Volunteers
More than 20 years of service
Meg Trebon - AEMT
Carolyn Groninger - EMT
Stephanie Rowatt - AEMT
More than 15 years of service
Josh Cole - EMT
Kathleen Calvin - AEMT
Kurt Oakley - AEMT
More than 10 years of service
Lotty Ekblad - EMT
Chuck Timchalk - AEMT
More than 5 years of service
Joe Talbert - EMT
Craig Howard - AEMT
Bruce Hevly - AEMT
Joel Reid - AEMT
Brandon Richison - EMT
5 or fewer years of service
Shane Swanson - EMT
Jeremiah Fosness - EMT
Deanna Melton - AEMT
Cristina Woodworth - EMT
Derek Van Marter - AEMT
Keith Comstock - EMT
Madison Surface - EMR
Tristan Van Stirum - EMT
Jurgen Pichler - EMT
Amy Stafford - EMT
Jennifer Bula - EMT
Kaileah Akker - EMR
Jennifer Zajac - EMR
Todd Hale - EMT
Sebastian Hogness - EMT
Sumi Lavin - EMT
Staff
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Cindy Button
Executive Director - Paramedic
Cindy is the daughter of the late Dr. William Henry, physician in the Methow Valley from 1960-1990 and founder of Aero Methow Rescue Service. Cindy started working at the Twisp Medical Center in the summer of 1970. She graduated from the University of Washington in 1980 and from the Paramedic Program at Tacoma Community College in 1980. She has been the Director of Services of Aero Methow Rescue Service since 1984.
Cindy is an active member of many committees serving the needs of the EMS and public health communities at state, local and regional levels.
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Becky Taylor
Administrative Assistant/Business Manager
Becky is responsible for “running the office”. Her duties and responsibilities include patient billing, accounting, volunteer schedules, record keeping, Privacy Officer and all the miscellaneous activities involved in daily office management. Becky was employed as a bookkeeper at Brook’s Mercantile from 1973 to 1984. She left that employment when the store was sold. She was employed by the Washington State Liquor Store from 1984 – 1988. In 1988 she delivered twin girls and stayed at home with them until 1994, when Aero Methow Rescue Service employed her as an Administrative Assistant.
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Theresa Remsberg
Community Programs Manager - Advanced EMT
Theresa has been an active volunteer since 1999 and in November 2006 she was hired full time as an EMT and Injury Prevention and Community Education Specialist. Since her employment Theresa has become an Advanced EMT (AEMT) and Child Passenger Safety Technician. She is an American Heart Association Instructor, SEI EMT Instructor, PHTLS Instructor, Secretary/Treasurer of the Okanogan/North Douglas County Emergency Medical Services and Trauma Care and Prevention Council and a member of the Okanogan County Injury Prevention Council. Theresa is the contact for public First Aid/CPR/AED classes, Health Care Provider Basic Life Support classes, CPR Anytime, Bike & Pedestrian Safety, Senior Citizen Injury Prevention and assistance with online classes requiring associated skills checks.
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Byron Braden
Peer Support Lead - Advanced EMT
Byron came to Aero Methow after a 25-year career as a Seattle Firefighter as well as several years as a teacher and coach in Seattle-area schools. He began volunteering with Aero Methow in 2008 as an EMT and was certified as an Advanced EMT in 2010. Byron is an AHA CPR/First Aid Instructor, and an EMT evaluator. He was hired as a part-time employee in August, 2011, and currently serves as the coordinator of Aero Methow’s Peer Support Team. Byron lives in Carlton with his wife, Wendy Braden; they've been married for 50 years and have two adult daughters and 3 grandchildren. Byron says that working with Aero Methow is “one of the most worthwhile things I’ve ever done”.
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Bonnie Schwartz
Paramedic
Bonnie started working with Aero Methow summer of 2021 and has been working as an EMT since 2018. She made the switch from Volunteer Program Manager for the National Parks of Boston to EMS by moving to Yosemite and taking her first job as an EMT stationed on Half Dome. The following season she spent the summer in Stehekin, WA as the lead EMT and Search and Rescue technician. After discovering the beauty of the valley, she moved to Twisp to stay in the area and began volunteering with ARMS as soon as she could get her WA certification in place, and then was soon brought on as a full-time employee. In her free time, she enjoys upcycling, creating, and experiencing Methow valley recreational opportunities.
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New List Item
Paramedic
Kevin took his first EMT course in 1976. After a long hiatus from pre-hospital medicine he began volunteering as an Advanced EMT with Aero Methow in 2021. In 2024 he achieved certification as a paramedic in Washington State and is presently a part time employee.
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Ruth Payne
Operations Manager - Advanced EMT
Ruth started volunteering with AMRS in October of 2011 after taking an EMT training course earlier that same year. Ruth volunteered until January of 2014 when she was hired on as a part time employee. With a background in the medical field as a Medical Laboratory Technician she continued her EMS training and became IV certified in the spring of 2013. In February of 2014 she started the Advanced EMT (AEMT) course and took her final exam in October 2014. In 2018 she was promoted to Operations Manager. She is an AHA CPR/First Aid instructor, EMT Evaluator, Peer Support Team member, and Senior EMS Instructor (SEI). Ruth is also a member of Loup Loup Ski Patrol.
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Nina Ravenstein
Administrative Aid - Advanced EMT
Nina is a Methow native and graduate of Liberty Bell High School. She started volunteering with AMRS when she was a senior in high school and has been an active volunteer for more than 10 years. She works in the office at AMRS most days assisting with billing and is our Patient Care Coordinator. It’s a rare sight when you see her escape the office but she also enjoys working as an AEMT and continuing to provide great patient care. She is also an active member of the Okanogan County Search and Rescue Team. In 2019 Nina became a certified AEMT. She and her husband Dusty have two great kids and when she is not in the office you can usually find her camping and hiking with her family.
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Ian Ross
Training Officer - Paramedic
Ian took his first EMT course in 2000. After several years of volunteering for an EMS service and Search and Rescue group in his home state of Maryland his life took him in another direction as an instructor, course director, and administrator for Outward Bound, and several years as a technician building prosthetic legs. He moved to the Methow Valley in 2015 with his wife Megan and reconnected with the emergency services world as an active volunteer with Aero Methow, Okanogan County Search and Rescue and through teaching Wilderness First Responder courses. He began working full time for AMRS in May of 2018 and received his Paramedic credential from Washington State in 2020. Ian coordinates our EMS training programs and is the liaison between AMRS and Okanogan County Search and Rescue. Ian is also a Senior EMS and AHA Instructor, peer support team member and manages the website.
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Jen Webster
Director of Patient Care - Paramedic
Jen started riding along with AMRS in August 2017 while enrolled in an EMT training course in Spokane. She became a certified EMT and volunteer in October 2017 and was hired as an employee in 2018 and received her Paramedic credentialing from Washington State DOH in 2021. Jen is an AHA CPR/First Aid Instructor, EMT Evaluator, Peer support team member and Training Officer. Jen moved to the Methow in 2012 after years of visiting for climbing, skiing and mountain adventures.
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Jeff Kingsbury
Fleet Manager- EMT
Jeff started volunteering with AMRS in the fall of 2020 as an EMR and continued as a volunteer until June 2021 when he was hired as a full time employee completing his EMT certification in September 2021. Jeff manages the maintenance and service of our fleet of ambulances and response vehicles. In addition Jeff has been volunteering with OCFD6 since 2018. Jeff and his wife Erin moved to the Methow in 2010 where for the last 12 years he was working for WDFW. He enjoys spending his free time hunting, fishing, and hiking in the valley. Jeff and Erin have one great kiddo Cooper.
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Brian McAuliffe
Deputy Operations Manager, Community Outreach and Education Specialist Trainee - Advanced EMT
Brian was born and raised in the Methow Valley. He became an EMT in 1994 during his senior year of High School at Liberty Bell. In 2020 he became an Advanced EMT (AEMT). After a career as a firefighter, Brian made the jump to full-time AEMT in June of 2023. He and his wife Amber have 3 very active children and can often be found at sporting events, 4-H meetings, or chauffeuring them everywhere. Brian is very active in the Liberty Bell Booster Club, a ski/snowboard instructor at the Loup, and enjoys spending time with his family. He is an AHA Instructor, BLS Evaluator, Community Outreach and Education Specialist, as well as our Deputy Operations Manager.
Board Of Directors
Julie Muyllaert
Jay Gorham
Robert Ulrich
Rick LeDuc
Heather Yakely
Kristy Miller Paul
Molly Hogan *
Julie Grialou *
John Richardson *
* Not pictured