Dear Fellow American Ambulance Association Members,

Working on your behalf, first on the AAA board, then as president, has been the capstone of my 45-year EMS career. Both the past and future are on my mind as my term as your president draws to a close tomorrow.

On November 15, 2022, a few dozen mobile healthcare leaders converged on Capitol Hill in what has become an annual tradition, of sorts. Our purpose was to convince lawmakers to include our Medicare extenders in their year-end budget package. I had the opportunity at dinner that evening to discuss my upcoming presidency. Surrounded by colleagues, I relayed that my father, an incredibly industrious entrepreneur who’d died just a year earlier after a long battle with dementia, would have thought I was crazy for seeking a position that required so much work and travel with no compensation. Despite his reservations, my father would have asked me if the role was important to me and, once assured of my sincerity and sanity, he would have told me to “do a good job.”

It sounds simple, right? Do a good job. But nothing about what we do in EMS is simple. However, the past two years proved that together, we can achieve great things. During some of the most challenging healthcare times in modern history, you rose to meet every test. Together, we supported one another through workforce shortages, a global pandemic, natural disasters, and countless day-to-day emergencies with unwavering compassion and skill.

I want to start by expressing my eternal thanks to the staff (team) of our association who are some of the most amazing folks I have had the opportunity to work with in my career. I could fill pages with stories of their accomplishments and abilities working with “presidents” who have magical ideas. For me, the most important skills they brought to the table were their dedication, knowledge, caring, and friendship. I owe much to all of them.

Doing a good job is also challenging when strong leaders come before you and leave such large shoes to fill. When I stepped into this role, I inherited a torch passed down by previous AAA presidents—Shawn Baird, Aarron Reinert, and Mark Postma, to name just a few—who established a solid foundation for advocacy, innovation, and patient-centered care. In 2023 and 2024, we continued that tradition by making critical strides on reimbursement reform, Medicare and VA initiatives, and the effort near and dear to my heart to bring new faces to leadership roles in our association. Many of you generously volunteered your time and expertise to support these goals. Together, we secured legislative victories, strengthened our profession’s voice, and built a platform for future progress.

None of this would have been possible without the involvement, support, and encouragement of you—our members, volunteer leaders, and industry partners. Thank you for entrusting me with this responsibility and for giving me the opportunity to serve. Together, we will continue to elevate the essential services we provide.

While I look back with gratitude, I am equally energized about what lies ahead. It’s time to pass the torch once again. On January 1, 2025, the presidency will transfer to our esteemed colleague, Jamie Pafford-Gresham, whom I have had the privilege of calling a friend and colleague for more than 20 years. Please join me in congratulating and welcoming Jamie as our new president. Her passion, leadership, and unwavering dedication to the EMS professional will propel our association forward, guiding us to even greater accomplishments. I encourage you to lend Jamie and the 2025 board your full support and participation as they champion the AAA’s vision and values this legislative session.

On a personal note, I would also like to thank my family for their endless patience during long days and nights away for Congressional meetings and association events. Loved ones who are willing to keep the home fires burning make the challenges we face and time away more bearable. I’d be remiss if I also didn’t recognize the incredible support provided by my colleagues at Global Medical Response. I would never have been able to dedicate the time and resources to AAA without 100% commitment from the senior leadership in my organization.

Thank you again for your partnership over the past two years. There’s no world in which I could have met my father’s expectations – much less yours – single-handedly. I look forward to celebrating and contributing to the association’s continued success.

With deep appreciation, and wishing you a very happy New Year… Dad, I think I did a good job, thank you for all you taught me…

Randy Strozyk
President (2023–2024)
American Ambulance Association