Friday, May 29, 2026 | OSU-OKC campus
The Women's Tactical Summit will gather passionate individuals from diverse disciplines to inspire, educate, and foster resilience among female tactical professionals. This is the first human performance summit in the Oklahoma area specifically focused on women in tactical occupations. Historically, the unique needs of female tactical persons have not been adequately addressed in traditional conference settings. This summit aims to highlight the performance needs of women in these populations.
Our speakers will present evidence-based research and practices tailored to the distinct performance requirements of women in public safety and the military. We are excited to offer educational sessions on mental health, hormones, physical performance, sleep, and nutrition. All topics consider women's specific needs and challenges in demanding, fast-paced careers.
About OSU-OKC
The OSU-OKC Campus, steeped in a tradition of excellence, provides the perfect setting for networking and learning. Under the experienced guidance of Director Joe Bennett, the OSU-OKC Fire Academy trains between twenty and forty firefighters per semester. Sixty percent of these graduates are hired by a career fire department within two years of obtaining their certifications. Director Bennett, a dedicated advocate for enhancing educational pathways in tactical professions, has graciously agreed to host the inaugural Women’s Tactical Summit.
Conference Information
- Conference Program
- Speaker Topics
- Registration
- Accommodations
- Sponsorship Packages
- Additional Conference Events
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who can attend the summit? Who is the target audience? How do I know if the summit is for me?
- What will I learn?
- Will I receive any continuing education credits for enrolling?
- How can I get more involved in the conference?
- I see that there's a virtual option. Why should I come all the way to OKC?
For general information
Annette Zapp
azapp@okstate.edu
Presenters* *Speakers are subject to change
Michelle Arent
Michelle is a registered dietitian (RD), a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA CSCS), and Certified Sports Nutritionist (CISSN). Over the last 20+ years, she has worked with athletes of all ages, competition levels, and sports from youth to masters, recreational to professional, boxers to Ironman athletes. Michelle is a former IFBB professional figure athlete who has also run 30 races marathon distance or longer, including the prestigious Boston Marathon. She is currently the Director of Olympic Sports Performance Nutrition at University of South Carolina.
Maura Shea, DAT, LAT. ATC
Maura is a tactical athletic trainer turned career firefighter. She spent her career opening athletic training facilities for police and fire departments, but throughout her tenure in clinical practice she stayed in her lane treating primarily firefighters. She changed directions to becoming a firefighter herself three years ago and loves to blend these two passions together to help build strong, resilient firefighters and impactful athletic trainers.
Vanessa Frost-Piedrahita
Vanessa Frost-Piedrahita is the Health & Fitness Coordinator for the Pflugerville Fire Department, where she has led firefighter health and performance since 2016. With a background in collegiate strength and conditioning and competitive weightlifting, she emphasizes movement quality, injury reduction, and sustainable performance. Through that role and online as Firefighter Strength Coach, she helps firefighters do strong work, build strong minds, and live strong lives.
Sam R. Moore PhD, CSCS*D, USAW
Sam R. Moore PhD, CSCS*D, USAW, joined the Department of Health and Exercise Science at the University of Oklahoma as an Assistant Professor of Sport Data Analytics and Director of the ATHENA Lab in July 2025. Dr. Moore was a dual sport collegiate athlete at Western Oregon University where she completed her bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and Human Biology, before going on to receive her master’s in Performance Enhancement and Injury Prevention from California University of Pennsylvania. She completed her doctoral training at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, receiving her PhD in Human Movement Science from the School of Medicine in May 2025. Prior to Carolina, she was with the NC State Wolfpack from 2019-2021 as the Director of Sport Science and Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach; the first woman to serve in this role in the NCAA. Dr. Moore’s research interests center around integrating laboratory and field-based methodologies for female athlete sport science innovations to improve health, safety, and performance across the lifespan, displaying her passion for improving the quality of life for women in sport during their competitive career and the years beyond.
Johannah Zabal, MS, CSCS, NSCA - CPT
- Contract Strength and Conditioning Specialist, US Army
- Director of Sports Performance, Soldiers To Sidelines
Johannah, “Coach Jo,” comes from a diverse athletic background, with a demonstrated history of coaching in high school, collegiate & private industry for over 20 years. She currently serves as a contract Strength & Conditioning Specialist for the Army at Fort Bragg.
Coach Jo has a passion for helping people. She strives to embody the word “coach,” which in its origin, is a carriage, something that brings a person from one point to another on their journey. Her identification with hard work, competition and the discipline that drives all of those areas, steered her toward this career and over the years, Jo has fallen in love with the art of coaching. Her pursuit to be a lifelong learner, a better communicator & an inspiring coach drives her every day.
Megan Lautz, MS, RD, CSCS, TSAC-F
Megan Lautz is an award-winning Registered Dietitian specializing in first responders. Megan creates realistic nutrition strategies that lead to improved energy levels, better body composition, and reduced stress for first responders. Megan has worked full-time for departments of 1,600+ firefighters since 2017. Megan was the recipient of the ASPDA Trailblazer award, recognizing her work advancing dietetics in public safety. Megan owns RescueRD LLC, which provides custom nutrition programs for departments nationwide.
Christine Cox
After serving and accumulating numerous commendations in the fire department for over a decade as a firefighter/paramedic/arson investigator, Christine Cox graduated Summa Cum Laude with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Texas Tech Health Science Center. She then advanced through leadership positions at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital, culminating in becoming the nurse manager of a 38-bed oncology unit, overseeing 75 staff members. During her tenure, she accumulated abundant awards for quality, clinical excellence, and leadership, including the prestigious DFW Great 100 Nurse award. She also completed her Master of Science in Nursing at Texas Woman’s University and secured her board certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner, licensed in both Texas and Colorado.
To stay finely tuned to industry standards and continue to push for optimal wellness in the fire service, Christine remains a committed member to several professional organizations and serves on the Texas Commission on Fire Protection Health & Wellness Committee. Coupling her love for first responder wellness and nursing, Christine currently works as an occupational health nurse with Front Line Mobile Health serving as the Director of Front Line Extended Care Services. In doing so, she supports departments and their members with managing their wellness programs by utilizing a unique blend of personal familiarity of job tasks, the compassionate heart of a nurse, the business and legal knowledge of a manager, and the medical expertise of a practitioner.