalaureate degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix. Robert remains highly motivated and committed to improving the field of EMS and assisting the EMS community to gain a higher recognition on the national level.
Having worked in positions ranging from stock boy to chief operating officer for a major metropolitan EMS authority to senior manager with a public safety communications software company, Todd Stout had a vision when he started FirstWatch 20 years ago. Computer-aided dispatch systems were growing increasingly more sophisticated, meaning more detailed 911 data was being captured. At the same time, expectations for what public safety, fire and EMS should deliver were growing. Todd — with his experience as an EMS practitioner and manager, and his expertise in data mining and public safety computer systems — saw the potential for a new firm that would harness information technology to help customers in public safety make better and more efficient use of their resources to improve emergency care and safety.
In 1998, Todd founded Stout Solutions, which became FirstWatch in 2002. From its first customers — MAST in Kansas City, Mo. (now Kansas City Fire Department) and Richmond (Va.) Ambulance Authority — FirstWatch has grown to a company that serves more than 400 agencies throughout North America. Initially focusing on the real-time biosurveillance of weapons of mass destruction or outbreaks of SARS, H1N1 and other potential pandemics, FirstWatch has transformed itself into an organization that finds ways to improve operational performance and efficiency — from reducing hospital drop times to identifying crime trends — and many other issues facing public safety and EMS.
Todd’s roots in public safety run deep. His father was Jack Stout, an innovative and influential pioneer in the design of high-performance EMS systems. Todd got his start as working as a stock boy at Medevac MidAmerica and MAST in Kansas City. He later became an EMT, paramedic and flight medic. After working as a consultant on EMS systems design for his father’s firm, The 4th Party, Todd was brought on as vice president and chief operating officer at Oklahoma City Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA). He has also held positions as director of business development for LifeFleet Ambulance in Irvine, Calif., and was a senior manager for TriTech Software Systems in San Diego.
When working with customers, Todd believes in a collaborative relationship built on a commitment to understanding the customer’s needs, and sharing best practices that improve the entire EMS and public safety system. “The professionals who work in EMS and public safety are trying to do the right thing, every day. Our job is to help them succeed,” Todd says.
“Gut feeling will always matter in public safety and EMS. Never underestimate that. But you have to fine-tune it and prioritize when making decisions, and the only way to do that is by looking at the information. We make sure decision-makers have that information anywhere and anytime, in an easily understandable way.”
Todd is active in the profession, is a member of many associations, including the International Association of EMS Chiefs (IAEMSC), a member of and served on the board of the National EMS Management Association (NEMSMA), and on the CBRN Committee of the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED). He also volunteers his time with the Paramedic Chiefs of Canada, and other EMS and Public Health groups.
Outside of work, Todd enjoys time with his partner, reading, working on projects around the house, and spending as much time with his adult kids as they can stand. His daughter is a chef in Colorado and when she’s not cooking, she loves skiing and hiking. His son and his partner train horses, and have their own business in California.
Dr. Doug Swanson is a professor of emergency medicine at Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC and holds dual board certification in Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medical Services. Doug is the medical director for the Mecklenburg EMS Agency, the largest volume EMS agency in North Carolina. In this position, he is responsible for the medical oversight of all EMT first responders, and Agency EMDs, EMTs, and paramedics providing pre-hospital care in Mecklenburg County. Dr. Swanson co-chairs the EMS Committee of the North Carolina College of Emergency Physicians, the body responsible for state EMS protocol development and is a member of the North Carolina EMS Advisory Council. Additionally, Doug is the president-elect of the Air Medical Physician Association Board of Trustees.
J.P. Peterson is the Executive Director at Mecklenburg EMS Agency (MEDIC) in Charlotte, North Carolina. MEDIC is the busiest EMS service in the state with over 156,000 responses in 2021. Prior to working at MEDIC, J.P. served as Vice President of Florida Operations for PatientCare EMS Solutions. In this role, he had oversight of MedFleet Ambulance Service based in Pasco County, Florida and Sunstar Paramedics in Pinellas County, Florida where he was also the Chief Operating Officer. He is the Immediate Past President of the Florida Ambulance Association and is also a member of the American Ambulance Association bylaws, professional standards, and ethics committees.
A native of Massachusetts, Ron has been in the EMS industry for 34 years. He was recently named vice president of Acadian Ambulance Service with responsibilities in Acadian’s central Texas, north Texas and south-central Texas areas. Prior to joining Acadian, Ron served as executive vice president of operations for Cataldo Ambulance Service, and he has worked with Brewster Ambulance Service, Call9 and AMR over the years. Ron has been a member of the Metropolitan Boston Emergency Medical Services Council (Region IV), was appointed BOD as the Prehospital ALS Manager/Director, and served on the boards of the Massachusetts Ambulance Association and American Ambulance Association.
Mark Tenia is the Public Relations/Media Manager for the Richmond Ambulance Authority (RAA), a world-class mobile integrated healthcare service. Prior to his role at RAA, he was a television news reporter and fill-in anchor for more than 10 years covering national stories.
Randall joined Acadian in 2009 as the director of sales and marketing for Acadian Monitoring Services. He was promoted to vice president on the corporate level in 2013. Randall is responsible for developing and implementing marketing initiatives for Acadian’s six divisions. A graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, he served in various advertising, marketing and public relations roles in agency and in-house settings for more than 25 years.
Randall is a private pilot and enjoys volunteering in his community. He is active in Lafayette’s Mardi Gras activities and served on the boards of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana, the University of Louisiana Alumni Association, Acadian Air Festival, Sertoma Cajun Air Show and Louisiana Honor Air.
Michelle Anderson, MBA, BECI Certified Executive Coach
Michelle Anderson has been in emergency medical services for seventeen years, serving as an EMT, educator, manager, and executive leader. A recipient of the American Ambulance Association’s Star of Life Award in 2011, Michelle’s dedication to EMS has led her to serve on the Workforce Committee and faculty for the Cost Data Collection education program through the American Ambulance Association. She works hard to create space and inclusion as a founding member of Women in Emergency Services (WiES), which aims to create opportunities for women to connect and move the industry forward. Michelle is currently the Director of Administration at Lakes Region EMS in Minnesota and owns Ascend Coaching and Consulting. In her spare time, Michelle runs a non-profit, Fostering Families, which is dedicated to serving the needs of foster families.
Katie Arens serves as the Vice President of Customer Access at Life EMS Ambulance in Grand Rapids, MI where she oversees the Billing Department, Mobile Health Solutions, and Control Center/Dispatch operations. Katie has over fifteen years’ experience in healthcare revenue cycle management. Her experience and expertise encompasses billing and coding, system compliance and performance, and RCM process innovation and execution. She received her Bachelors of Science in Healthcare Administration from Ferris State University. Katie is a member of the American Ambulance Association ACE Faculty, Women in Emergency Services, serves as the current Chair for the American Ambulance Association Data Task Force Committee, and as the Vice-Chair for the Michigan Association of Ambulance Services Reimbursement Committee.
