American Academy of PAs Welcomes 2019-20 Board of Directors

Contact: Jenni Roberson, 571-319-4434, [email protected]

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (July 3, 2019) —The 2019-2020 American Academy of PAs (AAPA) Board of Directors began its leadership year on July 1. President and Chair of AAPA’s Board of Directors David E. Mittman, PA, DFAAPA of Boynton Beach, Florida, will lead the organization.

Mittman has served in numerous PA leadership roles over the last 30 years, including serving on the AAPA Board of Directors; the AAPA House of Delegates (HOD); and various state chapters, specialty organizations, and special interest groups. Prior to his election as President-elect in 2018, he served on the AAPA Board of Directors from 2015-2018 as Director-at-Large, after previously serving in the same role in the early 1980s.

Mittman also was a leader for the PA profession in medical publishing and communications, launching journals and a web community for PAs. Mittman is currently editor-in-chief of Clinician1, an online community for PAs and nurse practitioners, which he launched in 2009. A veteran of the profession, Mittman is known for the groundbreaking and formative roles he played in the PA profession’s infancy. He was the first PA to practice in the Air Force Reserves, was a founding student member of the New York State Society of PAs (NYSSPA), and led the “March on Trenton” to the New Jersey State House, which ultimately resulted in establishing PA practice in the state.

“As the PA workforce continues to grow, the AAPA Board has a responsibility to our current and future colleagues to ensure that the health care environment evolves with us,” Mittman said. “Advancing Optimal Team Practice is my top priority as AAPA president, and I am committed to building on the progress we have made to ensure that PAs can work efficiently with other medical providers to serve our nation’s health care needs. We will also continue our investigation into a change in our professional title and what the alternatives are that better align with who PAs are and what we do. I offer my congratulations and gratitude to the newly elected members of the AAPA Board for their commitment to the future of PAs and the patients we serve.”

Members of AAPA’s 2019-2020 Board of Directors are:

• President and Chair of the Board: David E. Mittman, PA, DFAAPA (Boynton Beach, Florida)
• President-elect: Beth R. Smolko, DMSc, MMS, PA-C (Frederick, Maryland)
• Immediate Past President: Jonathan E. Sobel, DMSc, MBA, PA-C, DFAAPA, FAPACVS (Rockville Centre, New York)
• Vice President and Speaker of the House of Delegates: William T. Reynolds, Jr., MPAS, PA-C, DFAAPA (Dallas, Pennsylvania)
• Secretary-Treasurer: Diane M. Bruessow, MPAS, PA-C, DFAAPA (Middle Village, New York)
• Director-at-Large: CMDR Billy S. Collins, DHSc, MS, PA-C (Bethesda, Maryland)
• Student Director: Cooper T. Couch, PA-S (Pasadena, California)
• Director-at-Large: Lauren G. Dobbs, MMS, PA-C (Aledo, Texas)
• Director-at-Large: Stephen D. Lewia, Jr., MPAM, PA-C (San Bernadino, California)
• Director and Second Vice Speaker of the House of Delegates: Leslie Clayton Milteer, MPAS, PA-C, DFAAPA (Maple Grove, Minnesota)
• Director-at-Large: Jennifer Orozco, MMS, PA-C, DFAAPA (Bartlett, Illinois)
• Director and First Vice Speaker of the House of Delegates: Todd A. Pickard, MMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA (Houston, Texas)
• Director-at-Large: Jason P. Prevelige, MHS, PA-C (Fairfield, Connecticut)

PAs are medical professionals who conduct physical examinations, diagnose illness, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, perform procedures, and often serve as a patient’s principal health care provider. The PA profession is estimated to increase by 37 percent between 2016 and 2026.

To learn more about AAPA’s leadership team, visit aapa.org/bod.

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About the American Academy of PAs
AAPA is the national membership organization for all PAs. PAs are medical professionals who diagnose illness, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and often serve as a patient’s principal healthcare provider. Learn more about the profession at aapa.org and engage through Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat using the handle @aapaorg.