Commander, Medical Readiness Command, Pacific and Director, Defense Health Network Indo-Pacific
COL Soliz enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1987 as a Combat Medic. His first 
assignment was with the 2nd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne 
Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he deployed in support of OPERATION DESERT 
STORM. In 1992 he became a Practical Nurse and was assigned to William Beaumont 
Army Medical Center, El Paso, Texas, as an Intensive Care Unit Nurse, and later as a 
Hospital Education Nurse Instructor. He completed his enlisted career as a Sergeant First 
Class. 

Sharon Luke, EdD, PA-C, is the Executive Director of the Accreditation Review Commission on the Education of the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), the sole accrediting body for PA education in the United States.  She has a near 30-year history in the PA profession, serving as clinical PA provider, a PA educator and preceptor, an accreditation site visitor, and commissioner. 
 
Inspired by learning first-hand the role that accreditation can play on the quality of education delivered in PA programs, she served two terms as a commissioner of ARC-PA. In 2015, Dr. Luke joined the staff of the ARC-PA as an Assistant Director. In 2016, she became the Executive Director of the ARC-PA.  Her continuous goal is to work with the commissioners and satisfy the mission of ARC-PA to protect the interests of students and the public via the accreditation process and the subsequent assurance of quality education in PA programs.

Dr. Dawn Morton-Rias is the President & CEO of the NCCPA, the certifying organization for the more than 178,700 Board Certified PAs in the U.S. She is a Board-Certified PA and has practiced in family medicine, addictive medicine, GYN, and care for the homeless. 
She has served in many national leadership roles and is recognized for her leadership in certification, organizational leadership, DEI initiatives, curricula innovation, and expansion of educational access. Under her leadership, NCCPA has enhanced its certification programs, expanded research initiatives, and increased promotional and DEI efforts for the PA profession.
Before joining NCCPA, she served as a Professor and Dean at the State University of NY. Dr. Morton-Rias holds a BA from Stony Brook University, a BS and PA Certificate from Howard University, and a Doctorate in Education from St. John’s University. She is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) and an Institute of Credentialing Excellence, (ICE) Certified Credentialing Professional (CCP).

Dr. Collett is a Tenured Professor at the University of Kentucky and has made extensive contributions to research scholarship and professional engagement, focusing on student performance metrics, clinical adherence to preventative practice guidelines, healthcare and health disparities, and introducing precision medicine in medical education. Her achievements include presenting at numerous national and international conferences and holding intellectual property, including a patent and commercialization for MediSkin, a silicone-based human-like artificial skin.
Currently serving as the Chair of the University Senate Council at the University of Kentucky, Dr. Collett's second term reflects her leadership and commitment to university governance. Her Senate leadership journey began in 2016 and progressed through various pivotal roles, including Senate Rules and Election Committee Chair and two terms as Senate Council Vice Chair. Since 2018, her accreditation involvement has spanned various roles, including accreditation specialist, site visitor, and National Board of Commissioner. Noteworthy among her professional roles, Dr. Collett serves as the Chairwoman of the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).  

Dr. Trenton Honda, Editor in Chief of the Journal of PA Education,  is an environmental epidemiologist and physician associate education researcher. As an epidemiologist, he focuses on computational methods to identify and quantify the health effects of air pollution, infectious diseases, and the built environment. Within physician associate education, he focuses on program evaluation, application of quantitative methods in biomedical education research, and disparities in physician associate education. 

His research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Physician Associate Education Association. He currently serves as Associate Dean and Clinical Professor at Northeastern University in Boston, MA, USA. 
 

Mr. Lizotte is the Executive Director and Past President of the Association of Physician Assistants in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, a US non-profit professional association that represents cardiac, thoracic and vascular surgery and CTV critical care PAs.   He has a 30 year history in the PA profession, holding clinical and administrative positions in cardiothoracic surgery.  Mr. Lizotte is passionate about PA education as well as international PA professional development.  He has traveled extensively engaging with PAs in several countries, has served as an adjunct professor at international PA training programs, and is currently working on novel models to decrease barriers to entry to the workforce for CTV PAs, to standardize CTV PA orientation, training and practice.

PD Dr. med. Ilona Funke is an extremely experienced specialist in surgery as well as in plastic surgery and a graduate of the Master of Business Administration in Health Care Management. With a comprehensive clinical and business career, including quality management and risk management, Dr. Funke has profiled herself as a medical leader. Her professional career has led her to positions such as Medical Director of the HIRSLANDEN Clinic St. Anna Lucerne and Head of Medical Guidelines and Development at HIRSLANDEN AG. In addition, she is the study site manager for the “Physician Assistant” program at ISBA Munich and teaches as a lecturer at Ludwig Maximilians University Munich. Throughout her long career, Dr. Funke has worked in various medical fields, including visceral surgery, thoracic surgery, and plastic surgery. Both research and teaching have played a significant role in her career, especially during her time as a working group leader at the Institute of Immunology at LMU Munich and through her habilitation in the field of surgery. With over 50 scientific publications and awards for her contributions to cancer research, Dr. Funke demonstrates outstanding commitment to medical research. Additionally, she is a member of numerous medical professional societies, highlighting her comprehensive involvement and passion for the medical field..