Opening Keynote

Leading Through Change: Building Teams, Culture and a Shared Mission

Listening, hearing, and responding to those needs, and sharing up the chain is paramount.”

COL Jodelle “Jody” Schroeder, U.S. Army (Ret.)

Col. Jodelle Schroeder, US Army (Ret.)

Retired U.S. Army  Colonel Jodelle “Jody” Schroeder, Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist, is a distinguished nurse executive and military healthcare leader whose Army career spanned nearly three decades. She served as Interim Chief and Deputy Chief of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps and held senior clinical and executive positions at Walter Reed, the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research and Burn Center, and Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. During a deployment to Ramadi, Iraq, she served as the brigade combat team nurse supporting more than 4,000 service members. Recognized for servant leadership, mentorship, and developing high-performing teams, COL Schroeder received Marquette University’s 2026 College of Nursing Professional Achievement Award and was named the 2026 Dr. Anita Newcomb McGee Army Nurse of the Year. Her leadership reflects a lifelong commitment to service, readiness, professional growth, and caring for those entrusted to her teams. 

Closing Keynote

Leadership Perspective, Negotiation & Influence

What could PAs and APRNs contribute if others—and we ourselves—fully recognized our potential?

Dr. Jeremy Welsh, PhD, JD, DHSc, PA-C, DFAAPA

Dr. Jeremy M. Welsh

 Dr. Jeremy M. Welsh, PhD, JD, DHSc, PA-C, DFAAPA, is a nationally recognized PA educator, healthcare leader, and innovator. He currently serves as Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer at the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education. Dr. Welsh founded the University of Lynchburg’s Doctor of Medical Science program—the first civilian DMSc program created specifically for PAs—and has held numerous senior academic leadership roles, including chief academic officer, provost, dean, and vice president. His career also includes emergency medicine, forensic medicine, disaster response, healthcare administration, and small-business ownership. A former president and CEO of the Virginia Academy of PAs, Dr. Welsh remains a passionate advocate for expanding the influence of PAs in healthcare leadership, education, and innovation. 

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