ACEP Announces 2026-2027 Board of Directors and Council Officers

CHICAGO -The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) announced its 2026-2027 Board of Directors and officers at the conclusion of ACEP26.

Officers

President, Ryan A. Stanton, MD, FACEP, is an emergency physician and president of Central Emergency Physicians in Kentucky. Dr. Stanton is the EMS medical director for Lexington-Fayette Urban County, and medical director for GMR Motorsports and the AMR/NASCAR safety team. Dr. Stanton is a chief medical contributor for Fox 56 News and creator/host of the ACEP Frontline podcast. He is a past president of the Kentucky chapter of ACEP. Dr. Stanton has a medical degree from James H. Quillen College of Medicine and completed his residency in emergency medicine at the University of Kentucky.

President-elect, Heidi C. Knowles, MD, FACEP, works for Integrative Emergency Services as vice chair and medical director of emergency medicine at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. She serves as an assistant professor of emergency medicine at the Texas Christian University School of Medicine. In addition, Dr. Knowles practices as a staff emergency physician at Texas Health Southlake and is the EMS medical director for Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas. Dr. Knowles has served as secretary-treasurer of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and is a past president of the Texas College of Emergency Physicians. Dr. Knowles earned her medical degree from the University of Texas at Houston Medical School and completed her emergency medicine residency at Memorial Hermann Hospital through the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

Chair of the Board, Abhi Mehrotra, MD, MBA, FACEP, is a clinical professor and executive vice chair, University of North Carolina Department of Emergency Medicine. He leads the UNC Health System Emergency Services Collaborative. He has held numerous teaching positions with the University of North Carolina Department of Emergency Medicine and Kenan-Flagler Business School. He is a past president of the North Carolina chapter of ACEP and an extensively published author of book chapters and peer-reviewed publications on topics spanning emergency medicine. Dr. Mehrotra is an oral examiner and item writer for the American Board of Emergency Medicine, member of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, and maintains an active role in numerous other medical societies. He earned a medical degree from The Ohio State University and completed an emergency medicine residency at the University of North Carolina Hospitals.

Vice President, Communications: Jennifer Casaletto, MD, FACEP, is a physician at Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center Department of Emergency Medicine in Charlotte, North Carolina, and practices telehealth with CirrusMD. Previous academic leadership positions include founding emergency medicine residency program director at Virginia Tech-Carilion and associate residency program director at Maricopa Medical Center. She is a current member of ACEP's National Emergency Medicine Political Action Committee (NEMPAC) board of directors and serves as an oral board examiner and item writer for the American Board of Emergency Medicine. She is past-chair of ACEP's Academic Affairs Committee, Educational Meetings Subcommittee and Young Physicians Section, past-president of the Arizona College of Emergency Physicians, and past-chair of the Arizona Governor's Domestic Violence Council's Health Cares About Family Violence Subcommittee via an appointment to Arizona's Committee on the Impact of Domestic Violence and the Courts. Dr. Casaletto earned her medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and completed a residency in emergency medicine at Carolinas Medical Center.

Vice President, Membership, Diana B. Nordlund, DO, JD, FACEP, is a corporate compliance officer and attending physician with Emergency Care Specialists in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In addition to her role on the ACEP Board of Directors and the Emergency Medicine Foundation's (EMF's) Board of Trustees, Dr. Nordlund is past chair of ACEP's Medical Legal Committee and past president of the Michigan College of Emergency Physicians. In addition to full-time clinical emergency medicine, Dr. Nordlund has practiced medical malpractice defense law with Henn Lesperance, PLC, and physician contract law with Nordlund Hulverson, PLLC. She is a sought-after educational speaker and enjoys spirited discussion on nearly all things medical-legal. Dr. Nordlund earned her medical degree from Andrew Taylor Still University and completed residency training at MetroHealth Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After residency, she earned her Juris Doctor from Cooley Law School.

Secretary-Treasurer, C. Ryan Keay, MD, FACEP, is an emergency physician at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington and division chief over outpatient and emergency medicine. She formerly served as the emergency department medical director at Providence and is a 17-year partner with North Sound Emergency Medicine, a democratic shareholder group. She is the medical program director of EMS for Snohomish County, Washington. Dr. Keay is the current board liaison to the Access, Belonging and Community Committee and Section, EMS Committee and Section and the Wilderness Section. She is a former member of the Steering Committee, Tellers Committee, ABC (DEI) Committee and former chair of the Medical Director Section. She is a past president and board member of the Washington chapter of ACEP. Her previous experience includes serving as director and president of the Washington Poison Center board, a ship physician on Antarctic, Alaskan and Central American expeditions, and, in a previous career, a flight medic and volunteer firefighter in rural Alaska. Dr. Keay received her medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine and completed residency at the Denver Health Medical Center.

Immediate Past-President, L. Anthony Cirillo, MD, FACEP is the immediate past president of ACEP, a past chair of the ACEP Board of Directors and is now serving in his 9th year on the board. Dr. Cirillo is a past chair of ACEP's Federal Government Affairs, State Legislative and Regulatory, and Membership Committees and has served on numerous task forces. Dr. Cirillo previously served on the National Emergency Medicine PAC (NEMPAC) Board of Trustees and as an ACEP representative on the ACEP/EDPMA surprise medical billing implementation task force steering committee. Dr. Cirillo is the 2018 recipient of ACEP's Colin C. Rorrie, Jr., PhD Award for Excellence in Health Policy. Dr. Cirillo practices clinically and serves as the Director of Government Affairs for US Acute Care Solutions. Dr. Cirillo earned his medical degree at the University of Vermont College of Medicine in Burlington, VT and completed his residency in emergency medicine at UMASS Medical Center in Worcester, MA, where he served as chief resident.

Newly Elected Board Members

Kurtis A. Mayz, JD, MD, MBA, RP, FACEP, FCLM, is on the Strategic Ambassador Travel Team for United States Acute Care Solutions. He has served on the ACEP Council Steering Committee and worked on national ACEP committees for bylaws, medical-legal issues, and pediatric emergency medicine. Dr. Mayz is ACEP educational faculty and serves as president of the Oklahoma College of Emergency Physicians. He is a registered parliamentarian with the National Association of Parliamentarians. He has a law degree and a Doctor of Medicine/Master of Business Administration through the Medical Scholars Program at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. Dr. Mayz completed an emergency medicine residency at Stony Brook University Medical Center in Stony Brook, New York and a fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Torree M. McGowan, MD, FACEP, currently serves as an emergency physician with St. Charles Medical Group in central Oregon. She previously served as the Oregon Air National Guard 142nd Medical Group Detachment 1 CBRNE Enhanced Response Force Package Commander, which is an all-hazards disaster response unit based at Portland Air National Guard Base. She retired after 27 years in the active duty Air Force, Oregon Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve. Dr. McGowan is a member of several ACEP Committees including the Communications Committee where she served as chair, the Education Committee and Disaster Medicine Committee. In addition, Dr. McGowan held the positions of president and secretary-treasurer for ACEP's Government Services (GS) Chapter and was awarded GSACEP's highest award, the Excellence in Military Emergency Medicine Award, in 2017. Dr. McGowan is a 2001 Air Force Academy graduate and received her medical degree at Oregon Health and Science University and completed her residency through the San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium.

Current Board Members

Daniel Freess, MD, FACEP, is currently an emergency physician at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut, and serves as assistant professor, Department of Traumatology and Emergency Medicine, University of Connecticut School of Medicine. He has held numerous national leadership roles with the ACEP, including chair of the Council Reference Committee, chair of the Clinical Resource Review Committee, and chair of the EM Practice Committee. He has served on several ACEP task forces and subcommittees focused on workforce issues, emergency department policy, and boarding. Dr. Freess completed his emergency medicine residency at the University of Connecticut and earned his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College.

Steven B. Kailes, MD, MPH, FACEP, is an emergency medicine physician and director of governmental relations with Emergency Resources Group (ERG) in Jacksonville, Fla. Dr. Kailes served on the ACEP Reimbursement Committee, State Legislative and Regulatory Committee, Clinical Resource Review Committee, and EDPMA Joint Task Force on Balance Billing. He was an inaugural fellow in ACEP's Reimbursement Leadership Development Program. He is past president of the Florida College of Emergency Physicians (FCEP) and currently serves on the chapter's Governmental Affairs and Medical Economics Committees. Dr. Kailes received his medical degree and a Master of Public Health from Tufts University School of Medicine. He completed an internship in basic surgery and his emergency medicine residency at Naval Medical Center in San Diego, California.

Kristin McCabe-Kline, MD, FACEP, is vice president and chief medical information officer, AdventHealth East Florida Division and Corporate Growth/Acquisitions, and EMS medical director, Flagler County/City of Palm Coast/City of Flagler Beach. She is the co-founder and chief medical officer of WaterSafe, a nonprofit organization dedicated to drowning prevention and water safety. She previously served as vice president of an independent democratic physician group and regional medical director serving patients across the East Florida Division of AdventHealth. She served two terms as president of the Florida College of Emergency Physicians. Dr. McCabe-Kline received a medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas and completed an emergency medicine residency at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Illinois.

Bing S. Pao, MD, FACEP, is the senior director of provider relations for Vituity and a practicing emergency physician at Moreno Valley Hospital in Riverside County, California. He is an assistant clinical professor at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and on the teaching faculty for the University of California in Riverside. He is a past president of the California Emergency Medicine Residency Association, past chair of the Emergency Department Practice Management Association (EDPMA), and past board member of the California chapter of ACEP and the San Diego County Medical Society. He actively supports emergency physicians at the state and national level through ACEP's task forces and committees. He received his medical degree from Duke University and completed his emergency medicine residency at the University of California, San Diego.

Henry Z. Pitzele, MD, FACEP, is an emergency physician and chief health informatics officer at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago, and part-time attending physician at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago, a level one trauma center. He is a past president of the Illinois ACEP chapter and member of the Illinois ACEP chapter board of directors. Dr. Pitzele has a medical degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine and completed an emergency medicine residency at University of Illinois at Chicago.

2026-27 Council Officers

Speaker, Michael James McCrea, MD, FACEP, is an attending physician and program director of the Mercy Health-St. Vincent Medical Emergency Medicine Residency in Toledo, Ohio. He is a published author of peer-reviewed research and educational materials. He held roles including staff physician, attending physician, quality director, and medical director at multiple sites with Premier Physician Services. For the past two years he served as vice speaker of the ACEP Council. Additionally, he served for more than a decade on multiple ACEP task forces and committees, including on the educational meeting planning committee and a past chair of the bylaws committee. Dr. McCrea is a two-term past president of Ohio ACEP and current member of the Ohio Chapter Board of Directors. He earned his medical degree at the Medical College of Ohio at Toledo and completed his emergency medicine residency at The Ohio State University Medical Center.

Vice Speaker, Larisa M. Traill, MD, FACEP, FAAEM, is employed by McLaren Medical Group, a Michigan non-profit, as the regional medical director for McLaren Greater Lansing and McLaren Grand Ledge emergency departments. She is a clinical assistant professor, Michigan State University, Department of Emergency Medicine and holds a faculty position in the McLaren Greater Lansing emergency medicine residency program. She is a past president of the Michigan College of Emergency Physicians (MCEP) and is the co-director of MCEP's Leadership Development Program. She serves as an examiner for the American Board of Emergency Medicine certifying exam. She serves as the current ACEP Council Vice Speaker and has held numerous roles with ACEP and the ACEP Council, including past chair of the Bylaws Committee. Dr. Traill completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto, attended St. George's University School of Medicine, and completed emergency medicine residency at Detroit Medical Center/Wayne State University, Sinai-Grace Hospital.