Educational Services Specialists

Allen Ribblett is an Educational Services Specialist at Laerdal. He believes strongly in the power of simulation education to help save lives by better preparing healthcare providers for real-life situations. Based in sunny La Jolla, CA, Allen has extensive experience as a simulationist for healthcare education, having worked in major medical and nursing school simulation programs on both coasts. He holds a Master of Science in Medical and Healthcare Simulation from Drexel University College of Medicine and is a Certified Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialist recognized by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare.

Prior to his work in healthcare simulation education, Allen lived and worked in Madrid, Spain, where he was a translator and English teacher for nearly a decade. He continues to love languages and travel, and also practices yoga and outdoor sports.

Bill Summerfield is an Educational Services Specialist and Field Service Engineer at Laerdal. As a paramedic with more than 30 years of experience, Bill has functioned in roles centering on outreach education, marketing, business development, supervision, and training throughout his career, involving air medical, 911, and tactical EMS. Bill has received numerous awards for service, both locally and internationally.

Robert Duy is an Educational Services Specialist at Laerdal. Robert is a Registered Nurse. Previously, he worked as a Clinical Consultant for Corpak Medsystems, a Clinical Manager for an Associate of Science nursing program, and as clinical staff in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. He graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with dual baccalaureate degrees in microbiology and nursing.

Bruce Karatzoglou is a Manager of Educational & Technical Services at Laerdal. Through his work, Bruce has fostered meaningful collaboration with simulation advocacy groups to address both front-line and organizational medical simulation-based needs.

Bruce’s passion for medical simulation began with his very first meeting with a human patient simulator at the St. Michael’s Hospital training facility. A few years later, Bruce became the Program Coordinator where he fostered the growth of the simulation program in the spirit of partnership and shared values, and then became a Registered Respiratory Therapist, both abroad and in Canada,

In 2004, Bruce joined Laerdal Medical Canada as an Educational Services Specialist where he facilitated the uptake and sustainability of simulation programs in clinical and primary educational settings on a national and international basis. Since then, Bruce was appointed to the roles of Educational Services and Programs Lead, Educational Services Account Executive, and most recently, Manager of Educational and Technical Services with responsibilities that support the growth of the Services portfolio nationwide.

Bruce holds a Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and studied to become a Registered Respiratory Therapist at the Michener Institute in Toronto, Ontario.

Cody Porter is a SimCapture Education Specialist at Laerdal. Before joining the Laerdal family Cody spent over 10 years working as a Paramedic in a busy EMS system. Cody functioned in many roles as a paramedic including Special Operations Paramedic, Tactical Paramedic, Lieutenant Field Training Officer, and Training Captain. These roles all had their specific challenges, but Cody’s true passion lies with education.

Shortly after obtaining his national and state certifications as a paramedic he began assisting with the Paramedic Program at Idaho State University. There Cody was able to see the true benefits of simulation training and education. He was able to develop his skills at the university eventually becoming their Lab Coordinator. Cody also brought simulation training to his department developing their simulation program and elevating the quality of care provided to the community. He has developed and coordinated training with a variety of professionals ranging from hospital specialist to police officers. He enjoys the challenge of meeting the needs of his learners and empowering them to continue to develop their skills on their own. Cody is based out of Boise, Idaho. His time spent out of work involves exploring Idaho’s mountains and rivers with his daughter, wife, and dog.

Dan Plumby is a Virtual Education and Content Development Specialist at Laerdal. In this role, Dan delivers education and training to customers and users, while also designing new courses and working to refine existing programs.

Before joining the Laerdal team, Dan spent nearly six years managing the operations of the Center for Excellence in Practice at the Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences. During that time, Dan and his team supported the college’s nursing and 13 other health sciences programs. In addition to internal users, Dan’s team also facilitated training for dozens of external stakeholders, including Penn Medicine’s Lancaster General Hospital, which relied on Dan’s team for their BLS, ACLS, and PALS courses, Nurse Residency, Novice OB, ALSO, and Massive Transfusion Protocol courses, and numerous mock/drill experiences within the hospital, such as mock codes and trauma drills. Dan holds a Master of Education from Colorado State University, specializing in Organizational Learning, Performance, and Change, and a Bachelor of Arts from Millersville University of Pennsylvania. He is a Paramedic with National Registry and Pennsylvania certification.

Ed Coleclough is an Educational Services Specialist at Laerdal. His experience includes a decade of serving the medical simulation community, including in his previous role as a Senior Marketing Manager for the Americas at Laerdal – a role that has afforded him a unique understanding of the simulation community and their needs. A native to Ontario, Canada, Ed joined the Laerdal Medical Canada team before relocating to the United States.

A graduate of Humber College’s Ambulance and Emergency Care program and later Durham College’s Advanced Care Paramedic program, Ed has over 18 years of experience as a career Paramedic, EMS Educator, and later, the Supervisor of a municipal EMS system’s education center. It was through these experiences that he developed a passion for simulation and recognized its value in improving patient outcomes and patient safety.

Jordan Pate is an Educational Services Supervisor at Laerdal. Jordan joined Laerdal in 2019 and has many years of simulation experience obtained from his previous role as a Paramedic Program Director at one of the largest educational programs in the United States.

Jordan is a Nationally Registered Paramedic, Registered Nurse, Certified Flight Paramedic, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Emergency Medical Care. Along with these credentials, he maintains instructor certifications in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Basic Cardiac Life Support, and Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support.

Prior to joining the team at Laerdal, he held many roles throughout his 15 year career in healthcare to include emergency nursing, paramedicine, flight paramedicine, EMS administration, and EMS education.

Julie Redmon is an Educational Services Supervisor at Laerdal. She is passionate about patient-centered care, evidence-based practice, teamwork and collaboration, quality improvement, safety, and informatics as outlined by Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN). These passions serve as her zeal in training medical simulation educators through Laerdal courses to have a life-long love for helping save lives.

As an expert nurse, Julie has grown as a simulation educator at Laerdal since 2019. Julie has also served as an educator as part of the leadership team for 16 primary and urgent care clinics for Questcare Management in Dallas, with a strong focus on customer service. She was also part of the faculty in the Nursing Department for Collin College in McKinney, TX, where she taught Phlebotomy. Julie also served faithfully in the pediatric oncology unit at Medical City Children’s Hospital in Dallas as a preceptor to new nurses and as an educator to the children and families treated at the hospital. Julie holds an MSN in Nursing Education. She also holds a certification in pediatric nursing, and she serves on the IncluDE Committee for INACSL, which focuses on inclusion, diversity, and equity in medical simulation.

Katie Maxey-Brock is a SimCapture Education Specialist at Laerdal. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Nursing in 2003 from Indiana Wesleyan University and then her Master’s degree in Adult Health Nursing in 2011 from Ball State University. Katie brings with her close to 20 years of nursing experience that focused heavily on the education of both patients and nurses. Her nursing experience varies from working as a beside nurse to being a full-time simulation coordinator for a school of nursing.

Katie fell in love with simulation at her first nursing conference in 2005. This is where she was able to see how simulation provides a safe space for learning in health care and all the benefits it has to offer. She believes that simulation gives health care providers the opportunity to learn how to handle low frequency high mortality scenarios in a safe environment thus decreasing medical errors. She fully believes in Laerdal’s mission of helping save lives.

Kelly McKeever is a Senior Virtual Education and Content Development Specialist at Laerdal. He is responsible for the development, delivery, and growth of virtual training. Having been with Laerdal for 14 years, Kelly has served in several capacities for the company. Most recently, he was assigned to lead a global initiative and build a virtual delivery program that has seen rapid growth since its inception. Before that, Kelly acted as a Senior Education Specialist and also served as Manager of Education Services for the Laerdal Americas for 4 years.

Kelly studied Biology, Chemistry, and Anatomy/Physiology as an undergraduate student athlete. He also finished his MS in Physiology in 1993. Kelly has historically focused on the physiology and biomechanics of human performance, particularly the metabolic cost of closed chain kinetics as influenced by a diversity of shoe designs. Results of Kelly’s research have contributed to the development and marketing of several major brand shoe types. Kelly and his wife of 35 years reside in Dillon, MT.

Lori Kurtz is a Virtual Education and Content Development Specialist at Laerdal Medical. Lori came to Laerdal in 2011 with a diverse background in healthcare, specifically nursing, as well as an educational background in simulation experiences. As a Registered Nurse, Lori has worked in a variety of clinical areas, including Oncology, Cardiac Telemetry, Outpatient Surgery, Post Anesthesia Recovery Room, and Postpartum mother-baby care. Lori completed a Master of Education and transitioned into academia in 2008. She worked as the Lab Coordinator for a highly ranked State University BSN program, where she ran high-quality simulations. Lori has also been a member of and participated in professional simulation organizations: the Arizona Simulation Network at the state level; the Society for Simulation at the national level; and internationally, the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning.

Lori has completed several degrees and certifications over her career. She received a Registered Nurse diploma and then went on to complete two Bachelor of Science degrees in Nursing and Health Services. She also completed a Master of Education program. Additionally, she is a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE), and also holds an ATD Facilitating Virtual Training Certificate.

Mathieu Gerbaux is an Education Services Specialist at Laerdal. He is an experienced Medical Technician with a demonstrated history of working in the medical simulation industry. At Laerdal, Mathieu has developed strong skills in the clinical application, interaction with medical staff, multi-tasking and trust-functional collaboration and brings a positive attitude to help transform customers’ insights into action.

Throughout the course of his career, Mathieu has also worked in the importation and exportation of medical devices on a global scale. This has led him to complete a program in International Commerce, with a specialization in Import/Export. Mathieu’s experience has given him the opportunity to expand his knowledge of medical devices and working along experts in the healthcare field.

Max Dannecker is an Educator at Laerdal. He joined Laerdal Medical in 2019. He is a Certified Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialist with over 9 years of simulation operations experience, as well as an EMT with over 13 years of pre-hospital care experience, having worked 911 response and intra-facility transports. He has presented numerous times at IMSH and has presented internationally at SEMA in Saudi Arabia. His research interests include making simulation readily available to as many pre-hospital providers as possible, improving pediatric assessment and care in the pre-hospital setting, improving outcomes from sudden cardiac arrest through the use of real-time feedback devices, and use of simulation in disaster preparedness and active shooter training.

Meg Miller is a Lead Educational Services Specialist at Laerdal. She has an M.Ed. in Instructional Design and Technology and degrees in Biology and Economics. She is CHSE and CHSOS certified and is a BLS, ACLS, and PALS AHA Instructor. Her EMT and Paramedic training, as well as experience teaching EMS providers utilizing simulations for nearly thirty years, gives her a unique insight into training students of diverse backgrounds. Meg's fourteen years as an educator at Laerdal have provided a perspective on the wide variety of teaching methods, resources, and challenges in developing today’s healthcare professionals.

Ola Gonzalez is a SimCapture Education Specialist at Laerdal. Ola is a seasoned trainer in remote/virtual or onsite training.

Ola has over 30 years of experience training different software products. She has a wide range of experience with multiple types of software, including medical EMR, claims ad billing, and simulation. Ola’s career started in the Air Force, teaching CPR and first aid classes. She was also certified in the USAF as a Dental Lab Tech, making dentures and ortho appliances. She spent 8 years traveling as a private consultant, training EPIC at different medical organizations. Ola is certified to teach, build, and implement the Epic Ambulatory module. She also spent 2 years as a System Analyst and 20 years working in medical practices in multiple roles. From this wide range of experiences, Ola has developed a love of training clients. She teaches/trains as if her loved ones will personally encounter someone in a medical event. Ola hopes she has helped in that person’s journey to ultimately do their best job for everyone’s loved ones. 

Patricia Sedgwick is an Educational Services Specialist at Laerdal. Patricia has multiple years of experience in the Healthcare simulation environment as a clinical educator in the Acute Hospital Setting. In this environment, there was a strong focus on quality patient care and positive patient experience, through which simulation was the key to ensuring the best possible patient outcome was attained.

Patricia is currently licensed as a Vocational Nurse in California and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Management, along with Certification in Healthcare Simulation. She was previously Director of Staff Development with the California Dept of Public Health. Along with these certifications, she maintains her American Heart Association provider/instructor status for Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, and Pediatric Life Support. Other certifications include Workplace Violence Master Trainer which provided self-defense hands-on education for the healthcare setting.

Shane Peddle is a Sales & Services Specialist at Laerdal. He brings two decades of pre-hospital and educational experience in Canada and internationally. Shane specializes in different types of pre-hospital medical care including emergency, aeromedical, intensive care and is passionate about fun pedagogical methods to help save more lives in the medical simulation environment.

Tyler Richmond is a SimCapture Education Specialist at Laerdal. Before coming to Laerdal, Tyler worked as a trauma coordinator and paramedic/instructor for 10 years in urban and rural communities in central Arkansas. He has held instructor certification in BLS, ACLS, PALS, PHTLS, AMLS, and paramedic. Tyler was part of the Disaster Medical Assistant Team (DMAT) unit for the Health and Human Service (HHS) department during Hurricane Maria and was deployed to Puerto Rico.

Tyler is a graduate of Arkansas Tech University, with a degree in emergency management and administration and a graduate candidate in the Clinton School of Public Service, focusing his capstone project on implicit bias in Healthcare. Tyler loves to travel to clients’ locations and explore the local attractions. His hobbies include road biking and hiking. Tyler is based in North Little Rock, AR.

Cristina is an Educational Services Specialist at Laerdal. She has a passion for creatively presenting simulation. After 30 years of Nursing in maternal childcare, Cristina pursued her Doctorate in Nursing Education. Her successful dissertation demonstrated how simulation provided another option for learning in the nursing classroom for the undergraduate. She came to Laerdal after working with Laerdal products during her six years of nursing education experience for a local community college. She enjoys the utilization of simulation to prepare the learner for various kinds of experiences.

Jaimee Kastler is an Educator at Laerdal. She started her career as a licensed practical nurse in 1999. She has been a registered nurse since 2003 and has a background in pediatric, medical/surgical, and home health nursing. She obtained her master’s degree and doctoral degree in nursing from Walden University. She most recently obtained her certification as a certified healthcare simulation educator (CHSE) in 2018. She has been teaching in academia for over 9 years now. She is currently working as a simulation leader for a university in Texas. She has led research projects on student success through peer mentoring, simulation, and the use of technology to bridge the theory-practice gap. She has received several grants, both internal through the university and external through the state. She is passionate about simulation in learning and using technology to prepare future nurses for the profession.

Jenny Konjoian, CHSOS, CHSE, is an Educational Services Specialist at Laerdal. After receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Jenny has been working as a Simulation Specialist for over 5 years. She is a vibrant, enthusiastic educator who loves meeting new simulationists at various levels. She worked at the Center for Medical Simulation and Boston Medical Center before coming to Laerdal. Jenny has experience in debriefing, OR teams, Acute Care and Emergency Medicine IPE, and INSITU simulation. Jenny will be attending UMass Medical School of Graduate Nursing to receive her Doctor of Nursing Practice as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner in the fall. Jenny finds passion for educating learners on how to troubleshoot, debrief, and how to implement simulation into their curriculum. When Jenny isn’t working, you can find her exploring new towns on her bike, traveling, or hanging out with her dog, Peety.

Lori Murphy is an Educator at Laerdal. Lori is extremely enthusiastic about teaching with simulation. She has a purposeful passion for it and empowers others to use it in their education in all aspects. Lori has worked with Laerdal simulators for 15 years in a variety of roles teaching in nursing education. She has worked at SUNY Upstate in Syracuse, NY for 12 years and several nursing programs. She developed a simulation program at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse NY from the ground up, integrating simulations across the curriculum.

Lori has been a Registered Nurse for 20 years, receiving her Master’s of Science in Nursing Education and Leadership in 2006 from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. In her Master’s Practicum, she was introduced to simulation and fell in love with it. Her specialties include ICU, ER, and Medical-Surgical Nursing. She continues to teach at SUNY Upstate, ACLS, PALS, and CPR. Lori is from Pulaski, NY where she lives with her husband Mike, raising 3 busy boys and two dogs. Lori hopes that through her teaching, educators across the globe will be empowered to use simulation to its full capability to save many lives and live out Laerdal’s mission.

Marty Miller is an Educator at Laerdal. He has more than 40 years of experience as an ALS provider (Paramedic) and Firefighter. Before joining Laerdal, He spent 27 years as a member of the FDNY, retiring as a Company Commander (Captain). He is also a Private Pilot and serves as a Fire Commissioner. Marty attended SUNY Stony Brook and SUNY Farmingdale, specializing in Electrical Engineering. 

Shawn Treloar is an Educator at Laerdal. He has been with Laerdal since 2012. He has worked full-time for the Sanford Fire Department in Central Florida since 1995. Currently, he is the Battalion Chief of Emergency Medical Services. He is also an EMT instructor at Seminole State College. Additionally, he works as a Planning Section Chief on the Central Florida Incident Management Team and is on the State of Florida Steering Committee for All-Hazards Incident Management Teams. He has deployed as part of an IMT for hurricanes, special events, and most recently as part of the COVID response for the State of Florida.