30 FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY / COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
The ranks of leaders of and advocates for the profession who have daily connections to the PA students doesn’ t stop there.
Shalon Buchs, Ed. D., PA-C, director of evaluation and associate professor at the central campus, serves as secretary for the PAEA Board of Directors and is a member of its executive committee.
Kimberly Berggren, DMSc, PA-C, is associate clinical education director for the Pensacola Regional Campus, a clinical assistant professor and manages the highly successful UWF Physician Assistant Pipeline Program. Berggren preceded Justice as FAPA’ s Northwest regional director and continues to advise and assist its current leadership.
Megan Verdoni, PA-C, CAQ-EM, is clinical education director and an assistant professor at the Sarasota Regional Campus, a PA Fellow with FAPA and also serves as a Site Visitor for the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant( ARC-PA) program. She conducts two to three site visits a year to survey other programs for the nationwide accrediting agency.
Inez Hudlow, a clinical education program coordinator on the PA staff, works closely with Verdoni but also volunteers with PAEA. She was selected as a facilitator for the 2025 PAEA Virtual Retreat for non-PA administrative professionals and was a proposal reviewer for the organization’ s 2026 regional education meeting in Tampa. Hudlow plans to be involved in the development of a PA Administrative Professional Handbook.
More than two dozen current PA students hold leadership positions as either class officers— including President Levi Payne, Treasurer Kerlenz Lapaine and the vice presidents at each of the six regional campuses— and members of the PA Class of 2027 executive board or members of the Student Academy of the AAPA( SAAAPA).
Hmiel said advocacy wasn’ t on her radar as a firstyear PA student, but that has changed for her, and quite likely others as well.
“ Early introduction to advocacy is incredibly important because there are so many opportunities we have as students to learn about advocating for ourselves, and the PA profession, that can prepare us to enter the workforce equipped to make an impact.”
Hmiel hopes to make her own impact, presenting to high school students interested in healthcare, where she will shine a light on the PA profession for her PAEA Fellowship project.
“ The special part is that I’ ll get to give the presentation at the high school I graduated from to students of the medical academy that I was once a part of,” Hmiel said.“ It’ s kind of a full-circle moment.”
“ Participating in professional societies and organizations, advocating for the profession, advocating for patients, makes a difference,” said Smith, who sits on the American College of Rheumatology Board of Directors and is chair-elect of the National Commission on Certification of PAs.
It’ s how we can live our mission and fulfill our vision.”
From left, PA students Noel Miller, Basak Gorgev, Daniel LeGros and Hallie Hmiel pose ahead of the FAPA Challenge Bowl competition, where they represented FSU’ s School of Physician Assistant Practice in the statewide competition among PA programs.