Board of Directors

Mark Alexander

Director of EMS, CoxHealth

Mark Alexander is the Director of CoxHealth EMS, and has served in this capacity since December 1987, and was the Director of Webster County Ambulance from spring of 1985 thru December 1987. He was a field paramedic from 1978 thru 1985. He attended Southwest Missouri State University majoring in Psychology with a minor in Business Administration and Chemistry. He was appointed to the State Advisory Committee (SAC) for EMS in 1996 and still serves on the SAC as the Legislative Committee Chairperson. He is a past president and current board member of the Missouri Ambulance Association, a past president of the West Missouri Critical Incident Response Team, and currently serves as the Vice-Chairperson of the Missouri Emergency Service Agency Corporation (MoEMSAC). He is also a Just Culture instructor and has taught more than 500 students.

Ellen Harmon, JD, MBA, RN

Associate General Counsel, Global Medical Response Inc. (GMR)

Ellen Harmon, JD, MBA, RN joined Global Medical Response Inc. (“GMR”) on November 1, 2012. GMR is the largest independent provider of air and ground medical transport services in the nation, operating through its subsidiaries which collaborate with leading hospital systems, governmental entities, businesses, medical centers and EMS agencies to offer access to emergency medical care and disaster response. As Associate General Counsel for GMR, Ellen provides legal and strategic business advice to executives and top management on relevant corporate, medical-legal, compliance, employment, regulatory, risk mitigation issues, manages all forms of corporate litigation including professional liability, general liability, employment and labor relations, workers’ compensation, cybersecurity, governmental investigations and citations, and environmental issues. In handling litigation matters, Ellen frequently participates in ADR and manages settlement negotiations. Ellen has focused her legal career in health law. Her professional background includes serving as General Counsel for an emergency medical company and a chain of senior living communities, and Missouri Assistant Attorney General. Prior to becoming an attorney, Ellen was a nursing administrator for two major hospitals in the St. Louis area responsible for managing operations, strategic planning, budgets, and personnel throughout the organizations. She is the past-president of the St. Louis Association of Healthcare Risk Managers, an affiliate chapter of the American Society of Healthcare Risk Management. Ellen received her Diploma of Nursing from Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College in St. Louis, Missouri; Bachelor of Science from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Illinois; Master of Business Administration from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri; and Juris Doctor from St. Louis University Law School in St. Louis, Missouri. In her personal life, Ellen is an outdoors enthusiast and enjoys sailing, biking and hiking with her family and friends. She is an amateur artist and dabbles in watercolor painting and mosaics.

Terry Seaton, PharmD, FCCP, BCPS

Professor of Pharmacy Practice, St. Louis College of Pharmacy

Terry L. Seaton, PharmD, FCCP, BCPS is Professor of Pharmacy Practice at St. Louis College of Pharmacy where he teaches evidence-based medicine, clinical informatics, and advocacy. He is also a Clinical Pharmacist with Mercy in the Department of Quality, Safety, and Value where he provides medication-related population health services. His research focus is in dissemination and implementation science. Dr. Seaton was a United States Public Health Service Primary Care Policy Fellow and has been a Board-Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist since its inception in 1991. He is Past President and Fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy.

Steven R. Smith, MD

Anesthesiologist, Western Anesthesiology Associates, Inc.

Stephen R. Smith, MD, is a 1982 graduate of the University of Missouri School of Medicine and recipient of the 1982 Russell D. Sheldon Award for Excellence in Anesthesiology. He completed his residency at the University of Missouri Hospital and Clinics, Department of Anesthesiology. Dr. Smith is Board Certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology. Clinical interests include difficult airway management, trauma anesthesiology, and office-based anesthesiology. He serves as Chairman of two work-groups within the Trauma and Burn Quality Improvement Committee, Department of Emergency Medicine Quality Improvement Committee, Vice Chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology Quality Improvement Committee, Patient Safety Committee, and has served on the Emergency Preparedness Committee. He was commissioner of the Missouri Patient Safety Committee and Chairman of the Data Collection and Reporting Subcommittee from 2003-2004. He has served as a Delegate to the American Society of Anesthesiologists, President, President-Elect, and Board of Directors and Chairman for the Missouri Society of Anesthesiologists. He is a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, Missouri State Medical Association, St. Louis Society of Anesthesiologists, St. Louis Metropolitan Medical Association and University of Missouri School of Medicine Alumni Association, of which he has been President since April 2011. Currently, Dr. Smith is practicing within a private practice in Anesthesiology at Western Anesthesiology Associates, Inc., in Ballwin, Missouri. Dr. Smith is married with five children, has a SCUBA certification, Amateur Radio Technician License, is a member of the Community Emergency Response Team, and he is Volunteer Assistant Medical Officer with the Monarch Fire Protection District.

Paul N. Venker

Senior Counsel, Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice LLC.

Paul Venker has had a varied and challenging legal career. Upon graduation, he was a member of the Research Staff of the Missouri Supreme Court where he was invited to serve as a law clerk to then-Chief Justice, Robert T. Donnelly. Paul has always practiced in the areas of trial and appellate practice, in cases involving employment law, medical malpractice, hazardous materials and general liability. In 2009, Missouri Lawyers Weekly recognized Paul for receiving one of the top defense verdicts in the state. Paul worked in the corporate environment as an Assistant Litigation Counsel at Monsanto Company from 1988 to 1990. Prior law firm affiliations include partnership in Shepherd, Sandberg and Phoenix (now Sandberg Phoenix), Armstrong Teasdale and Williams, Venker and Sanders. For the past several years Paul has been ranked in Chambers USA, a leading guide to the legal profession, for his work in commercial litigation. In addition, for over 10 years, he has been honored by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® in the areas of Employment Law, Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury, as well as Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyers, a distinction given to only the top five percent of Missouri and Kansas lawyers. Frequently active in volunteer bar activities, Paul has served as a member of the Missouri Bar Board of Governors and on the Board of the St. Louis Bar Foundation. Paul is also an active mediator.

Kris Kaull

Chief Marketing Officer, Pulsara

As Chief Marketing Officer of Pulsara, a successful medical technology start-up (www.pulsara.com), Kaull has a multitude of experience including Clinical/operational experience as firefighter captain, paramedic, ambulance service director. Kaull is still active as a critical care helicopter flight paramedic covering rural Montana and Yellowstone National Park. Kaull created paramedic.com and, in 1997, co-founded EMS1.com (now the largest online paramedic resource) before transitioning to his current role to help launch Pulsara as the Chief Marketing Officer. Kaull regularly presents on topics ranging from technology for first responders, current clinical issues, and leadership; all with a focus on the importance of human connection.