ENA Vermont State Council Committees
Get Involved with Vermont ENA!
Are you looking for a way to become more involved in your professional organization? Joining a committee is a perfect way to share your expertise and passion for emergency nursing while helping shape the future of our state council.
We are currently seeking committee members and chairs across all of our active committees, New members are always welcome; no matter your experience level, there's a place for you!
Committee meetings are held virtually in conjunction with our quarterly board meetings, which rotate across Vermont hospitals throughout the year. If you're interested in joining a committee or learning more, contact the Vermont ENA President vt.president@state.ena.org
National Board Liaison: Rachael Smith
Communications Committee
The Communications Committee keeps Vermont ENA members informed and connected. The committee manages our website, Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as member email communications, ensuring news, events, and opportunities are always up to date.
Co-Chairs: Liz Couto and Mike King
Education Committee
The Education Committee is responsible for planning and organizing Vermont ENA's learning events throughout the year. The committee coordinates our spring and fall Education Days which bring together emergency nurses from across the state for a day of clinical learning, professional development, and networking. The committee also plays a key role in planning the New England Regional Symposium (NERS), hosted by Vermont ENA in 2027.
Co-Chairs: Sam Demers and Mike King
Forensic Committee
The Forensic Committee supports care for some of our most vulnerable patients - survivors of violence, abuse, and assault. The committee promotes awareness, education, and best practices in forensic nursing and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) care, connecting Vermont nurses to training and resources in this specialized field.
Vermont Forensic Nursing Program
Chair: Abigail Garrett
Fundraising Committee
Plans and initiates Fund Raising events to correlate with ENA sponsored events.
ENStrong Fundraising Challenge | ENA
Chair: Vacant, Interested? email: vt.president@state.ena.org
Government Affairs Committee
The Government Affairs Committee monitors and advocates for legislation that improves emergency care at both the state and federal level working in conjunction with the ENA national office. The committee represents the voice of emergency nurses in the Vermont State House and participates in ENA's annual Day on the Hill in Washington, DC
Chair: Liz Couto
QSIP Committee
The Quality, Safety and Injury Prevention Committee works to advance safe practice, to promote evidence-based initiatives that support community injury prevention efforts, and to champion a culture of safety. This committee supports community outreach programs like Stop the Bleed and safe driving education, connecting Vermont ENA members to meaningful work that extends beyond the walls of the ED.
Chair: Vacant, Interested? email: vt.president@state.ena.org
Membership Committee
The Membership Committee works to grow and strengthen our Vermont ENA community. The committee tracks and reports membership numbers, conducts outreach to current and prospective members, and plans initiatives to keep members engaged and connected. From welcome cards and appreciation raffles to the annual ENA 5K, we are always looking for new ways to celebrate our members.
Chair: Roz King
Research Committee
The Research Committee supports Vermont ENA's commitment to evidence-based practice. The committee promotes awareness of current research, connects members to national ENA research initiatives and resources, and encourages Vermont nurses to engage with and contribute to the advancement of emergency nursing science.
Chair: Roz King
Trauma and Pediatric Committee
The Trauma & Pediatric Committee coordinates state offerings of the Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) and Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course (ENPC), ensuring Vermont nurses have access to these essential certifications. Committee members also participate in national ENA trauma and pediatric calls, keeping Vermont connected to the latest developments in these specialty areas.
Chair: Mike King
ENA Vermont State Council Board of Directors
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Roz King, MSN, RN, CNL serves as the Division Chief of Research for Emergency Medicine (EM) at the University of Vermont's (UVM) Larner College of Medicine, where she has been instrumental in building a robust research program. Under her leadership, the Emergency Medicine division now manages over $13 million in research funding and numerous IRB protocols. As the Director of the Emergency Medicine Research Associate Program, Roz revitalized the department’s research education, inspiring the next generation of clinical researchers. She has established a sustainable infrastructure to enhance both research output and scholarly productivity in Emergency Medicine at UVM, all while advancing her own research. Roz’s primary interests focus on improving low-barrier access to care, initiating Medication for Opioid Use Disorder in the ED, addressing healthcare disparities, and investigating workplace violence in the emergency department.
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Michelle Nadeau, MSN, RN, CCRN, CNL is a nursing professional development practitioner (nurse educator) in the ED at UVMMC. She is a native Vermonter who began her healthcare career as a volunteer EMT. Her nursing career has included adult critical care, rapid response, and emergency medicine. Michelle loves teaching and opportunities to connect with other healthcare professionals in our region. She currently co-directs the UVMMC ENPC/TNCC program which connects nursing staff across VT and NY in a hybrid course format.
Outside of work, Michelle enjoys spending time with her growing family (3 boys, & 1 little girl on the way!), stealing away to Montreal for a night with her husband, and staying cozy warm indoors during the winter months. She looks forward to engaging more with fellow ED nurses through the VT ENA in the coming years!
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Matthew A. Choate, RN, BSN, MBA, is VT ENA Immediate Past President. Matt has been an ENA member since 1997 when he joined as a senior nursing student. Over his tenure Matt has served on the Education Committee, NERS planning committee, Government Affairs (including Chair), Membership Committee (including Chair), President-Elect (twice) and President (twice). He currently serves as Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Patient Care Services at the University of Vermont Health Network – Central Vermont Medical Center, where he oversees nursing practice and operations for a 120-bed community hospital, including leadership in the pharmacy and 340B programs, skilled nursing facility, and surgical services.
Previously, Matthew directed emergency and critical care services at CVMC, achieving industry-leading performance metrics such as maintaining a “left without being seen” rate below 1% and implementing numerous patient safety initiatives. His roles included Director of Emergency Services at Central VT Medical Center, Director of Emergency Services, Trauma, and Transport at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, where he expanded neonatal and pediatric transport programs and improved both operational flow and patient experience, and Nurse Manager of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.
Matthew began his career in healthcare as an EMT and devoted over 20 years to his community ambulance service. He became a registered nurse in 1997 and spent many years in both adult and pediatric critical care units as well as adult and pediatric emergency departments, including travel assignments at leading hospitals nationwide. He holds a Master of Business Administration with dual specialization in Finance and Healthcare Management from Northeastern University, and two Bachelor of Science degrees in Nursingand Biochemistry from the University of Vermont.
Beyond his clinical and administrative work, Matthew served as a Vermont State Senator (2009–2010) and has held numerous leadership roles in professional organizations, including ENA, AACN, and AONL. He is also currently serving as an active member of the Vermont State Board of Nursing.
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Michael King, BSN, MHA, RN, CEN, CPEN is an experienced Emergency Nurse and educator with more than 20 years of experience in EMS and Emergency Nursing. Michael has spent that last 18 years of his career in the Emergency Department at the University of Vermont Medical Center, where he serves as a Staff Nurse at the State’s only level one trauma center. He is also a Lecturer in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at the Larner College of Medicine. He has led key clinical and operational initiatives - including chairing the ED Triage Subcommittee and serving on the Virtual Provider in Triage and Patient Experience Committees, with prior leadership as Supervisor of the Regional Transfer Center. Michael is the Immediate Past President and current Treasurer of the Vermont Emergency Nurses Association, and he serves as Courser Faculty for TNCC and ENPC, Course Director for both the Vermont EMS Conference and the Stowe Updates in Emergency Medicine Conference. A recipient of the ENA’s 20 Under 40 Award and UVMMC’s Excellence in Trauma Care Award, he remains committed to advancing evidence-based emergency care, pediatric resuscitation education, and multidisciplinary collaboration.
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Elizabeth Couto BSN, BS, RN, CEN (Liz) Couto is the Director of Emergency Services at Copley Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital in North central Vermont where she works with her team of 40 clinical staff, alongside 16 providers in the Emergency Department, the Hospital’s 24/7 Security team, and was recently assigned to manage Emergency Preparedness for the hospital. She’s specialized in Emergency Medicine as a nurse for 17 years and in Emergency Medical Services for 24 years. Her expertise is in pre-hospital Emergency Management, Incident Command and Emergency Preparedness, Clinical Education, and Emergency Medicine. A Clinical Leader, Liz prioritizes high quality patient care and continually encourages professional and personal development of staff through engagement, support, and goal setting from the bedside with her colleagues. For 2026, she was appointed by the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (VAHHS) to the Vermont Emergency Medical Services Advisory Board. Representing Vermont, Liz sits on the Emergency Department Nurses (ENA) Board as well as the American Nurses Association - Vermont (ANA-Vermont) Board. Recently Liz represented the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) when working with Vermont's Coalition of Professional Nursing Organizations, including ANA-Vermont and the Vermont Nurse Practitioner Association (VNPA) to write, advocate, and implement into law ACT 9: Prevention of workplace violence in Hospitals. They are currently working with the Vermont Program for Quality Health Care (VPQHC) to create a toolkit for Vermont hospitals to use in support the implementation of this law. The group was consulted by VAHHS to engage in legislation changes of S20, S24, and S36: all will have direct impacts on patient care, hospitals, and healthcare employees across the state. She was honored by VermontBiz in 2025 as one of Vermont’s Rising Stars: 40 under 40 for that work.
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Erica Carlson BSN, RN,CPEN,CEN has been an emergency department nurse at the University of Vermont Medical Center since 2000. Over the course of her career, she has found deep fulfillment in caring for pediatric patients experiencing medical emergencies, offering both skilled clinical care and compassionate advocacy for children and their families during some of their most challenging moments.
Her commitment to pediatric readiness extends beyond the walls of UVMMC. Erica is an active member of a multidisciplinary Pediatric Outreach Team that travels throughout Vermont and New York, supporting emergency departments with pediatric education, hands‑on skills training, and readiness to meet the needs of their communities.
A longtime PALS and ENPC instructor, Erica is passionate about strengthening the confidence and competence of nurses who care for children. She developed the Pediatric Emergency Nursing Fellowship, a program designed to expand pediatric knowledge, build clinical comfort, and support nurses seeking to advance their expertise in pediatric emergency care.
In her free time she’s an avid baker, reader and cat collector
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Dez Kirtlink BSN, RN, CMSRN is relatively new to the emergency nursing scene, having practiced emergency medicine for the past three years at the Copley Hospital Emergency Department, where she currently works as a staff RN. She is committed to community outreach and has volunteered at People’s Health and Wellness Clinic, a clinic that provides free health care to the uninsured and underinsured population, for nine years. In her past life as an assistant nurse manager, she developed and implemented a peer mentorship program for new nurses and is passionate about developing healthy work environments and peer support. She continues to promote these in her role as union secretary for United Nurses and Allied Professionals, Local 5109. Dez lives in Montpelier with her family and dogs, and in her free time, can be found gardening, enjoying the outdoors, curled up with a good book, or knitting.