Year: 2025

Christopher Way has been an emergency service professional for 32 years. Chief Way transitioned to Kootenai County Fire and Rescue as the Fire Chief in May of 2020 after serving as the Chief Officer for the Kootenai County EMS System for the previous seven years.

Chief Way came to Idaho from Kansas where he served in Fire and EMS roles in urban, suburban and rural settings. He was an EMT-Basic, EMT-Intermediate and now has been a licensed paramedic since 1994 as well as a certified Firefighter. Throughout his career he has held different ranks culminating most recently in his promotion to Fire Chief.  He also has significant experience in disaster management at the local, state, and national levels.

In addition to his full-time role as Fire Chief he is involved at the local, regional, state, and national levels in advocacy and leadership for emergency services.  He is a regular speaker at national conferences and in his spare time Chief Way and two partners own an Emergency Medicine education and consulting company.

Passionate about emergency medical care, Governor Brad Little selected Chief Way to be the Chairman of the Idaho Time Sensitive Emergency Council in May of 2019. He has a bachelor’s degree in Management and Human Relations and maintains all of his Fire and EMS licenses/certifications.  He regularly donates time to his community, serves local non-profit organizations and is involved in his children’s many activities.

Chris and his wife Jennifer live in Hayden, Idaho with their two daughters.

Immediate Past President, American Ambulance Association

Randy Strozyk brings to Global Medical Response more than 34 years of experience in EMS operations and management. He has been part of the American Medical Response leadership team for 16 years and currently serves as the company’s Executive Vice President of Operations.

Strozyk earned his EMT/Paramedic certification and worked on an ambulance while studying microbiology at Washington State University. He later earned an MBA from California State University. He has been heavily involved in the American Ambulance Association for nearly two decades and is the current president of the organization.

Chair, AMBUPAC

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.

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.

Ben Wasmund has been the Director of Operations at Lakes Region EMS since 2011. Prior to becoming the director, he held numerous roles within this organization including, EMT, Paramedic, Field Lead, Supervisor and Manager. Ben has more than 24 years of diverse experience in emergency medical services and has held positions in EMS operations in both paid and volunteer EMS organizations. He began his career in a small rural BLS ambulance service and through the years helped to advance this service to a combination full time/volunteer ALS system. He recently celebrated over 24 years with this department where he still works as a Paramedic. In addition to his volunteer and front line EMS experience, he has been a firefighter and has worked and trained in the Fire and Rescue arena including: Vehicle Extrication, High Angle Rope Rescue, Dive Rescue Operations and Tactical EMS. Ben brings his leadership experience as a Director and personal experiences of working at all levels of systems as a volunteer working for different EMS systems across multiple states.

At Pafford Medical Services, Jamie Pafford-Gresham oversees the collective fulfillment of her company’s vision, mission and core values. She also ensures the financial and operational effectiveness of the company’s ground and fixed-wing ambulance operations in Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Arkansas. Jamie is a recognized national EMS leader who is uniquely qualified to address all providers’ ambulance fee reimbursement issues — especially those of rural EMS providers. She serves as chairperson for the American Ambulance Association’s Government Relations Committee.

Angela McLain-Johnson, MA, CHC, RHIA serves as the CRO/CCO at Pafford Medical Services.  Angie’s more than 25 years of experience in healthcare financial services has focused on the strategic development and management of revenue cycle operations to include; comprehensive patient account management, revenue performance improvement and implementation of monitoring controls and strategies. In addition, Angela also has extensive experience in all elements of healthcare compliance and accreditation in both the hospital and EMS industry, ensuring organizational business practices exceed regulatory standards and support the provision of excellent patient care. Angie holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management, focused on health care reimbursement, and has an advanced degree in Health and Human Services. She has used her experience and expertise in healthcare finance and healthcare management to help establish EMS industry standards through active roles on multiple state and national boards; serving as with the Oklahoma Ambulance Association and as Region 4 Director with the American Ambulance Association

Aarron is nationally known as a facilitator, master teacher and expert in EMS leadership, management, financial viability, system design and applied best practices in rural and small-town EMS systems. Aarron has worked in EMS for over 30 years and is the executive director and chief of EMS for a critical care ALS ambulance service in a suburban, rural and super-rural region of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Aarron understands the unique challenges facing small-town ambulance and first-response services. Using the tools of deep listening, facilitation and strategic planning, Aarron helps ambulance services, communities, boards, associations, counties and states build sustainable and reliable EMS that strikes the necessary balance between finance, customer service, employee/volunteer satisfaction and community awareness. Aarron’s recognized understanding of current EMS issues has led to his appointment as chairperson of the National EMS Advisory Council by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation and election to serve as President of the American Ambulance Association. Aarron’s skillset and expertise are regularly in demand in his roles as facilitator, EMS management consultant and lecturer.

Alexia Bratiotis Jobson is the Director of Public Relations and serves the organization by expanding opportunities for engagement, promotion, communication and relationship-building. She has more than 25 years of business and communications experience. Prior to joining REMSA Health, Alexia worked as a public relations agency senior account director where she managed REMSA Health’s client account, as well as accounts related to industrial real estate and higher education. She held communications-related positions with a regional integrated health network,  the Nevada Museum of Art and previously worked as the retail and lifestyle center as a marketing and general manager  Alexia holds an Accreditation in Public Relations (APR). This certification asserts professional competence, high ethical standards and mastery of progressive public relations industry practices. She is a Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician, and a certified emergency medical/fire dispatcher. She is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno’s Reynold’s School of Journalism. Also is Chair of the American Ambulance Association Communications Committee and is a member of the AIMHI Public Relations Committee. 

During his more than four decades in EMS Mike has focused the majority of his career on helping make things better. A popular conference educator, author of more than 600 articles in professional journals, and a multi decade Associate Professor in the graduate program in Emergency Health Services Management at the University of Maryland Baltimore County he’s focused on helping professionals save more lives, reduce suffering, and be more effective leaders. He’s shared his perspective in 48 of the 50 states, most of the Canadian Provinces, Israel, Palestine, Australia, and throughout Europe. Mike is the Improvement Guide for FirstWatch helping partner organizations make meaningful improvements by organizing and leveraging their data. He is also the facilitator for EMS Agenda 2050.