Arkansas Appoints Christy Kresse as Inaugural Commissioner
WASHINGTON, 21 March 2025— The Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice is pleased to announce the appointment of Christy Kresse, B.S., NRP, as the inaugural Delegate and Commissioner representing the State of Arkansas. Ms. Kresse serves as the Section Chief of EMS in the Office of Preparedness and Emergency Response Systems (OPERS) at the Arkansas Department of Health.
Christy Kresse brings extensive experience in EMS operations, preparedness, and public health collaboration. Her leadership has been instrumental in aligning Arkansas’ EMS systems with national best practices and ensuring state readiness to activate Compact privileges.
Arkansas became the 25th state to join the United States EMS Compact, marking a pivotal milestone toward a more connected and responsive national EMS workforce. Under Ms. Kresse’s leadership, Arkansas has rapidly progressed in integrating its state licensure system with the National EMS Coordinated Database and has fulfilled the remaining operational requirements for Compact participation.
The EMS Compact provides a unique legal framework for 24/7 immediate recognition of EMS licensure across state lines, allowing over 400,000 EMS clinicians licensed in any of the 25 Compact Member States to practice in other member states without delay. This mobility is not limited to disaster or emergency response—it supports surge staffing, disaster preparedness, routine operations, and innovative solutions for recruitment and retention. The Compact meets the needs of today’s mobile workforce while maintaining high public safety and accountability standards.
“We are honored to welcome Christy Kresse to the EMS Compact,” said Kraig Kinney, JD, NRP, Chair of the Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice. “Her clinical insight and administrative leadership will be invaluable as Arkansas becomes fully operational within the Compact framework.”
“Commissioner Kresse’s appointment reinforces the strategic importance of Arkansas’ role within the Compact,” said Donnie Woodyard, Jr., MAML, NRP, Executive Director of the EMS Compact. “She represents a new chapter of collaboration, innovation, and operational readiness as we continue building a seamless EMS system nationwide.”
With the addition of Arkansas, the Compact now represents 25 states—unifying half the nation’s EMS workforce under a standard, operationally active multistate license recognition, Privilege to Practice model.
The Commission looks forward to formally welcoming Commissioner Kresse at its upcoming full commission meeting.
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About the Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice
The Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice is the lead governmental authority in the United States responsible for regulating and overseeing the interstate practice of Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Established by the Recognition of EMS Personnel Licensure Interstate CompAct (REPLICA), the Commission is composed of appointed Commissioners from each Compact Member State and is vested with the authority to enforce compliance, administer national operations, resolve multistate regulatory and disciplinary issues, operate the National EMS Coordinated Database, and facilitate immediate license recognition and the Privilege to Practice across state lines. Operational 24/7, the EMS Compact enables more than 400,000 EMS clinicians in 25 member states to deliver care wherever and whenever needed—supporting routine operations, surge staffing, disaster response, recruitment and retention, and the demands of a modern, mobile workforce. The Commission safeguards public protection, enhances national preparedness, and stands as the definitive model for multistate licensure in healthcare.