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2025 Fall Conference Speakers                                     

Tonia Bales, CRNA

Tonia has been in continuous clinical anesthesia practice sine 1991 after graduating from University Hospital School of Anesthesia in Cincinnati Ohio.  She started her career in San Bernadino, California and has practiced in Murfreesboro Tennessee, Dayton Ohio and now resides and practices outside of Atlanta.  As the ex-wife of the infamous and disgraced CRNA John Meehan, Tonia’s contributions were instrumental in the international success of The LA Times Hit Podcast Dirty John.  Tonia’s harrowing experience was portrayed in the Netflix series of the same name and the companion documentary, Dirty John, The Dirty Truth.  She has also been featured on Dateline NBC, Inside Evil with Chris Cuomo, and the podcasts Crime Analyst, Murderish, Real Crime Profile, and her own podcast on Audible: The First Wife: John Meehan’s Reign of Terror.

Lee Ranalli, DNP, CRNA

Lee Ranalli graduated from the Kaiser Permanente School of Anesthesia in 2010 and returned to his home state of Arizona. After serving for several years as Chief CRNA, he pursued his passion for teaching and transitioned into nurse anesthesia education. He is the author of numerous published articles and the co-author of the Obstetric Anesthesia chapter in the textbook Nurse Anesthesia. Lee is a former President of the Arizona Association of Nurse Anesthesiology and currently serves on its Education Committee.

Stephen D. Smith, MA, CRNA, FAANA

Steve is the chief operating officer and co-owner of Georgia Anesthesia LLC, an all CRNA office-based practice in the greater Atlanta area where they provide anesthesia for over 30 practices. He is currently serving on the AANA Dental Advisory Panel and the Emory Nurse Anesthesia Advisory Board.

Steve is a Past President of the GANA. In 2012, he was awarded the GANA Rosalie McDonald Award for excellence in nurse anesthesia. From 2008 until 2018 he served as the Federal Political Director for the GANA.  In 2017, he became a member of the CRNA-PAC 1983 Society.  In 2019 he was awarded the AANA Daniel D. Vigness Federal Political Director Award.  He is also an AANA Gertrude Fife and Triple Crown member and in 2023, became a Fellow of the AANA.

Elizabeth Brosnan Wilkes, DNAP, CRNA, CHSE, FAANA

Dr. Elizabeth (Beth) Wilkes graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Clemson University in 1999.  After obtaining critical care experience in the Cardiovascular ICU, she went on to graduate from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Nurse Anesthesia Program, with her Master of Nurse Anesthesia in 2004.  From 2004-2022 she was in clinical practice in Tennessee, North Carolina (10 years with Novant Health Presbyterian), and South Carolina, where she did a variety of surgical cases for various patient populations.  Dr. Wilkes received her Doctorate of Nurse Anesthesia Practice from the Medical University of South Carolina in December 2022.  Her doctoral project, "Perceptions of Legislator Accessibility and Policy Awareness when Meetings are Held by Videoconference" has been presented at both the state and national level. 

Her passions include ultrasound guided regional anesthesia, opioid sparing techniques, nonoperating room anesthesia (NORA), and anesthesia considerations in patients who vape/use e-cigarettes.  She was on the Board of Trustees for the South Carolina Association of Nurse Anesthetists (S.C.A.N.A.), where she served as President from 2021-22.  Dr. Wilkes recently transitioned to the Wake Forest University Nurse Anesthesia Program in July 2025 after coming from the Augusta University Nursing Anesthesia Program.  She is a member of the Georgia Association of Nurse Anesthetists (GANA) and is currently serving as their PAC Chair.  Dr. Wilkes will be inducted as a Fellow into the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) in August 2025. 

Dr. Wilkes has lived in Aiken, SC since 2016.  Her husband David is a small animal veterinarian, and they have two teenage sons.  She is an avid Clemson Tiger fan and enjoys tailgating and attending their home football games.