Dawn Morton-Rias was appointed President & CEO of NCCPA in 2014, and is a non-voting member of the NCCPA Board of Directors.

She is a long-time PA educator and former PA program director. Prior to joining NCCPA, she served as a Professor and Dean at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, where she still serves on faculty.

Morton-Rias has practiced in family medicine, addictive medicine, gynecology and acute care for the homeless. She has served as President of the PAEA appointee to the HRSA Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry; appointee to the Federation of State Medical Board’s Education Committee; advisor to the National Health Service Corp; and Commissioner on the PA Accreditation Commission. She is a previous recipient of a Fulbright Senior Specialists grant award and the recipient of the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health’s Leadership Award.

Morton-Rias earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stony Brook University and a Bachelor of Science degree and PA Certificate from Howard University. She completed a Professional Diploma in Instructional Leadership and earned a Doctorate of Education from St. John’s University.

Cindy Nalls oversee the information services, review and appeals, and certification maintenance departments.

She holds professional memberships with National Association of Medical Staff Services, Georgia Association Medical Staff Services, American Society of Association Executives and has served as a volunteer and examiner on the Baldrige Board of Examiners.

Nalls obtained a bachelor’s degree in business management from Liberty and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Southern New Hampshire University.

She has been with NCCPA since 1998.

Sheila Mauldin oversees the exam development, psychometrics, exam administration and research departments.

She is an active member in the credentialing and assessment community, serving on committees with the Institute of Credentialing Excellence and the Association of Test Publishers.

She is an NCCPA liaison for the NCCPA Health Foundation’s Partners in Mental Health Steering Committee. Throughout her tenure with NCCPA, Mauldin has presented nationally on the PA profession and NCCPA certification initiatives at various PA and credentialing industry conferences.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in science from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in nonprofit management from Regis University in Colorado.

She has been with NCCPA since 1984.

Tim Ryan oversees the finance, human resources, communications, corporate policy and facilities departments.

Ryan brings over 20 years of finance and operations experience in the non-profit sector, having previously served as the Chief Financial Officer of MedShare International, the Chief Operations Officer for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida and a regional chief financial officer for the American Red Cross.

He began his professional life by serving on active duty in the US Marine Corps as an Officer and an aviator flying the A-4 Skyhawk.

A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, Tim earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Florida State University and his master’s degree in accountancy from Stetson University. He is a Certified Public Accountant.

Ryan has been with NCCPA since 2018.

Angela Langa oversees the Technology Services division, including Infrastructure and Corporate Security, Business Systems Analysis, Application Development, Software and Data Quality Assurance and IT Operations.

Langa brings extensive experience in the technology field, along with a passion for forming strategic partnerships and improving organizational efficiency. Prior to joining NCCPA she was the director of product development at ADP and worked closely with senior leaders and team members on their global digital transformation initiative.

She is certified in agile software development methodologies.

A native of Springfield, Illinois, Angela holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Southern Illinois University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Georgia.

She has been with NCCPA since 2019.

Edward Amberg joined the Board of Directors of  NCCPA in 2017 as a PA Director at Large and is the current Board Chair.

Amberg works as an Emergency Medicine PA at St. James Healthcare in Butte, Montana where he evaluates, treats and coordinates care for patients in the emergency room. He holds a Certificate of Additional Qualifications in Emergency Medicine from NCCPA and several life support credentials.

He is a member of the Montana Academy of PAs, the American Academy of PAs and the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.

Outside the of emergency room, Edward provides clinical instruction to students of Midwestern University and Rocky Mountain College, and volunteers with the Montana Tech High School Medical Camp.

He is a graduate of the Midwestern University PA Program, and has been certified since 2009.

Kendra Thomsen joined the Board of Directors of NCCPA in January 2017 as a PA Director at Large, and is currently the Immediate Past Chair.

She has worked at Baylor Scott & White (BSW) in Texas since 2007 as a PA in cardiothoracic surgery.  For many years she has served as Vice Chair of the BSW Advanced Practice Professional Council. She has also practiced in family medicine, orthopedic surgery, international health and endocrinology.

Thomsen has been active in many professional associations and is currently affiliated with American Academy of PAs, the American Academy of Nephrology PAs, the Association of PAs in Cardiovascular Surgery, the Texas Academy of PAs, and Central Texas PA Society.

She has a Bachelor of Science in Health Science from the University of Nevada, Reno and earned her Master of PA Studies degree at Touro University – Nevada.

Linda Delaney joined the Board of Directors of the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) in January 2018 as a PA Director at Large.

Delaney practices internal medicine at Parkland Health and Hospital System in Dallas, Texas, where she provides leadership and oversight to PAs and nurse practitioners.

She has extensive experience in leadership as an elected member of state and national boards. She has served as president of the Texas Academy of PAs, as director at large for the American Academy of PAs and as a governor-appointed member to the Texas PA State Medical Board. Presently, she is on the leadership team of Parkland’s Advanced Practice Provider Council. She also serves on the PA Standardization and Review Committee.

She holds bachelor’s degrees from Baylor University and from the University of Texas Southwestern School of Health Professions. She also earned a master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine.

Kaesa Footracer joined the Board of Directors of NCCPA as a PA Director at Large in January 2016, and is the Board Chair-Elect.

Footracer has been a Certified PA since 2008. She practices primary care in Los Angeles and believes that providing quality care to all is an issue of social justice. She practices at a community clinic where she treats outpatient adults with acute and chronic illness, and serves on the post-hospital discharge team for high-risk patients.

She has published in several professional peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of the American Academy of PAs (JAAPA), and was a recipient of the American Academy of PA’s PAragon Publishing Award in 2011. She is a peer-reviewer for JAAPA and a research poster reviewer for AAPA’s ImPAct Conference.

Footracer is a member of the California Academy of PAs, the American Academy of PAs (AAPA), and the AAPA LBGT PA Caucus. She has also served the profession through work in the House of Delegates, the New Jersey State Society of PAs, and the AAPA Quality Care work group.

In her spare time, she volunteers for the Los Angeles County Disaster Healthcare Team.

Pat Kenney-Moore joined the Board of Directors of NCCPA in 2019 as the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) nominee. She also currently serves as Treasurer.

Kenney-Moore has 25 years of PA experience in teaching, service and administration. She was one of the founding faculty members of the Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine PA Program dating back to 1995, and continues to serve as the Associate Director.

She has participated in NCCPA test development activities for more than 15 years in a variety of roles including item writer, PANRE committee vice-chair, Pathway II committee chair and senior member of a special projects group.

She is a Distinguished Fellow of American Academy of PAs, past president of the Oregon Society of PAs, and the only non-physician trustee on the Board of the Oregon Medical Association, where serves on the Board’s Executive Committee.

She provides primary care services at a free clinic, has published in national journals and is a peer reviewer for Academic Medicine.

Kenney-Moore has a bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science from California State Polytechnic University and a PA Program Certificate from the University of Southern California. She also earned a master’s degree in Education and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Portland State University.

Peggy Riley-Robinson joined the Board of Directors of NCCPA in January 2014 as the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) nominee.

She is a graduate of the Duke University PA program and is a former Associate Professor in the Department of Community and Family Medicine at Duke University Medical Center.

For over 30 years, Riley-Robinson worked to educate the next generation of PA clinicians and leaders. Her work has been published in several peer-reviewed medical journals such as the Journal of the American Academy of PAs (JAAPA), the Journal of Clinical Microbiology and the Journal of PA Education.

She has been active in the Federation of State Medical Boards, the North Carolina Academy of PAs and PAEA. She was also a member of the North Carolina Medical Board from 2006- 2012.

She’s been recognized as Duke University’s School of Medicine Master Clinician/Teacher, PAEA’s Master Faculty Recipient and Duke University’s Richard J. Scheele Memorial Award recipient for outstanding academic performance. Robinson is also the recipient of the 2018 Duke University PA Program Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award.

Benjamin Smith joined the Board of Directors of the NCCPA in January 2020 as the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) nominee.

Smith is currently the Director of Didactic Education at the Florida State University College of Medicine, School of PA Practice.

He is the former president of the Association of Rheumatology Professionals- the first PA to do so. He was also the chair and a member of AAPA.

In addition, he served for five years as the interprofessional member of the American Board of Internal Medicine Rheumatology Specialty Board. He serves on the editorial boards for the JBJS Journal of Orthopedics for PAs, Rheumatology e-Bytes, and the Journal of the American Academy of PAs. He has also published numerous works focused on rheumatology. In 2015, he was named a Distinguished Fellow of the AAPA. Smith continues to practice one day per week at a rheumatology clinic in Thomasville, Georgia where he has devoted his career.

He completed his bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Georgia and also earned a Bachelor of Science degree in PA Studies at the Medical College of Georgia. In 2018 he received a Master of  PA Studies at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Temple Howell-Stampley joined the Board of Directors of NCCPA in January 2018 as the American Medical Association (AMA) nominee.

As Chair and Program Director of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center PA Studies program in Dallas, Howell-Stampley advocates for the integration of PAs into clinical practice, maintains program accreditation standards and processes, develops new initiatives, plans curriculum development and enhancement, and ensures effective program operations and outcomes. She previously served nine years as the Medical Director of the General Internal Medicine Clinic at UT Southwestern. There, she led the general internal medicine ambulatory practice in its efforts to become patient-centered, and focused the practice on providing high quality, evidence-based medical care.

Her career spans more than 25 years and includes numerous honors. She is a member of PAEA and the Texas Academy of PAs. She has served on multiple boards including the Texas Chapter of the American College of Physicians and the Dallas County Medical Society.

She is a graduate of the East Carolina University School of Medicine and holds Master of Business Administration degree in Healthcare Organization Leadership from the University of Texas – Dallas.

James Gehring joined the joined the Board of Directors of NCCPA in January 2018 as a Physician Director at Large.

Gehring, an assistant professor of medicine at The George Washington University (GWU), has extensive experience working with PAs. He currently has dual roles as the division director of hospital medicine and the medical director of the PA program, where he supervises PA students during internal medicine inpatient rotations and instructs first-year PA students. He also helped develop the PA hospitalist service at GWU Hospital and served as their primary supervising physician for seven years.

Gehring holds professional memberships with the Society of General Internal Medicine and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians. He also serves GWU’s Medical Records Committee.

He is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and licensed to practice medicine in the District of Columbia.

He is a graduate of the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine and completed his residency at the Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia.

Linda Lawrence joined the Board of Directors of NCCPA in January 2018 as a Physician Director at Large.

Lawrence has educated, supervised and partnered with Certified PAs throughout her medical career.

She has been board certified since 1993. She has also served on the boards of the Emergency Medicine Foundation, National Emergency Medicine Political Action Committee, and National Trauma Institute.

As former Board President of the American College of Emergency Physicians, she led the organization to invest more in PAs as partners in the practice of emergency medicine. As an advisor member to the board of the Society of Emergency Medicine PAs (SEMPA), she oversaw growth of the organization in both size and influence – specifically, advising members on how to raise standards of practice in an inclusive and collaborative way. For her dedication and leadership, she was selected to be a Diplomat of SEMPA.

Lawrence received a medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine and completed her residency at the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania.

Folashade Omole joined the joined the Board of Directors of NCCPA  in January 2020 as a Physician Director at Large.

She is currently the Sarah and William Hambrecht Endowed Professor and Chair of the Department of Family Medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine. She received her bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Lagos, and her medical degree from Obafemi Awolowo University, lle-lfe, Nigeria.

Omole is the medical director of the PA program, director of the student-run free H.E.A.L clinic and a former residency program director. She is also is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and licensed medical acupuncturist.

She has served as a PI and Co-PI on several grants; and has authored and co-authored several manuscripts.

In addition, she has received several awards including the Bronze, Silver and the Gold Level Program Director Recognition awards from the American Academy Family Physician Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors (AAFP AFMRD). In 2008 she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. She is a former recipient of the Georgia Academy Family Physician (GAFP) Educator of the Year award, the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine award and the MSM President and Deans Service award. Dr. Omole was also named Georgia Family Physician of the Year in 2015, the highest award bestowed on a GAFP member that recognizes excellence in peer leadership in professional affairs and outstanding contributions to family medicine and to the community. In 2018, she was recognized as an Inspiration Physician by the Women Physicians of the American Medical Association, and most recently was awarded the GAFP Community and Service award.

Omole received her bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Lagos and her medical degree from Obafemi Awolowo University, lle-lfe, Nigeria. She is also a graduate of the Morehouse School of Medicine Family Medicine Residency Program.

Joan Grzybowski, DO, FACOFP Joan Grzybowski joined the joined the Board of Directors of  NCCPA in January 2020 as the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) nominee.

Gryzbowski is a physician and clinical instructor at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM).

She has held leadership positions at several state organizations including serving as president, vice president and a board member for the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association (POMA) and President of the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Family Physician Society (POFPS). On a national level, she has served as the Family Practice Representative and a member of the BOS Task Force for the AOA Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists, Director and Treasurer on the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians (AOFBFP), Foundation Member of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP). She has also served on a number of committees for each organization.

She is the recipient of several professional awards including the Presidential Medallion and the Presidential Award of Merit from POMA, the Diversity Award from the Pennsylvania Diversity Council, the Raymond J. Saloom, DO Memorial Award and the Frederick J. Solomon, DO Award of Merit from the POFPS and the Fellowship Award from ACOFP.

She continues to practice as a family medicine physician in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

She received her degree in PA studies from the Penn State University and also received a Bachelor of Science degree from King’s College. She later earned a Doctor of Osteopathy degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Zeno St. Cyr II, a retired health care executive, joined the Board of Directors of NCCPA in 2017 as a Public Director at Large.

He retired from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2015. His most recent position as director for legislative coordination and senior legislative advisor capped a 35-year career in public health.

He has demonstrated an impressive commitment to public service, having served nearly 30 organizations in volunteer and leadership capacities during his career. He is currently on the Board of Directors of H.O.P.E, Inc. and serves as vice chair of the Prince George’s County Local Development Council. He also serves as a public member on the Maryland State Boards of Pharmacy and Dental Examiners. He holds leadership positions on a number of other civic and community organizations.

St. Cyr is a graduate of Morehouse College and received a Masters of Public Health Administration from Tulane University.

Beverly Black joined the Board of Directors of NCCPA in January 2018 as a Public Director at Large and is the board secretary.

Black, an association consultant, has over 20 years of managerial experience with national, statewide and community-based programs in nonprofit, health-related and educational associations and organizations. For 27 years, she worked for the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP) and last served as its director of affiliate relations. There, she helped 52 state affiliates become and remain optimally effective associations. She previously held senior-level positions with the Georgia Pharmacy Association and American Society of Hospital Pharmacists.

She brings an abundance of board experience to NCCPA, having served on the American Society of Association Executives Certified Association Executive Commission and having led the boards of the Georgia Society of Association Executives (GSAE) and its foundation.

She is a member of the American Public Health Association and the American Society for Training and Development. She has maintained her CAE (Certified Association Executive) designation since 1998.

Black received a Bachelor’s in Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s degree in health services administration from The George Washington University.

John Bradford joined the Board of Directors of NCCPA as PA Director at Large in January 2018.

He has worked to improve health in resource-poor areas in some of the most remote and isolated areas across five continents. Bradford spent two years as a Peace Corps Medical Officer in Malawi, Africa. He has also worked in Edinburgh Scotland, Kabul, Afghanistan and in the Pacific on Midway and Shemya Islands. He also lived and worked in the Solomon Islands. He has practiced in urgent care, general medicine, occupational health and emergency medicine in rural Montana, Wyoming and Alaska.

He is a resident of Missoula, Montana, and currently splits his time between clinics in Yellowstone National Park and Prudhoe Bay region of Alaska.

Bradford earned a nursing degree from Montana State University and a master’s degree in PA Studies from the University of Utah.

Carey Roesler joined the NCCPA Board of Directors in 2020 as PA Director at Large.

Roesler comes to the Board with over 20 years as a PA in orthopedics, most recently working at Johns Hopkins University, where she served as Chief PA from 2003 to 2006.

Practicing in Maryland, Roesler has been a student preceptor for the Towson, Anne Arundel and NOVA PA programs.

She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Maryland College Park, and obtained her PA degree from Essex Community College. Most recently, Roesler obtained a Business of Medicine certificate from Johns Hopkins University.

In 2020 she was the first to receive the inaugural “Advanced Practitioner of the Year” award from the chief orthopedic residents at Johns Hopkins University, an award granted for excellence in teaching.

Patrick Killeen joined the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants Board of Directors as PA Director at Large in 2020.

Killeen has been a PA for over 30 years, first beginning his career at Norwalk Hospital in Connecticut. Today he offers integrative health cate to pediatric patients and their families in the Boston area, specializing in General Pediatrics.

Killeen is a graduate of The Colorado State University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Studies with a concentration on Early Childhood Education. He obtained a Master of Science degree in Child Health and Physician Assistant studies from the University of Colorado Health Science Center.

Over the course of his career Killeen has authored several works, appearing in the Journal of the American Academy of PAs (JAAPA), the Journal of Family Practice, Advance for Physician Assistants and others.

He has been the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions, including Distinguished Fellow of the American Academy of PAs (2012) and White House Commendations “Joining Forces” Strengthening Our Military Families by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama (2011).

Killeen has held a number of professional posts since beginning his career, and served as president of the American Academy of PAs (2010) and president of the Society of Physician Assistants in Pediatrics from 1997-1998.