Kristy Van Hoven

Kristy Van Hoven joined The National EMS Museum team in late 2018 and is currently serving as the Director of The National EMS Museum (NEMSM). In partnership with the Museum’s Board of Directors, she is leading the charge for NEMSM to grow into the national museum dedicated to preserving the legacy and stories of early pre-hospital care while inspiring a future generation of EMS professionals through engaging exhibitions, research, and programs. Concurrently, Kristy is pursuing a doctoral degree in which she is studying the effect museum programs and collections have on the health and wellbeing of those suffering brain trauma and how partnerships between medical professionals and museums can create a network of care for patients and practitioners beyond the clinical walls.

Todd Stout

Todd Stout, President of FirstWatch and the recipient of a JEMS EMS 10 Innovator Award, a Pinnacle Leadership Award, and the Dr. Jeff Clawson Leadership Award has extensive experience in multiple aspects of EMS, including in the field, dispatch, management and public safety communications software. He began his career as an EMS Stock boy and has spent the last two decades focusing on helping public safety and health agencies improve operational performance, clinical care and situational awareness.

Keith Griffiths

Keith Griffiths is the founding partner of the RedFlash Group, an award-winning communications and marketing firm serving the public safety market. He was the founding editor JEMS, the Journal of Emergency Medical Services, where he worked with the late Jim Page to build Jems Communications, which included the EMS Today trade show, a book division, newsletters and other periodicals. He worked as Jack Stout’s editor for nearly 10 years during the 1980’s.

Jonathan Wahsko

Jonathan Washko, MBA, FACPE, NRP, AEMD has been involved in the EMS industry for over 30 years and has held progressive leadership positions with small, medium and large EMS systems and has worked with or for government, private, for-profit and not-for-profit entities. Mr. Washko is considered the leading industry expert on EMS system design, High Performance EMS concepts, Industry Best Practices, EMS Deployment, Lean Business Processes, System Status Management, Use of Technology, IP Development, EMS Economics and EMS Finance and is often called upon by EMS systems in crisis as well as those considered at the top of their game, in order to help transform these organizations to become the best they can be. Mr. Washko frequently speaks at national conferences, is a JEMS EMS10 Innovator award recipient, sits on various industry boards and advises EMS agencies and governments on an international basis on EMS Systems improvement.

Mike Taigman, MA

Mike uses more than four decades of experience to help EMS leaders and field personnel improve the care and service they provide to patients and their communities. Mike is the improvement guide for FirstWatch and a nationally recognized author and speaker. He was the facilitator for the national EMS Agenda 2050 project and teaches improvement science in the Master’s in Healthcare Administration and Interprofessional Leadership program at the University of California San Francisco. He will serve as host and facilitator for Conversations that Matter.

Rob Lawrence, MCMI

Rob has part-time roles as Director of Strategic Implementation for Pro EMS of Cambridge, Mass. and the Executive Director of the California Ambulance Association. Rob is also the Principal of Robert Lawrence Consulting. Rob served as the California COO with Paramedics Plus after nine years as the COO of the Richmond Ambulance Authority. Prior to that, he was the COO for Suffolk as part of the East of England Ambulance Service. He is a graduate of the UK’s Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, serving for 23 years as a Medical Support Officer. Rob is the Communications Committee Chair of the American Ambulance Association, a member of the EMS World Advisory Board, and an accomplished writer, broadcaster and international speaker.