derek miller
NC Jaycee Burn Center / UNC Health Care - Burn Outreach & Prevention Educator
C. Derek Miller, MSN, RN, CBRN, CCRN, has supported the mission of the NC Jaycee Burn Center for 20+ years, as a nursing assistant, staff nurse, charge nurse, preceptor, critical care educator, and currently as an outreach educator. He is an experienced instructor for ACLS & PALS, TNCC & ENPC, and Advanced Burn Life Support (ABLS). He integrates those skills to teach burn care to students, EMS providers, and hospital staff across the state. His passion is interprofessional collaboration to optimize the care of burn patients across the continuum, from emergency care to critical care to recovery & aftercare.
Brooke Brewer
UNC Hospitals - Program Manager: UNC SPARC
Brooke Brewer, BSN, RN, MS, CIC, is a seasoned healthcare professional with over 17 years of experience at UNC Health. Currently serving as a Program Manager in the Infection Prevention Department, Brooke specializes in high-consequence pathogen preparedness and response. She is also the Program Manager for the Special Pathogen Response Center (SPARC) at UNC Hospitals. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a strong commitment to patient safety and infection control, playing a pivotal role in managing complex infectious disease scenarios. With a robust background in nursing and infection prevention, Brooke continues to lead initiatives that enhance hospital preparedness and response to emerging health threats.
Natalie Schnell
UNC SPARC - Nurse Educator
Natalie Schnell is an Infection Prevention Nurse Educator at UNC Hospitals' Regional Emerging Special Pathogens Treatment Center in Chapel Hill, NC. With extensive experience in infection prevention, she has worked in medicine, oncology, and as a bedside nurse specializing in pulmonary and infectious diseases. Natalie holds a B.S. in Biological Sciences from NC State University, a B.S.N. from NC Central University, and an M.P.H. with a focus on Leadership from UNC's Gillings School of Global Public Health.
Paula Hoyle
UNC SPARC - Nurse Educator
Paula Hoyle, is a dedicated Nurse Educator in Infection Prevention at UNC Hospitals, bringing over 30 years of nursing experience to her role. With 23 years of expertise in transport and flight nursing, Paula has worked with both Carolina Air Care and New Hanover AirLink/VitaLink, providing high-quality care in critical transport situations. Paula’s other background includes Emergency Nursing and Critical Care Nursing.
Paula earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Master of Science in Nursing Education from Western Governors University.
Her passion lies in advancing special pathogen education, and she is committed to educating all areas of healthcare professionals across North Carolina and the Southeast United States.
When not working, Paula is a proud supporter of her alma mater—Go Heels!
Nichole Shimko
Golisano Children's Hospital - Manager, Transport Team
Niki Shimko has led the pediatric neonatal transport team for over 10 years and has over 25 years of professional nursing experience. She is currently the Pediatric Clinical Advisor for the Southwest Florida Health Care Coalition.
Niki is the current President of the Florida Neonatal Pediatric Transport Network Association and a board member of the Florida Association of Critical Care Transport Specialists. In this role, she has enhanced the state-wide disaster response for neonatal and pediatric patients. She was instrumental in spearheading the evacuation of Golisano Children’s Hospital after Hurricane Ian.
She is also a Florida EMS for Children advisory council committee member and Executive Committee Member of the National Pediatric Disaster Coalition. Recently, she has become a TEEX instructor for Pediatric Disaster Response and Emergency Preparedness
She has presented on topics that include the development of the maternal transport team, pediatric special needs, and hurricane evacuation.
Kristen Falco
NC 911 Board - Eastern Regional Coordinator
Kristen Falco has 14 years of 911 experience, beginning her 911 career in 2011 with Raleigh-Wake Emergency Communications Center as a telecommunicator, a communications training officer, and finally as a training and compliance coordinator until 2019 when she was hired to work for the NC 911 Board.
She currently serves as the Eastern Regional Coordinator for the NC 911 Board, liaising between 33 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) located in the eastern part of the state and the NC 911 Board. She also assists with PSAP coordination during weather events, natural and manmade disasters, and cybersecurity events.
She holds an associate’s degree in the Applied Science of Criminal Justice and is working on her second associate’s degree in finance and accounting.
Tom Rogers
NC 911 Board - Network Engineer and Program Manager
Tom Rogers is the NG911 Network Engineer and Program Manager to the North Carolina 911 Board. Tom oversees the NextGen 911 (NG911) project for the state and collaborates routinely with our NMAC and vendors to ensure stability and advancement of NG911 solutions. He has been a part of the NC 911 community for 19 years and has experience at both the local and state levels. Tom has experience in private industry IT management, public safety radio, 911 management and technical operations, as well as incident response management/operations in the law enforcement and emergency management arenas.
Pokey Harris
NC 911 Board - Executive Director
For over 25 years, L. V. Pokey Harris has been employed in public safety within emergency services. Harris has extensive knowledge and experience in 911, public safety communications, emergency management, emergency medical services, as well as local government and private sector management.
She has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Emergency Management from Jacksonville State University.
She is currently vice president of the National Association of State 911 Administrators and a member of the National Emergency Number Association and the Association of Public Safety Communications Officers. She holds certifications as an Emergency Number Professional and in Emergency Medical Dispatch, Emergency Fire Dispatch and various areas for the National Incident Management System. Harris has been appointed to the North Carolina Statewide Interoperability Executive Committee and serves as a member of the N.C. State Medical Assistance Team 800.
Prior to her move to NC in 2015, Harris served on numerous boards, committees, and working groups in Virginia and was awarded the State of Virginia Governor’s Award for Excellence in EMS (2013).
Greg Dotson
North Carolina NG911 - MAC Manager
With over 30 years of leadership in public safety, emergency communications, and operations management, Greg Dotson specializes in advancing Next Generation 911 systems, strategic management, and operational efficiency. Currently serving as NC NG911 NMAC Manager, Greg supports state-wide 911 initiatives, ensuring cutting-edge technology and operational readiness.
Key achievements include leading the migration to NG911 by managing multi-million dollar technology upgrade for the Rutherford County NC PSAP, including a $1.1M grant-funded relocation project, directing large-scale operations, including CAD system upgrades and public safety communications for law enforcement, EMS, and fire services, and delivering results in customer service, supply chain, and human resources roles across public and private sectors.
Greg is passionate about innovation, collaboration, and driving impactful change in public safety and emergency services.
Mark Stepp
Mountain Area Healthcare Preparedness Coalition - Healthcare Preparedness Coordinator
Mark Stepp has been a firefighter/EMT since 1988, and started his emergency nursing career in 1989. He has worked in hospitals’ emergency departments and hospital emergency management roles. He holds nursing degrees from AB Technical Community College and Excelsior College, a degree in Fire Science and a Bachelors’ in Emergency Management from Waldorf University. He is credentialed as an instructor with the AHA, AHLS, NAEMT, FEMA, NC Emergency Management and Office of EMS and an allied health/emergency services instructor with multiple community colleges. He serves as Safety Officer and Medical Coordinator for Blue Ridge Fire & Rescue in Henderson County along with being a member of Henderson County’s Emergency Incident Management Team. Mark joined the North Carolina State Medical Response System in 2004 as a regional training officer, and for the past 15 years has served full-time as the Healthcare Preparedness Coordinator for the Mountain Area Healthcare Preparedness Coalition responsible for an 18-county region in WNC.
Ryan Jury
North Carolina Division of Public Health - Acting Senior Deputy Division Director
Ryan Jury is the division of public health’s Acting Senior Deputy Division Director. In his role, he provides oversight and support for critical public health infrastructure, including workforce development, procurement, purchasing & grant management, public health evaluation, quality improvement, HR, IT, and budget. Ryan is well known to many through his work on the COVID-19 pandemic with DHHS. He has also worked in healthcare for over 12 years in a broad range of roles as a nurse, administrator, and executive leader. Ryan found a passion for public health space during COVID-19. Previously, he has helped lead the COVID-19 vaccine efforts in Wake County and eventually at NCDHHS. He and his family have called North Carolina home since 2017. Ryan has a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Brigham Young University- Idaho and a master’s in business from Utah Valley University.
Michael Paul
UNC Health Wayne - Director, Emergency Management
Mike Serves as the Emergency Management Director for UNC Health Wayne. He has more than 15 years of experience in health care, with several years spent in emergency management and hospital disaster operations. Last year, he became an adjunct instructor with FEMA, helping to teach and lead hospital disaster workshops for health care systems across the country. He is a graduate of the University of Vermont with Bachelors degrees in Exercise Physiology and Business Administration, as well as his Doctorate in Physical Therapy.
David Marsse
Central Carolina Healthcare Preparedness Coalition - Healthcare Preparedness Coordinator
David Marsee is an experienced emergency manager with over 30 years in emergency services. David worked for the Durham County Fire Marshal's Office for over 17 years before transitioning to the Durham County Emergency Management division where he served as the senior emergency management coordinator for over 13 years. David's current role is with the Central Carolina Healthcare Preparedness Coalition where he has served as the Healthcare Preparedness Coordinator for 6 years.
Jason Zivica
Duke University Health System - Asst. VP, Workplace Violence Prevention & Emergency Preparedness
Jason Zivica is the Assistant Vice President for Workplace Violence Prevention and Emergency Preparedness at Duke University Health System.
In his role, Jason focuses on promoting safety and wellness, spearheading the development, direction, and execution of strategies to prevent workplace violence and enhance emergency preparedness. His role involves implementing early intervention and mitigation plans through a multidisciplinary, cross-functional, and integrated team approach to ensure compliance with accreditation standards.
Jason joined Duke in 2010 as a program specialist within Emergency Services and has served in many roles since his arrival to the Health System. In addition to his role within the Health System, Jason serves as the Chair of the North Carolina Healthcare Association Emergency Management Council as well as the Durham County Local Emergency Planners Committee. Jason has been involved in many state and national efforts to increase overall safety and preparedness. Jason remains committed to fostering an atmosphere of safety and preparedness at Duke Health.
Jason completed his undergraduate education at Western Carolina University earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Emergency and Disaster Management and received his MHA from Pfieffer University. He is also trained as a firefighter and paramedic.
Reid Smith
Virginia Hospital Center, Arlington - Attending Physician
Dr. Smith is currently the Operational Medical Director for the Arlington County (VA) Fire and Police Departments, an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine, and an attending physician at the Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, VA. Board Certified in both Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medical Services, he has spent the last 12 years developing training and programs to address regional emergency preparedness and medical and operational gaps in the National Capital Region and nationwide, including the development of unique custom educational programs and medical operations for civilian and military special operations teams, and has developed new programs for unique operational EMS subspecialty
teams and response models. In 2008, he was one of the original architects of the Rescue Task Force concept, an innovative pre-hospital public safety response to active violence and explosive scenarios. Additionally, in 2010, along with Dr. David Callaway and Mr. Geoff Shapiro, Dr. Smith developed the concept of Tactical Emergency Casualty Care as the civilian translation of tactical combat casualty care, and co-founded the Committee for Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (C-TECC). Over the past 10 years, he has served as the co-Chair of C-TECC and currently remains on the Executive Committee. He has spent many hours writing, teaching, and speaking on TECC to change the medical response paradigm for all high threat events in the civilian community, including serving as a subject matter expert and presenter for the FEMA Joint Counter Terrorism Awareness Workshop Series (JCTAWS) and as a member of the InterAgency Board.
Dr. Smith frequently presents at national and international medical conferences, consults and delivers training to many groups ranging from military special operations to civilian tactical and operational EMS providers to hospital-based providers and planners. Reed is a former EMT-Basic provider and Navy Combat Corpsman (NEC8404), and maintains
jeff ferguson
Henrico County Division of Fire - Medical Director
Dr. Ferguson is the medical director for the Henrico County Division of Fire and a Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System. He is board certified in Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medical Services. He has been an EMS provider for over 35 years beginning as a volunteer EMT and continuing to practice in the field as an EMS Physician. He has 20 years of EMS medical direction experience for agencies from rural to urban, volunteer and career, ground 911 to air medical transport. He served as an event physician and medical director for event teams covering the 2015 Union Cycliste Internationale Road World Championship, Richmond Raceway, Richmond Marathon, and ECU Football, among many other events. Dr. Ferguson is pleased to be back in North Carolina and speaking at the Disaster Symposium.