Five Day Virtual Global Event Attended By 20,000+ EMS Professionals

The Seventh Annual
EMS Leadership Summit

Learn the top EMS Leadership strategies From Top EMS Leaders for free in this epic playbook!

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Get THE TOP EMS LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES used by the best EMS Leaders FOR FREE IN THIS EPIC PLAYBOOK! 

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Here’s just some of the amazing speakers you’ll learn from in the Playbook and the EMS Leadership SUMMIT...

New & Returning Featured Speakers

I. David Daneils, Ph.D., CSD, 

Author: Psychological Hazards Are Real

Thats Not Leadership! Breaking the Myths That Lead to Burnout

This presentation will take a look at the evolution of leadership and identify outdated practices that have masqueraded as leadership, but they are actually bullying. narcissism or psychopathy.

Dr. Daniels is an occupational health and safety professional and thought leader, the Founder and CEO of ID2 Solutions, LLC, and the host of the Psych Health and Safety USA podcast. He is the author of Psychosocial Hazards Are Real, which is one of the first books to examine psychological health and safety from an occupational health and safety perspective.

Dr. Daniels holds a Bachelor of Science in Fire Services Administration, a master’s degree in human resources management, and a Ph.D. in Occupational Health and Safety. 

Dr. Megan McElheran,
Clinical Psychologist and CEO

Piloting embedded mental health supports in Emergency Services

The presentation will speak to how Wayfound engaged with a large organization who was tasked to provide wildfire support, including coordination of resources and fire suppression, to embed mental health supports throughout the wildfire season. We had mental health professionals who deployed to fire camps to be on the ground with fire suppression personnel, including firefighters, paramedics, engineers, etc., to provide in-the-milieu mental health supports to those who were engaged in frontline work. This is a novel approach to taking care of those working in a high-demand, high-stress environment. The presentation will discuss how the program came to be, what the training and deployment involved and the feedback gathered regarding the impact of the program.

Dr. McElheran is a clinical psychologist who is focused on developing, disseminating and evaluating novel interventions to support trauma-exposed professionals maintain their psychological wellness throughout their careers. She is the developer of the Before Operational Stress and Trauma-Informed Leadership programs. She continues to practice as a psychologist and embeds the learnings from those working on the frontline and in leadership positions to program development. Dr. McElheran is engaged routinely domestically and internationally to speak about proactive ways employers can take care of the psychological wellbeing of their personnel.

Amera Gilchrist, Chief of EMS, Pittsburgh Bureau of EMS

Reimagining EMS & Removing the "Status Quo" mentality

With less than two years in her position as EMS Chief, her department has addressed staffing challenges head-on, including making the workplace more diversity and equitable for those serving the city.  The Chief reveals their successful Freedom House EMT Academy for training and onboarding new dedicated members of their team and will share the numbers behind their initiatives. 

Amera Gilchrist is the Chief of EMS for the Pittsburgh Bureau of EMS, bringing over 26 years of experience in prehospital care and more than a decade of leadership managing a bureau of over 200 personnel. She began her career as an EMT in 1999 and advanced to paramedic within nine months, a journey shaped by resilience and determination.

Chief Gilchrist is committed to challenging the status quo, expanding opportunities within EMS, and removing barriers for others pursuing a career in prehospital care, while continuing to serve and strengthen the community she leads.

Lillian Bonsignore, 
Fire Comissioner, FDNY

Inside FDNY: Confronting Burnout, Pay Gaps, and the Future of EMS Leadership

With over 1.6 million EMS calls annually, the FDNY operates at a scale few systems face—while navigating the same workforce challenges impacting EMS nationwide.

In this session, Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore shares how leadership is responding to burnout, staffing shortages, and pay disparities—and what it takes to build a more sustainable EMS system.

A candid conversation on what needs to change—and how leaders can drive it.

Lillian Bonsignore, the 37th Fire Commissioner of the FDNY, began her career as an EMT in 1991 at Station 14 in the South Bronx. She responded to the 9/11 attacks as an EMS Academy instructor and advanced through the ranks, becoming a Lieutenant in 2005, Paramedic in 2007, and Captain in 2010. She later served as Deputy Chief and, in 2016, Chief of the EMS Academy, overseeing training for 13,000 members. Appointed Chief of EMS in 2019, she became the first woman to hold a four‑star EMS rank and led FDNY EMS through the COVID‑19 pandemic. She retired in 2022.

Asbel Montes,
Managing Partner of Solutions Group

Communicating with Intention: Creating Sustainable Impact

Clarity is a leadership discipline that drives trust, speed, and results. This session challenges leaders to say what is real—not what is convenient—by communicating early, removing language that dilutes accountability, and addressing disagreement with intention. Participants will explore how honest, direct communication strengthens teams and accelerates execution. Rather than avoiding conflict, effective leaders handle it with courage and clarity. This presentation equips attendees with practical strategies to move beyond survival mode and lead with transparency, confidence, and sustainable impact.

Asbel is a nationally recognized expert in healthcare revenue cycle operations and co-founder of Solutions Group Services, a tech-enabled consultancy helping healthcare systems recover revenue, streamline workflows, and reduce manual work.
With 20+ years of experience across EMS and hospital-based care, Asbel partners with CFOs and operational leaders to solve complex challenges—from denial trends to policy shifts—with practical, real-world strategies.
He also brings deep policy expertise, having chaired federal advisory committees and testified before Congress to help shape smarter reimbursement models. Known for his clarity and candor, Asbel bridges strategy with execution to drive lasting results.

Mark Tenia
Public Relations/Media Manager

Panel: Utilizing Your Communication Toolkit, Old Tools and New

Effective communication is essential for emergency medical services (EMS) agencies to build trust, share critical information, and strengthen relationships with the communities they serve. This session, “Utilizing Your Communication Toolkit, Old Tools and New,” explores both traditional and emerging public relations strategies that help EMS leaders and communicators deliver clear, accurate, and engaging messages. Participants will review foundational PR tools—such as media pitching, press release templates, email newsletters, social media planning, and simple design platforms like Canva—to streamline outreach and maintain a consistent voice. The session will also introduce modern tools, including artificial intelligence (AI), demonstrating how they can support content creation, brainstorming, and workflow efficiency. Importantly, the course will address the limitations and risks of AI—such as inaccuracies, lack of empathy in messaging, and the potential for fabricated or misleading information—while emphasizing the continued need for human oversight, professional judgment, and ethical communication practices in EMS public relations.

Mark is an experienced broadcast journalist who now serves as the Public Relations Manager for the Richmond Ambulance Authority. His passion for helping promote prehospital providers through storytelling shines through. He is a returning speaker to the EMS Leadership Summit and has brought together an expert panel of our industry's top communications specialist where we can all learn how to grow awareness of our industry.

Alexia Jobson, NREMT, APR
Director of Public Relations

Panel: Utilizing Your Communication Toolkit, Old Tools and New

Effective communication is essential for emergency medical services (EMS) agencies to build trust, share critical information, and strengthen relationships with the communities they serve. This session, “Utilizing Your Communication Toolkit, Old Tools and New,” explores both traditional and emerging public relations strategies that help EMS leaders and communicators deliver clear, accurate, and engaging messages. Participants will review foundational PR tools—such as media pitching, press release templates, email newsletters, social media planning, and simple design platforms like Canva—to streamline outreach and maintain a consistent voice. The session will also introduce modern tools, including artificial intelligence (AI), demonstrating how they can support content creation, brainstorming, and workflow efficiency. Importantly, the course will address the limitations and risks of AI—such as inaccuracies, lack of empathy in messaging, and the potential for fabricated or misleading information—while emphasizing the continued need for human oversight, professional judgment, and ethical communication practices in EMS public relations.

Alexia 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. Alexia holds an Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) - a certification which asserts professional competence, high ethical standards and mastery of progressive public relations industry practices. She is a Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician, a certified emergency medical/fire dispatcher, and a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno’s Reynold’s School of Journalism. She serves as the Chair of the American Ambulance Association’s Communications Committee and is a member of the AIMHI Public Relations Committee. 

Rob Lawrence
Communications Chair

Panel: Utilizing Your Communication Toolkit, Old Tools and New

Effective communication is essential for emergency medical services (EMS) agencies to build trust, share critical information, and strengthen relationships with the communities they serve. This session, “Utilizing Your Communication Toolkit, Old Tools and New,” explores both traditional and emerging public relations strategies that help EMS leaders and communicators deliver clear, accurate, and engaging messages. Participants will review foundational PR tools—such as media pitching, press release templates, email newsletters, social media planning, and simple design platforms like Canva—to streamline outreach and maintain a consistent voice. The session will also introduce modern tools, including artificial intelligence (AI), demonstrating how they can support content creation, brainstorming, and workflow efficiency. Importantly, the course will address the limitations and risks of AI—such as inaccuracies, lack of empathy in messaging, and the potential for fabricated or misleading information—while emphasizing the continued need for human oversight, professional judgment, and ethical communication practices in EMS public relations.

Rob Lawrence is the director of strategic implementation for PRO EMS and its educational arm, Prodigy EMS, in Cambridge, MA. He previously served as the COO of the Richmond Ambulance Authority (Virginia). Additionally, he served as COO for Paramedics Plus in Alameda County, California. Prior to emigrating to the U.S, Rob served as the COO for the East of England Ambulance Service in Suffolk, England. He is also the Part Time Executive Director of the California Ambulance Association. Rob is also the President of AIMHI and former Board Member of the American Ambulance Association.

Chris Smetana 
President of Mind the Frontline

The 60–90 Second Check-In. Simple Leadership Moves That Actually Work

In EMS, we train the ABCs because simple steps get used under stress—and mental health needs the same approach. This session gives first responder leaders a practical, repeatable framework for real-world check-ins that don’t require a title, a patch, or a peer support certification. You’ll learn the Leadership ABCs of mental health: how to Ask & Approach in a low-pressure way, Be Present & Believe without fixing or diagnosing, and Clarify Next Steps so support turns into action. You’ll leave with an easy 60–90 second script you can use immediately, plus clear guidance on how to recognize red flags and respond appropriately when someone may be in crisis.

Chris Smetana is a critical care transport paramedic, clinical educator, and author with 25+ years of public safety experience. He serves as the Medical Education & Program Manager at North American Rescue, leading online course development, LMS support, and accreditation work, and is the Founder and President/CEO of Mind the Frontline, a nonprofit focused on first responder mental health and wellness. With a background in flight and critical care transport, Chris has authored EMS education resources including the Flight Medical Provider Study Guide, and holds NREMT-Paramedic, FP-C, and CCP-C credentials.

Molly McCann-Pineo, PhD, EMT 
Northwell Health EMS Researcher

Putting Responders First: Overview of the Project FiRST Trial

Provide details on what Project First is, which is a large, multi-site efficacy trial of workers resilience training funded by the National Institute for Mental Health

Dr. McCann-Pineo, PhD, MS, is the Senior Director of Clinical Research for Emergency Medicine at Northwell Health and holds faculty appointments at Zucker School of Medicine. A clinical epidemiologist and licensed EMT, she earned her PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Rochester.

Her research focuses on mental and behavioral health disorders in prehospital and emergency medicine contexts, particularly for occupational and general cohorts. Current work includes a multi-site randomized clinical trial evaluating Disaster Workers Resilience Training for first responders. She also leads grant-funded efforts to integrate social risk factor documentation in prehospital EMRs and has published on the experiences of female EMS clinicians.

Nick Carson
FP-C, CCP-C, TP-C, NRP, B.S.

Eject Eject Eject - Strategies for Identifying Insidious Mental Health Obstacles

This lecture is an overview of operational burnout of frontline professionals. Strategies for identifying and arresting insidious mental health obstacles are addressed using statistics from studies around workplace wellness. All proceeds from this lecture will go to Mind the Frontline, a mental health non-profit working to support wellness of frontline responders and their families.

Nick is a Flight Paramedic in New England. He owns Precision Training, LLC, and hosts the Code 321 Podcast. Nick is a national conference speaker specializing in training, safety systems, trauma care, leadership, and active threat response. Nick has authored multiple training programs across emergency response agencies and currently sits on his organization’s training committee. He has worked in the career fire service, municipal EMS, and critical care medicine. Nick also works for Mind the Frontline Inc. a 503(c) non-profit committed to the mental health and wellness of first responders.

Eric Chase, B/A, AAS, Shift Lead
EMSIMPROV

Protecting your Assets: Leadership Strategies that Create Longevity


Eric  is a nationally registered paramedic, educator, and founder of EMSIMPROV LLC and the EMSIMPROV Podcast. He holds a BA from Mercyhurst University, a Post-Secondary Teaching Certificate from the University of Colorado, and completed the Critical Care Paramedic Course at UMBC. With roles spanning Flight Paramedic, Clinical Services Manager, and Adjunct Faculty, Eric is a sought-after speaker at national EMS and leadership conferences. He has presented on leadership, resilience, and accountability at events like STARS of Life and Gathering of Eagles. A dedicated mentor, he teaches at OSU/OKC and actively contributes to EMS education and innovation.


Dr. Chris Cebollero
Cebollero & Associates Consulting Group

The Art of War for Leaders: Timeless Strategy for Today’s EMS

This session is based on Chirs' new book, The Art of War for Leaders. This class is a practical overview that translates Sun Tzu’s timeless strategy into real-world leadership tools for today’s supervisors, chiefs, and executives.
Drawing on lessons from military service, EMS command, and executive leadership, this session shows why many teams struggle not from lack of effort, but from poor positioning, unclear priorities, and avoidable conflict. Leaders will learn how to think ahead, manage energy, read their environment, and design systems where problems are prevented instead of fought.
This is not about aggression or theory—it is about judgment, preparation, and disciplined leadership that builds stronger teams, reduces friction, and delivers better results.

Chris Cebollero is an EMS leader, author and advocate. Chris is recognized as an international leadership specialist, multi number 1 best selling author, and is a sought after motivational speaker. Chris completed his Doctorate in Business Administration, and has his MBA with a Human Resources Concentration.

Duncan McConnell
Senior Lecturer, Griffith University & QLD Ambulance Service

Why Education is linked to operational readiness and response

Join Lisa as she speaks with Duncan about the importance of why education plays a key role in operational readiness and delivery within paramedicine and healthcare. Often the forgotten department, with the least amount of funding or recognition, without it, most organisations would not be able to maintain staff development, improve patient care delivery skills or leadership development, to maintain or develop their operational readiness.

Duncan has over 29 years of experience in prehospital care and emergency services, working as a paramedic, educator, and leader. He has developed and implemented paramedicine programs at Griffith University and Charles Darwin University, and has worked with governments and organisations in the Maldives, Mongolia, and Papua New Guinea to enhance healthcare delivery. Duncan is also actively involved in global paramedicine education and professional organisations.

Dr. Carol Cunningham, MD
Ohio State EMS Medical Director

Suffering in Silence, The Deadly Effect of Stoicism on EMS

 For the general public, EMS clinicians are often viewed as the super heroes saving lives and are ever present on the worst day of one’s life. However, the statistics demonstrate that, unlike Clark Kent who removes his Superman cape following the completion of a mission, the stoicism that exists within our profession is unhealthy and potentially deadly. This is a true emergency that needs to be urgently addressed in an effective, professional, and compassionate manner.

Dr. Cunningham is the State Medical Director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, Division of EMS, Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Northeast Ohio Medical University, and a board-certified emergency physician. She completed the Center for Homeland Defense and Security’s Executive Leadership Program and is the recipient of the 2021 University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Distinguished Alumni Award and the 2012 American Academy of Emergency Medicine James Keaney Leadership Award. She earned the Executive Certificate in Public Leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School of Executive Education and was selected as the 2021 National Preparedness Leadership Initiative Meta-Leader of the Year.

Mic Gunderson, EMT-P (Ret), FAEMS
Center for Systems Improvement &
EMS Quality Academy

The Potential Harms and Benefits in Use of Artificial Intelligence in EMS Quality Management

AI tools are already starting to come into EMS quality management. They have the potential to dramatically improve workflows, feedback, and outcomes. They can pose significant risks. This session will help inform EMS leaders on how to get the benefits while reducing the risks.

Mic has been involved in EMS since 1975 in various clinical, teaching, leadership, and consulting roles with third service, fire, private, and military EMS systems, research teams, colleges, EMS medical direction groups, professional associations, and consulting firms. He is currently the President of the Center for Systems Improvement and the EMS Quality Academy. He is also the Chief Strategy Officer for the Cambridge Consulting Group and serves as the Editor-In-Chief of the International Journal of Paramedicine.

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