Age: 30.
Job title/occupation/place of employment: Director of operations/paramedic with Paramount Emergency Medical Service.
Volunteer activities: Volunteer firefighter/paramedic at Centralia-Peosta Fire Department. President of The Iowa EMS Association.
Education: Bachelor of arts degree at Loras College in business management; critical care certificate from Creighton University; paramedic certificate from Northeast Iowa Community College.
Family: Maria and Marvin Ney (parents), Alicia (twin sister), Christina (sister) and Emily (sister).
Person most inspirational to me and why: Both of my parents are my biggest source of inspiration. My dad for his innovative thinking and charismatic personality and my mom for her intelligence and thoughtfulness. My dad has helped me build a network of mentors and resources in EMS that I am extremely grateful for. My mom has kept me humble and rooted in my faith to be the best person I can be.
Favorite thing to do outside of work: Motocross. I started riding dirt bikes when I was 7 years old, and to this day, it is my favorite hobby outside of work. It is getting much more difficult as I get older, but it keeps me young. Other things I enjoy are waterfowl hunting, fishing, snowboarding and traveling.
One word to describe me: Ambitious.
What’s one thing that most people would be surprised to know about you: I have my own podcast called The Voice for Iowa EMS.
Greatest fear: Losing my sense of purpose in my career.
What’s the one thing you are most passionate about in your life: Making an impact on someone’s life and inspiring them to reach goals they thought were not obtainable. This can apply to a patient I transport in an ambulance or any co-worker with a dream.
As director of operations for Paramount Ambulance, Andy Ney has a big job: Managing the fleet, scheduling EMT and paramedic crews, overseeing training, protocol reviews, overseeing inspections and managing operations for the three states (Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin) in which Paramount operates.
Ney’s parents, Marvin and Maria, founded the service in 2003, when Ney was 10. Maria nominated Ney for Rising Stars.
“Andy has been involved (with Paramount) since his senior year in high school when he obtained his EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) certificate,” Maria said in her nomination. “He has advanced to become a critical care paramedic along with operations director. He is the youngest serving president of the Iowa EMS Association.”
Andy’s path in the EMS field began when his parents started the ambulance company.
“I watched it all happen,” he said. “And I really fell in love with it. In 2012, (Paramount’s) call volume doubled, and I saw that my parents really needed some help on the business and management side. So I kind of changed my path. I was thinking of law enforcement, but I think this was really my passion. It’s been a fun path to get here.”
While Ney oversees much of the administration and business side of Paramount, he still keeps his paramedic credentials current.
“That’s the lucky thing about my position,” he said. “If we’re busy, I can jump on an ambulance and go on a call. I really have the best of both worlds. I do my certifications every year and stay involved in continuing education.”
Ney also has a passion for education, and was involved in establishing a state-approved EMT program at Loras College.
“Andy was a key person in establishing that partnership,” Maria said. “His passion for EMS really shows through in all of his involvements.”
Ney worked for seven years in the field as an EMT and paramedic prior to taking on the director of operations role. He also gives much of his free time to volunteer work, including as a volunteer firefighter and paramedic with the Peosta-Centralia Fire Department, hosting a podcast for the Iowa EMS Association and volunteering as a paramedic for motocross and snowcross snowmobile events.
“I’m one of those people who takes a break from work to do more work,” Ney said. “But I fell in love with taking care of people. That’s really where it all started. This is what I’ve been put on this earth to do.”