By Leila Merrill
MARCO ISLAND, Fla. — Award winners and scholarship recipients were announced at the Pinnacle EMS 2022 leadership conference last week, as well as a new scholarship from Fitch & Associates.
David E. Nelson won the Pinnacle Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to emergency medical services over the course of their career.
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“David was instrumental in developing and growing our ASM and CCM programs. He has made a huge impact on our profession and has inspired hundreds of EMS leaders over the years. He is compassionate, encouraging and to know him is a true honor,” said Jay Fitch, PhD, founding partner of Fitch & Associates and co-chair of the Pinnacle Program Committee.
Nelson recently retired after providing 26 years of service with Fitch & Associates as a consultant, trainer, and appreciative inquiry coach.
James Campbell received the Pinnacle Emerging EMS Leader Award, which honors rising executives in EMS who demonstrate excellence in the profession.
He serves as chief of EMS for Montgomery County Hospital District, a 2021 EMS Provider of the Year.
2022-2023 scholarship recipients:
- Ray Sullivan and Kelly Carlson, Ambulance Service Manager (ASM) program scholarship
- Amanda Lynn Thomas, Degree Completion scholarship
- David Luther Kopperud, 2023 Pinnacle EMS Leadership Forum scholarship and American College of Paramedic Executives (ACPE) scholarship
- David Blevins, National EMS Management Association (NEMSMA) scholarship
- Andrew Casey, Desiree Easley, Luis Antonio Soler, and Wilma Monroe-Montgomery, Leader Mentoring Program scholarship.
- Matt Parrish has also been named the first fellow of the Jack Stout EMS Fellowship.
In his general session, Jay Fitch, Ph.D., spoke about the importance of mentors and introduced the James O. Page Legacy Scholarship.
“Jim was a larger-than-life figure in our profession,” he said. “Still, he never hesitated to reach out and help me in every step of my early career. Now we have a way of recognizing him through the James O. Page Legacy Scholarship, endowed by our friends at Hartwell Medical.”
Page had a huge influence on EMS and the fire service, Fitch said.
“As an attorney, fire chief, state EMS director and founding publisher of JEMS, among many other roles, Jim ushered in new ways of thinking about this new healthcare provider called a paramedic,” he said.