Instructional design meets clinical expertise — mapping medical advancements to national education standards and engineering materials that don't just get delivered, but retained and translated into field performance. Based in Washington, D.C.
I've spent my career in the space between the classroom and the street — designing curricula, credentialing instructors, mentoring new providers, and scaling programs that actually work. I treat curriculum as a dynamic architecture, not a static document, and I measure success by what happens after the course ends: certification outcomes, retention, and field performance.
Today I manage the Training Center in the Department of Emergency Medicine at George Washington University, leading a team of 50 instructors and a $1M operation across 500+ annual courses serving more than 5,000 learners. Under my leadership the program has seen a 221% increase in enrollment and a 95% NREMT first-attempt pass rate — proving that sound pedagogy directly correlates to clinical certification success.
Before GW, I directed regulatory oversight for EMS education across the District of Columbia at DC Health, where my oversight contributed to the nation's best NREMT certification outcomes at 94%. At Harrisburg Area Community College, I managed one of Pennsylvania's largest regional EMS programs — 1,200+ students annually, 200+ adjunct faculty, and $3.2M in funding I secured for specialized AED programs and emergency response initiatives in Amish communities and other rural areas.
I started in the field, not the office. At Manheim Township EMS in Lancaster County, I worked as a member of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association and attended the first Resuscitation Academy in Seattle — bringing that model back to Pennsylvania to promote the first 911-dispatched AED integration in the region. I generated more than $500,000 in funding for police AED programs, introduced pit crew CPR and AED integration to the local EMS system, and launched a community fall prevention program. That operational foundation — 911 systems, cardiac arrest response innovation, community paramedicine — is what everything since has been built on.
The thread through all of it is the same: how do you take someone new to this work and turn them into someone who stays? That question drives everything I build — from onboarding systems to mentorship frameworks to the books I'm writing now. I also speak on these topics at conferences, including presentations on AI tools for collegiate EMS onboarding and workforce retention strategies.
EMS systems design and operations, cardiac arrest resuscitation systems and AED integration, BLS/ALS curriculum and assessment, critical care and interfacility transport, community paramedicine, collegiate EMS, pediatric and geriatric emergency care, regulatory compliance and accreditation (NEES, NREMT, NEMSES, CAAHEP/CoAEMSP), workforce development and retention, instructor credentialing and QA/QI, psychometric item development and exam content, and emergency management.
James is one of the best teachers I have had the privilege of working with. He was a just leader, an empathetic mentor, an engaging educator, and an honorable man. He does an incredible job adjusting on the fly to address needs as they arise, pivoting to meet his students where they are. You will meet no harder worker in EMS education.
James is an engaging educator who regularly displays servant leadership in and out of the classroom. His innovative spirit and ability to build a team makes him a valuable asset to any organization.
The sole open-enrollment EMT certification program in D.C., housed within GW Medicine. I lead curriculum, operations, and accreditation — driving a 221% enrollment increase and a 95% NREMT pass rate through data-driven mentorship and innovative course design. Also launched the EMS-to-CCMA Bridge Program, expanding the District's allied health workforce capacity.
I author and review high-stakes EMS, Fire, and Public Safety exam content mapped to the 2021 National EMS Education Standards and current NREMT practice analysis. My work spans original item development across multiple formats, blueprint crosswalks, validity and bias review, and collaboration with national SMEs and psychometricians to ensure item balance and DEI representation across assessment pools. Currently supporting 250,000+ learners worldwide.
The Ordinary Hours and The Other Seat — two books about the informal, unglamorous work of keeping new people in EMS. Launching spring 2026.
emsmentorship.comWriting on EMS, leadership, curriculum design, QA/QI, and workforce development.
Read on SubstackEMS
NREMT-A — Advanced EMT, Nationally Registered
State Certifications — Virginia EMT-A, DC EMT-A, Maryland EMT
IBSC — CP-C (Certified Community Paramedic), DICO-C (Designated Infection Control Officer)
MFRI EMS Officer I — ISO, EVDT & EVDT Instructor
NAEMSE Instructor — Level #1 and #2
AHA Instructor — CPR, ACLS
Fire Service
Firefighter I & II
Fire Instructor I, II, III
Rescue I — Vehicle Rescue Technician
Emergency Management
NIMS — 100, 200, 300, 400, 700, 800, G-2200, G2300
FEMA — G0191 (ICS/EOC Interface), AWR-433, PER-420
Basic PIO — Public Information Officer
HSEEP — Homeland Security Exercise & Evaluation Program
FEMA PDS — Professional Development Series
FEMA APDS — Advanced Professional Development Series
NEMA — National Emergency Management Basic Academy
Education
B.S., Emergency Medical Services Management — Lexington College
Occupational Safety Certificate — Columbia Southern University
Allied Health
Certified Phlebotomist
Certified Medical Assistant
Certified Pharmacy Technician
Service
DC HOSA — Future Health Professionals — Member, HOSA 100 Steering Committee. Focused on developing youth pathways into healthcare careers across the District.
Available for consulting, advisory, and expert review engagements.
Whether it's EMS education, assessment development, SME consulting, the books, speaking, or building something together.