Blake Rogers is an early career hospitalist and critical care PA practicing in southside Virginia. He is a 2018 graduate of the James Madison University PA Program. Blake earned his DMSc in 2023 from the University of Lynchburg. Additionally, Blake is on the PA Medicine Advisory Board for the University of Lynchburg PA Program and teaches as an Adjunct Faculty for their DMSc program.

Amanda Fleenor currently serves as the Director of Didactic Education and as a Principal Faculty member for the Emory and Henry College School of Health Sciences Department of Physician Assistant Studies. She has a love for providing medical care to rural and underserved populations and was the full time clinician employed at the Mel Leaman Free Clinic in Marion, VA prior to becoming a full time PA educator. She still volunteers there and enjoys working with the clinics patients, clinic staff, volunteer medical providers, students, and other various clinic volunteers.

Amanda is a native of Washington County, Virginia. She attended Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee where she earned a B.S. degree in Biology and graduated as valedictorian. Upon the completion of her undergraduate degree she remained at LMU, joining the Physician Assistant program at the DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine. She graduated from the program in 2015 with a Masters of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies.

She is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, the Physician Assistant Education Association, the Virginia Academy of Physician Assistants, and the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved. She was awarded Physician Assistant of the Year by the Virginia Academy of Physician Assistants in 2020.

Kim Ford is currently the Orthopedic Technician Team Lead for Carilion Clinic Orthopedics. He has been with the Carilion Health System for 30 years and has been working with the Orthopedic Department for the past 20 years doing casting, splinting, and bracing.

He is currently over all of Carilion's Orthopedic Clinics and works with Jefferson College of Health Sciences and their Physician Assistant program providing a casting/splinting beginner course, and as as clinical instructor during the students' Orthopedic rotation. He is also very active in teaching casting and splinting classes for any interested Orthopedic practices.

Harry L. Gewanter, MD, FAAP, MACR 2022-2023 President, The Medical Society of Virginia Harry L. Gewanter, MD, FAAP, MACR of Richmond, Virginia is a board-certified pediatrician. A graduate of Duke University and the Wayne State University School of Medicine, he completed his training at the University of Rochester/Strong Memorial Hospital where he remained until moving to Richmond. He has practiced in a variety of settings including private pediatric practices, public clinics as well as community, university and pediatric specialty hospitals. With two colleagues he founded Medical Home Plus, Inc, a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting families of children with any chronic or disabling condition with appropriate information, services and support and serves as its Medical Director. He has been a member and held leadership positions in a variety of national, state, and local committees and organizations, both professional, patient and community based and is the current President of the Medical Society of Virginia. His agenda for his presidency includes a focus on physician and PA mental health and wellness, developing and supporting new programs designed to better the lives of physicians and patients, and to uphold MSV's overall goal to make Virginia the best place to practice medicine and receive care.

David W. Munter, M.D., MBA, FACEP Dr. Munter retired as a Captain from the US Navy in 2004 after a distinguished career and is considered one of the founders of Emergency Medicine in the Navy. The training program he established produced five Physicians to the President, two admirals, a congressman and a Surgeon General. He then worked for 15 years as a partner with Emergency Physicians of Tidewater. Now in his third career, he has practiced addiction medicine, and now wound care and Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy. He has published or edited over 60 textbook chapters and books, was a member of the National Board of Medical Examiners, is a reviewer for several publications including Annals of Emergency Medicine, has garnered multiple awards and honors, and has given hundreds of presentations around the world on a variety of topics.

Vanessa Taylor graduated from Weill Cornell University Physician Assistant Program with a Masters of Science in 2010. She has spent her career practicing as a PA in abdominal transplant surgery. Following graduation she joined the liver and small bowel transplant team at NYP Columbia Hospital. She then went on to join the liver, kidney, and pancreas transplant team at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC. During her time at Duke she sought additional training to assist on organ procurements as a perfusionist for the OrganOx Metra normothermic perfusion pump.

In 2018, Vanessa moved to Richmond VA and joined the abdominal solid organ transplant team at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) medical center.

Vanessa is passionate about education and has been a clinical preceptor for PA students at Cornell University, Duke University, and Shenandoah University PA programs. While at Duke she helped to create and serve as the first program director for the PA Transplant fellowship. She has been a guest lecturer at Weill Cornell and South University PA programs.

Jeanine Gargiulo is a Virginia native who attended Saint Francis University in Pennsylvania where she graduated with her Bachelor of Health Science and Master of Physician Assistant Science degrees. Jeanine practiced full-time at the Anderson Orthopedic Clinic for 13+ years where she participated in clinical duties, research studies and international Operation Walk medical mission trips. In 2020, she graduated with her Doctorate of Medical Science certificate in PA education from the University of Lynchburg. Jeanine recently transitioned to part-time clinical practice after joining the University of Maryland's PA program as a member of their full-time faculty last year. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, fostering dogs, and teaching fitness classes at her local gym.

Alicia Quella is the Director of Communications and PA Relations at the NCCPA. She has served as a PA educator and has practiced in emergency medicine and primary care. She has served as an epidemiologist during the pandemic and has published research on the PA workforce, global health and issues affecting diversity in PA program admissions. Alicia earned her Masters of PA Studies degree and her doctoral degree in epidemiology from the University of Iowa.

Dennis Rivenburgh, MS, ATC, PA-C, DFAAPA has been practicing as a PA since 1997 when he graduated from the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences Physician Assistant Program. He is currently working as a PA in Sports Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University. Prior to that he served as the Program Director of the Anne Arundel Community College/University of Maryland Baltimore Collaborative Physician Assistant Program. He has also worked as a PA in Primary Care/Sports Medicine, concussion medicine and Emergency Medicine.

Mr. Rivenburgh has extensive lecture experience both nationally and internationally. Dennis has been a preceptor and clinical instructor throughout his career. Mr. Rivenburgh is also a certified athletic trainer. Mr. Rivenburgh currently serves as an advisor to the AAPA Governance Commission; he has been a member of the AAPA and MDAPA CME Conference Planning Committee and former Chair of the AAPA Judicial Affairs and Governance Commissions. At Johns Hopkins he serves on the Opioid Stewardship Task Force and the Advanced Practice Provider Advisory Council Education Committee.

Kevin began his PA practice in 2011 while serving in the U.S. Coast Guard and retired from service in 2021. While mainly practicing primary care for the Coast Guard Kevin also worked part-time in a community ER, and Urgent Care. After completing a second master's degree in Public Health he shifted his focus to the treatment of addiction and earned his X-waiver in 2018. He practiced residential and outpatient addiction medicine at The Farley Center in Williamsburg, and the Master Center in Hampton. In 2022 he took on a new role at the Hampton VA where he manages the facility opioid safety initiates and treat Veterans with complex pain and addiction.

Dr. Johana Fajardo currently serves a nurse practitioner at the Duke Precision Cardiomyopathy
program. She obtained her Doctorate in Nursing Practice from the University of Maryland and
has dedicated her clinical and academic work to building Centers of Excellence to deliver
specialized care to the Amyloidosis and Sarcoidosis populations. Dr. Fajardo has participated
as a keynote speaker at national and international medical symposiums and served as editor in
chief and writer of textbooks and journal articles. Her research is focused on the implementation
of translational and organizational research to address specific issues in clinical practice and
patient care delivery. She has served in the capacity of principal investigator, co-investigator,
task leader, and technical consultant on projects supported by the government, industry, and
international funding sources. She is a Certified Heart Failure Nurse, a Fellow of the Heart
Failure Society of America, and serves at multiple committees in both Nursing and Medical
organizations. During her time off, she enjoys outdoor activities including hiking, paddle
boarding, and world travel.

Kim Zuber, PA-C spends her time traveling and teaching 'all things kidney' with over 300 oral presentations, 64 peer-reviewed articles, 8 guest editorships. She volunteers clinically as a consultant for a senior citizen group and is the executive editor for PA Clinics.

Kim graduated from UCSD with a bachelor's in molecular biology, picked up a teaching credential at San Diego State University and taught high school for many years. Deciding that medicine had to be easier than teaching teenagers, Kim attended the St. Louis University PA program.
Kim is an AAPA Distinguished Fellow and was selected as both the Renal Professional of the year and Outstanding PA of the Year in 2014

Dr. Henochowicz completed a combined B.S.-M.D. program in 1981, earning a B.S. degree in Chemistry, summa cum laude from C.U.N.Y. Brooklyn College and an M.D. degree from S.U.N.Y. Downstate Medical School. Dr. Henochowicz received an MBA in the Business of Medicine program at Johns Hopkins University. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Dr. Henochowicz is board certified in Internal Medicine and Allergy/Immunology. He is a former chief medical resident at the Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. He did his fellowship in Allergy/Immunology at the National Jewish Center and the University of Colorado. He is a former Assistant Clinical Professor at U.M.D.N.J. in New Brunswick, N.J. and a former Senior Staff Attending at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md.
Dr. Henochowicz is Clinical Professor in the Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology at Georgetown University Medical School. He is also an Assistant Professor of Medical Education at the University of Virginia Medical School. The practice is a teaching site for the University of Virginia Medical School, as well as the George Washington University and James Madison University Physician Assistant schools. Dr. Henochowicz is a former President of the Greater Washington Asthma, Allergy and Immunology Society. Dr. Henochowicz is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians (ACP). He is the Governor of the Virginia chapter. Dr. Henochowicz is married and has four children. He is proud to be Naomi, Pearl, and Lewis's grandfather. One more is on the way.

Dr. Kimberly Sapre (suh'- pray) is a Medical Consultant in the insurtech industry and has been a PA for 13 years. Before transitioning to nonclinical work, she worked as an Emergency Medicine PA at Inova Fairfax Medical Center in northern Virginia. Kimberly loves teaching and mentors pre-PAs and PA students. She is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Shenandoah University Doctor of Medical Science program where she is the Course Director for the Health Equity & Justice course. She is also starting her second term as the Chief Delegate for VAPA and as the Chair of the AAPA DEI Commission. She lives with her husband in Alexandria, VA, and enjoys reading fiction and birdwatching in her free time.

Shannon R. Duescher M.S, PA-C is the Lead Advanced Practice Provider for the Department of Neurosurgery at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, where she has worked for over 5 years. She has been practicing in the field of Neurosurgery and Orthopedic Spine surgery for nearly 10 years. She is also a guest lecturer for the George Washington University PA Program, assisting with their surgical section.

She is a member of the Georgetown Women in Medicine Committee, a group who works to promote a professional and academic culture which supports the advancement of medical women faculty.

She currently resides with her husband Matt in Arlington, VA. In her free time, she enjoys reading, exercising, and playing for her church band.

Mrs. Jadali is a seasoned clinician with over 14 years of neurosurgery and vascular surgery experience. She currently practices in a private pulmonary practice in Northern VA and holds a position as adjunct faculty in the PA program at the University of Pittsburgh.

Mrs. Jadali completed her Master's of Science in Physician Assistant Studies at Touro College in 2009 and then a Master's in Health Administration from the George Washington University in 2022. She holds multiple certifications including an APP Leadership Certification from the University of Pittsburgh, certifications as both an EPIC content builder and data analyst and a Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt. Mrs. Jadali has leveraged both her clinical and informatics background and business acumen to serve as a business consultant in her current practice decreasing waste and increasing both efficiencies and overall practice revenue.

In addition to working, she also serves as a board member on the NCCPA Health Foundation where she holds the position as the Chair of the Mental Health work group as well as the Logistics Chair for the national organization, Women in Healthcare. She recently completed a 2-year term as an inaugural board member of the APP governance board at Inova Health Systems where she was co-chair of the APP recruitment and retention subcommittee.

Mrs. Jadali is passionate about mentorship and career development for the professional advancement of physician assistants and is an active mentor to both pre-PA and PA students.

After finishing Medical School at the University of Virginia, I completed a Pulmonary Medicine fellowship at Vanderbilt. Our family returned to Virginia in 1987 and I have practiced Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine at Riverside Hospital in Newport News. I helped start the second Sleep Disorders Center in Hampton Roads in 1988. Since 2018 I have limited my practice to Sleep Disorders Medicine, and starting in 2022, our group began an Inspire Medical Systems hypoglossal nerve stimulation implant program.

Dr. Joshua Sill is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School, in Norfolk, VA. He is the Pulmonary Section Chief and Director of the region's only pulmonary and critical care fellowship program.

He has been integrally involved in the COVID-19 preparations for Sentara and EVMS. He works in the designated COVID-19 ICU at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.

Prior to coming to EVMS, Dr. Sill spent 11 years in the US Air Force, working in the School of Aerospace Medicine. While there he taught in numerous courses including the Department of Defense's Pandemic Influenza and Biological Warfare Preparedness Coarse.

He is currently involved in several ongoing research projects and clinical trials related to COVID-19.

Jacqi Kernaghan is a certified Physician Assistant and the Associate Director of the Osteoporosis Center of Delaware County with three office locations in southeast Pennsylvania. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (summa cum laude) and her Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Philadelphia University (now Jefferson University).

Jacqi serves as the leader for a four hospital Fracture Liaison Service for inpatient fracture patients and is responsible for outpatient care at all of the Osteoporosis Center sites, as well as organizing research studies for the practice. She is active as a speaker at national and regional conferences on topics concerning osteoporosis and other metabolic bone disease. She is a member of the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation, of which she is on the Ambassadors Leadership Council, as well as the Pennsylvania Society of Physician Assistants and the American Academy of Physician Assistants, where she has been actively volunteering for the profession for over 15 years. Most recently she became a distinguished fellow of the AAPA.

Sam Bernier is an attorney who represents and supports healthcare providers dealing all types of situations, including malpractice lawsuits, licensing board matters, and contract concerns.

Sam defends doctors, advanced practitioners, nurses, facilities, and other healthcare providers in medical negligence actions in state and federal courts, including those faced with Section 1983 civil rights claims. He also assists clients and with matters before their professional licensing board (including the Boards of Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine, and others). And he works with healthcare providers who have credentialling or contract issues (employment contracts, practice agreements, and partnership agreements).

Sam is a contributing author on two sections of Virginia CLE's treatise Medical Malpractice Law in Virginia: "Theories of Recovery and Defenses" and "Negotiation and Settlement." He also regularly publishes and presents on various topics related to civil defense litigation.

In 2022, Sam was named to the list of Virginia Super Lawyers®, an honor afforded to only 5% of Virginia attorneys. Previously, he was named to the Super Lawyers® Virginia Rising Star® list each year from 2016-2021, a selection reserved for just 2.5% of attorneys 40 or younger or having been in practice 10 years or less.

Cassie Elverum, Physician Assistant, graduated from Lynchburg College (now the University of Lynchburg) in 2017 and continued to the first ever civilian Doctoral Program for PA's at Lynchburg College, where she graduated in 2018. While obtaining her doctorate, she completed a fellowship in General Pediatrics at a Federally Qualified Health Center in Lynchburg, VA. Upon completion of her doctorate, Elverum returned to CHKD, where she had worked before PA school as a nursing assistant. Elverum learned about the Child Advocacy Center while working at CHKD before PA school and was excited to come and work for them, starting in 2018. Elverum also works as an Urgent Care PA at CHKD's Urgent Care System a few times a month.

Elverum enjoys lecturing to local medical students, residents, and PA students. She also enjoys educating community partners on Child Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse, and Neglect. Elverum co-authored a textbook chapter in Handbook of Interpersonal Violence and Abuse Across the Lifespan titled "Acute Sexual Evaluation of the Prepubertal Child” as well as co-authored a case report in the Journal of Forensic Sciences titled "Sudden death caused by ruptured brain arteriovenous malformation in an adolescent with autism spectrum disorder”.

Michelle Kerr has been a Physician Assistant for nearly 30 years, practicing initially in primary care and then expanding to urgent care. She has been at Atrium Health in NC for 13 years, practicing clinically in urgent care, and holding a leadership position within the organization. Michelle serves as an Assistant Specialty Medical Director responsible for 10 of the 30 Atrium Health Urgent Care locations, and as Chief APP (Advanced Practice Provider) for the entire Urgent Care division, advocating and representing over 120 APPs. She actively teaches, updates, and reviews the standard of care practiceses within the Atrium Healthcare system. She serves on several system-wide and interdisciplinary committees and strategy groups.
Michelle continues to serve as adjunct faculty at Rochester Institute of Technology's PA program for over 25 years, still returning yearly to lecture even after moving to NC.

Anthony A. Miller (Tony) is a Distinguished Professor and former director, Division of Physician Assistant Studies at Shenandoah University. He has over 42 years' experience in PA education and has held educational leadership positions including Associate Dean, School of Allied Health and Founding Chair, Department of PA Studies at the Medical College of Ohio (now University of Toledo). He has been a leader for state and national physician assistant professional associations including the President of the Physician Assistant Education Association) and President of the Ohio Association of Physician Assistants. He chaired the APAP Degree Task Force that in 2000 recommended PA education be delivered at the graduate level. He is currently a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Physician Assistant Education and the AAPA's Commission on Research and Strategic Initiatives.

Professor Miller was a trustee for the PA Foundation and former member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants' Leadership Advisory Commission, and the AAPA Education Council. He currently serves as board member the Medical Society of Virginia Foundation. Miller consults with New England Journal of Medicine Group on clinical reasoning related to their web-based clinical problem solving Healer product. He consults with educational institutions across the United States on matters of curriculum development, evaluation, and accreditation as well as PA program development. From 2012 through 2016, Mr. Miller served as the Chief Policy & Research Officer for the Physician Assistant Education Association based in Washington, DC.

He has created and lead several faculty development workshops for new faculty and emerging leaders in PA education. In October 2000, Mr. Miller received the Association of Physician Assistant Programs' Master Teacher Award. He has many scholarly articles and presentations including chapters in PA books. He was an editor of Lange's Q&A Physician Assistant Examination for editions two through six. He is one of the founders of the national student challenge bowl.

Scott Baute is a physician assistant who has been in the field of cardiology for 8 years with 7 of those years at George Washington University Hospital where he was the lead cardiology APP for the last three. He continues to work at George Washington but his full time role is at the National Institutes of Health performing research on low magnetic field strength MRIs. Before going into cardiology, he was a physician assistant in interventional radiology as well as outpatient internal medicine.

He has given lectures in cardiology at previous VAPA and AAPA conferences. He also regularly teaches physician assistant students and previously to nurses, medical students, and internal medicine residents.

Daniel Thibodeau DHSc, MHP, PA-C is a professor for the Physician Assistant and the Doctor of Medical Science Program at Eastern Virginia Medical School. Mr. Thibodeau is also the Director of Admissions for the PA Program. He clinically practices in cardiology and has clinical experience in emergency medicine and cardiac surgery. Mr. Thibodeau is an Eastern Virginia Medical School graduate, completing his Doctor of Health Sciences in 2021. Graduating in 1996, he holds a Master of Health Professions and his certificate of the physician assistant program from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. Mr. Thibodeau also holds two undergraduate degrees, one in Physical Education with a concentration in sports medicine from Radford University and a second baccalaureate in biology from Old Dominion University. His faculty duties include clinical medicine lectures, cardiovascular medicine, and EKG interpretation. Mr. Thibodeau has been lecturing nationally for greater than 20 years on a variety of topics, and the bulk of his presentations are related to cardiovascular medicine and professional workforce issues. He has worked with several national organizations, including the American Academy of Physician Assistants, and the American College of Physicians Foundation national steering committee on the Initiative on Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke Prevention. He was also part of the ACPF national steering committee on Acute Coronary Syndrome. Mr. Thibodeau is a native of Virginia and resides in Williamsburg, VA, with his wife and four children. He is an advisory board member to the Hampton Roads Salvation Army Area Command and volunteers with other local and international organizations.

Christopher Allen, PA-C, is a 2010 graduate of Mercer University's Physician Assistant program in Atlanta, GA. He worked in Emergency Medicine at Level 1 trauma centers in Richmond, Minneapolis, and Roanoke for six years before transitioning to Interventional Radiology in 2016. Chris has worked full-time clinically while serving as a preceptor for Radford University PA Program. He was awarded the VAPA 2021 PA Preceptor of the Year. He holds a faculty instructor appointment in the Department of Radiology at Virginia Tech-Carilion School of Medicine in Roanoke, VA. He is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Medical and Health Professions Education pursuing a concentration in Ultrasound and Imaging Education at Eastern Virginia Medical School. His research focuses on simulation-based mastery learning for integrating real-time ultrasound into bedside procedure completion.

Chris lives in Roanoke, VA, and is passionate about POCUS and 3D printing related to education, simulation, and patient-specific applications. He also enjoys hiking, woodworking, cooking, and loves adventures with his wonderful wife and two crazy boys.

Wesley G. Patterson is a genetics PA at the Greenwood Genetic Center in Greenwood, South Carolina and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Columbia. He is involved in the evaluation and treatment of genetic disorders in individuals of all ages. He has an interest in seeing patients with developmental delay, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, birth defects, and connective tissue disorders. Wesley holds a PhD in Healthcare Genetics from Clemson University and a Certificate of Added Qualifications in Pediatrics. He also has a special interest in genetics-genomics education for healthcare providers.

He is a founding member of the Society of PAs in Genetics and Genomics and serves as treasurer and webmaster. He is the AAPA External Representative in the field of Genetics and Genomics, serves as a member of the Workforce Development and Optimization Committee for the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, and is on the planning committee for the Clinical Genetics Advanced Practice Provider Conference. Wesley also serves as the current president of the Academy of Doctoral PAs.

Catherine Ham, MD is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Virginia Commonwealth University and Director of the VCU Health Headache Center which she founded in 2016. Dr. Ham received her Business Degree from the College of William and Mary and went on to obtain her Medical Degree at VCU. She completed her residency in Neurology as well as a fellowship in Neurophysiology, and is Board Certified in both Neurology and Headache Medicine. She teaches Medical Students and Residents as well as regionally to colleagues on advances in Headache Medicine.

Jennifer Waller Miller is a 2005 graduate of Shenandoah University's PA program and a 2024 of the Doctor of Medical Science program. She has practiced clinically in Family Medicine and Pediatrics for 18 years, and currently serves as the Director of Clinical Education for Shenandoah University. She continues to practice in Pediatrics at Grace Point Pediatrics in Winchester, VA. She and her partner, Jeremy, reside in Winchester with their three children, two dogs, and three cats. Her passions include student success, fitness, and advocating for gun violence prevention. She is currently active in research studying The Evolution of Empathy in PA Students.