The 2023 National EMS Museum Board of Directors

Hello Friends, Colleagues, and Supporters, 

We are delighted to announce the new Board of Directors took office at the Museum on February 24, 2023!  

We want to take a moment to thank you all for your ongoing support over the past year, and especially over the last 6 months as museum leadership took the drastic and very forward-thinking step to reimagine the role of The National EMS Museum as we move past Covid-19 and deeper into the 21st century.

Your commitment to the Museum has inspired our dedication to put together an amazing team and strategic plan to bring the National EMS Museum to life in communities across the country.

As the Interim Board of Directors term comes to an end, we wanted to also thank those board members who selflessly made the decision to move the Museum forward under new leadership and those who have continued to volunteer to support the growth of the Museum in new and exciting ways. 

Now that we’ve rambled on, we want to take this opportunity to introduce you to the new Board of Directors for The National EMS Museum. You will be starting to hear more from them in the coming weeks and months as they start their important work to solidify the next chapter for NEMSM.  We hope you’ll be as excited as we are for the future.  Please reach out if you have questions or thoughts about the Museum. We love hearing from you!

Without further ado:

• Larry J. Appel, M.B.A., EMT joins the NEMSM Board of Directors with 45 years of experience in EMS as an EMT.  He brings additional experience in nonprofits and business development to the team.

• Fred Claridge is retired and living in North Carolina after a 41-year career in EMS and emergency management. Additionally, Fred has served as the inaugural editor of the EMS Historian: The Journal of The National EMS Museum.

• Elyssa Gonzales is a Master of Arts candidate at Johns Hopkins University for a Museum Studies and Nonprofit Management combined credential. Through her studies, she has been inspired to support museums through times of strategic growth.  

• J. Sam Hurley, MPH, EMPS, NRP currently serves as the Director of Maine's Bureau of Emergency Medical Services. With a number of accomplishments in EMS leadership behind him Sam brings a unique perspective to engaging with a wider audience at NEMSM.  

• Cindy Kessler worked in various positions with nonprofit organizations for the better part of three decades. In addition to working in and with museums and other community organizations, Cindy comes from a family of first responders eager to see a museum dedicated to the story of EMS.

• Christopher Montera has more than 34 years of experience in Paramedic Services, Public Health, and the Fire Service. He is bringing years of business development experience to help NEMSM find a solid financial footing on which to grow.  

• Gary M. Schindele has been an EMT for 47 years and is a leading subject matter expert in the field of emergency preparedness design and implementation and serves as a member of the Central Florida Disaster Medical Coalition. Gary is an active volunteer for a number of organizations.   

• Dave Zaiman has been in and around EMS for over 30 years.  In addition to working in the field, Dave has worked in some of the top EMS companies helping equip practitioners with the best tools in the industry. 

Additionally, the museum office has officially moved to office space in conjunction with the Wisconsin EMS Association outside of Milwaukee. The new address is: The National EMS Museum, 26422 Oakridge Dr, Suite 105, Wind Lake, WI 53185.