Over the span of her EMS career, Jill Roys has held every title available. She started as a driver, then progressed to EMR, EMT, Paramedic, then Critical Care Paramedic. Today, she serves her community as a Lead Paramedic.

Jill greets each workday with a positive, can-do attitude. She is not afraid of a challenge, is always willing to help out, and serves as an extraordinary role model for both new and seasoned field providers. For example, she goes above and beyond in her efforts to assist with the orientation and training of new employees. Onboarding new staff is not always an easy task, but her dedication drives the success of the process.

Jill was born and raised in a rural community in northeast Iowa. She is married to her husband, Shad, who is a Sergeant with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department as well as an ambulance driver. Jill has four kids, two stepkids, and one grandchild. In their free time, the Roys love to ride motorcycles and go boating with family.

Jill Roys is a true team player and a great leader to Gundersen Ambulance. Each day, Jill demonstrates teamwork, integrity, and leadership—all that a Star should be!

Nancy Noel has been in EMS for twenty-six years. In 1995, Nancy was attending college for nursing when she was involved in a serious car accident, suffering multiple injuries and fractures. A volunteer ambulance service and first responder service were called, and she was transported to the hospital. She felt very fortunate that strangers were there during her time of need and, after recovering from her injuries, Nancy decided to quit nursing school and pursue a career in EMS as a volunteer EMT and First Responder.

In 2014, Nancy decided to leave her volunteer service to work full-time as an EMT at Paramount Ambulance in Dubuque, IA. Despite her initial reservations of working in a large city that she was unfamiliar with, Nancy describes the experience as being incredibly rewarding. She has enjoyed working with other EMTs, Paramedics, and Critical Care Paramedics, and takes pleasure in knowing that she has made a difference in many lives.

Paramount Ambulance is proud to nominate Nancy as a Star of Life for her dedication to the company and to her patients. She can be counted on to consistently conduct herself in a professional and caring manner, and is always willing to go the extra mile for her patients and colleagues. She is a strong EMT who helps the Paramedics manage critical patients, and is the longest-tenured EMT at Paramount Ambulance.

Outside of her EMS career, Nancy works for a group home that owns and operates several homes for intellectually challenged clients. She enjoys spending time with her family, especially her granddaughter and her three dogs, Max, Meko, and Tundra. She also enjoys working on the family farm, reading, auto racing, and hockey.

Dani has been in EMS for sixteen years. She obtained her EMT in 2006, became a Paramedic in 2009, and received her Critical Care endorsement in 2010. 

Dani is one of Paramount’s more seasoned employees and offers a plethora of knowledge and experience to the team of EMS providers she works alongside. Recently, Dani has moved into a new role as a Field Training Officer to help train new EMT’s and Paramedics for fieldwork. She works closely with the program coordinator to offer advice and new and innovative ideas to keep training current, effective, and efficient. Dani is also an excellent team player and is always jumping at opportunities to help with employee training. She has truly found her niche in EMS through training; her passion for EMS was reawakened when she became an FTO and her work is greatly appreciated.

Dani’s interest in EMS began as a small child with a strong desire to follow in her dad’s footsteps to become a Firefighter. She spends most of her time off raising her two amazing children, Beau, age nine, and Quinn, age four. When she is not chasing her kids all over, she enjoys reading and riding her motorcycle.