Priority Ambulance Leadership Foundation announces EMS Leadership of Tomorrow Class of 2019

The Priority Ambulance Leadership Foundation announced today that six emergency medical services (EMS) professionals from throughout the nation have been selected to represent the Foundation’s inaugural EMS Leadership of Tomorrow Class of 2019.

“We are extremely pleased with the caliber of candidates we have selected for the first year of our executive leadership training program,” said Board Chairman Bryan Gibson.  “Our candidates represent a broad cross-section of EMS career stages, and each has a compelling commitment to rising as an executive leader within this profession.”

Foundation President Gary Coker added, “We want to congratulate each candidate for dedicating their careers to EMS and for following their aspirations and goals to become a leader in this industry. The Foundation was founded from a belief that we have a responsibility to foster the next generation of EMS leaders, and we believe we have selected an outstanding Class of 2019.”

The EMS Leadership of Tomorrow program gets under way this spring in Knoxville, Tennessee, with the first of four weeklong course modules designed to provide real-life experiences, scenarios and business challenges. Additionally, each student will be paired with a business and industry mentor throughout the year.

EMS Leadership of Tomorrow Class of 2019

The following EMS professionals have been selected to participate in the 2019 EMS Leadership of Tomorrow executive training program:

Celina Bradsby, Marketing & Customer Relations Manager, Priority Ambulance, Knoxville, TN – Bradsby has worked in the EMS field for 10 years, starting her career in 2008 as a quality assurance specialist and dispatcher for American Medical Response. In 2009, she joined Rural/Metro Ambulance in the role of BLS system coordinator and dispatcher, where she was employed until 2012 when she was hired by First Call Ambulance as marketing manager.

Bradsby joined Priority Ambulance in February 2014 in her current role as marketing and customer relations manager. Her current position requires her to plan and implement marketing programs that target hospital and healthcare facility clients (current and future), in addition to acting as the primary liaison between customer facilities and operations.

Bradsby graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Colorado Technical University. She also holds EMS professional certifications, including Certified Advanced Emergency Medical Dispatcher and Advanced EMD QA/QI.

David Hearl, Operations Manager, Medshore Ambulance, West Columbia, SC – David Hearl has spent more than two decades in the emergency medical services field, achieving his paramedic certification in 1997. He began serving in management roles in 2001, when he became a paramedic Crew Chief in 1997 with Lexington EMS in 2001. In 2009, Hearl accepted a position with Medshore Ambulance as Paramedic Crew Chief, and shortly thereafter was promoted to Assistant Operations Supervisor.

 Hearl was named Medshore’s Operations Supervisor in 2012, where he is responsible for planning, coordinating and directing all field personnel, daily operations, employee training and long-term strategic planning for the company’s Columbia, SC operation. He is a vocal advocate for making safety the highest priority of his operation and is a decorated U.S. Army veteran.

Jason Payne, Director of Operations, Maricopa Ambulance, Phoenix, AZ – Jason Payne’s professional EMS career began more than 20 years ago, with his paramedic certification and his role as a paramedic for Southwest Ambulance from 1995 to 2016. In 2016, Payne joined Maricopa Ambulance as part of the startup management team. Today, he is responsible for all interfacility operations, including staffing, system status management and inventory control.

Payne is a longtime Phoenix resident and U.S. Army veteran. Additionally, from 1996 to 2016, Jason served in various leadership roles within the International Association of Fire Fighters Union, including Local I-60 president. He has served as a member of the Committee for Protocols, Medications and Medical Devices for the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) and was the 2007 winner of the ADHS paramedic skills competition.

Payne also founded a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that supports EMTs and paramedics experiencing financial challenges. He is an advocate for water safety awareness, breast cancer awareness and U.S. military troop support.

Travis Spencer, Paramedic/Community Paramedic, Payette County Paramedics, Caldwell, ID – For 18 years, Travis Spencer has dedicated his career to EMS as a certified paramedic, community paramedic and licensed practical nurse in Payette County, Idaho. In 2006, Spencer joined Canyon County Paramedics in Southwest Idaho as a paramedic where he provided ALS 911 level of care, as well as non-emergency transport services. In his 10-year tenure there, he also served as assistant supervisor, field training officer and reserve mentor.

In 2016, Spencer joined Payette County Paramedics as a paramedic/community paramedic where he was integral in developing the agency’s Community Paramedic Program. His responsibilities included preparing grant submissions, providing treatment and resources to patients in non-emergent settings, and gather data for various state initiatives. Spencer is a vocal advocate for identifying innovative solutions for rural health service delivery and was named a 2018 Idaho Rural Health Hero by the Idaho Rural Health Association.

Spencer is also an instructor for the Community EMT/AEMT program at Idaho State University; is a member of the Crisis Center Workgroup that assisted in the development of a mental health crisis center in Canyon County; and successfully applied and was awarded a telehealth grant in Payette County from the state of Idaho for innovative healthcare design.

Spencer holds multiple EMS-related professional certifications, including tactical emergency casualty, flight paramedic, ACLS, PALS, neonatal resuscitation, critical incident stress debriefing and emergency neurological life support.

James Simmons, Director of Business Development, Seals Ambulance, Indianapolis, IN – James Simmons embarked on his career in EMS shortly after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, during which he “gained a deep respect for EMS professionals.” That career has spanned 16 years as a marketing and business leader for Seals Ambulance in Indianapolis, Indiana, where today he is responsible for acquiring and maintaining new business and ensuring the needs and expectations of all customers and facilities are being met.

Prior to joining Seals Ambulance, Simmons was marketing manager for Promotus Advertising, a leading Indiana advertising agency, where worked from 2001-2002. He is a 2001 graduate of Purdue University with a bachelor’s degree in advertising/marketing.

Simmons’ current and former professional affiliations include the Indiana EMS Association, American Advertising Federation, Habitat for Humanity and the John H. Bonner Center. He has also served as a campaign assistant for various political campaigns over the years.

About Priority Ambulance Leadership Foundation

The Priority Ambulance Leadership Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the next generation of EMS managers, executives and entrepreneurs. The Foundation’s mission is to bridge the gap that exists in national management training and mentorship programs for EMS professionals. The Foundation provides a year-long educational training and mentoring program to promising leadership candidates, accessing industry experts and resources to provide a premier EMS leadership training experience for graduates of its EMS Leadership of Tomorrow course. The Foundation also provides public education programs in basic life-saving and first-aid skills.

Thanks to our 2019 platinum, gold and silver sponsors for their generous support of our efforts to provide EMS leadership training and other community programs throughout the year. Platinum sponsors: HUB International, North Eastern Rescue Vehicles and Wheeled Coach/REV Group. Gold sponsors: Enhanced Healthcare Partners and ZOLL. Silver sponsors: AVESTA, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, Insight Mobile Data, MidSouth Solutions, Paycor and Safe Drive Systems Inc.

For more information, please visit www.priorityleadershipfoundation.org.