AARC Activities:
- AARC Vice President of External Affairs, 2025 – Present
- AARC BOD Director at Large, 2021 – 2024
- AARC BOD ARCF Achievement Award Selection Committee, 2024 – 2025
- AARC Program Committee member, 2023 – Present
- AARC Strategic Planning Committee, 2022 – Present
- AARC IDEAA Committee member, 2019 – Present
- AARC Policy Review Taskforce, 2022 – 2024
- AARC BOD Vice President of External Affairs, 2020 – 2021
- AARC BOD Director at Large, 2019 – 2020
HOD Activities:
- AARC House of Delegates Past Speaker, 2017 – 2019
- AARC House of Delegate, BOD Liaison, 2017 – 2019
- AARC House of Delegates Speaker, 2016
- AARC House of Delegates Speaker Elect, 2015
- AARC Finance Audit Sub Committee Chair, 2015
- AARC Cultural Diversity Committee member, 2015 – Present
- AARC Elections Committee 2012 – 2014 Chair, 2014
- Co-Chair Chartered Affiliate Special Recognition Committee, AARC HOD, 2011 – 2014
- Chair Chartered Affiliate Committee, AARC HOD, 2010 – 2011
Affiliate Activities:
- AARC Delegate Board of Directors South Carolina Society for Respiratory Care, 2008 – 2014
- Chair Health Promotion/Public Relations Committee South Carolina Society for Respiratory Care, 2006 – 2014
- President, Board of Directors South Carolina Society for Respiratory Care, 2005 – 2006
- President-Elect, Board of Directors South Carolina Society for Respiratory Care, 2004 – 2005
- Senior Regional Member Board of Directors South Carolina Society for Respiratory Care, 2002 – 2004
Related Organizations:
- Board of Directors American Lung Association of the Southeast Charleston SC, 2012 – 2017
- Nurse Asthma Care Education NACE Trainer, 2007
- President Board of Directors American Lung Association of South Carolina Midlands Chapter, 2002 – 2024
- South Carolina Asthma Alliance Executive Committee, 2001 – 2013
- Secretary Board of Directors American Lung Association of South Carolina Midlands Chapter, 2000 – 2002
Education and Credentials:
- M.A. Business, Webster University Columbia South Carolina, 1999
- B.S. Health, Medical University of South Carolina Charleston South Carolina, 1994
- A.S. Respiratory Therapy, Midlands Technical College Columbia South Carolina, 1979
- Managed Healthcare Professional (PAHM), The Academy for Healthcare Management and America’s Health Insurance Plans, December 2013
Elections Committee Questions:
What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the AARC and what do you recommend addressing it?
The primary challenge facing AARC is strengthening relationships with key external stakeholders, including policymakers, accrediting bodies, healthcare organizations, and partner associations. These partnerships are essential to ensuring respiratory therapists are recognized as essential providers in evolving healthcare models. Focused advocacy around reimbursement reform, telehealth, and licensure portability supports workforce mobility, sustainability, and patient access. Advancing the profession also depends on retaining and engaging members through collaboration, education, and leadership development. Strategic partnerships with organizations such as NBRC and CoARC, along with public-facing recruitment initiatives, have increased visibility and positioned respiratory therapy as a high-demand, sustainable career. To secure the future of respiratory care, AARC must continue demonstrating value across all career stages while strengthening its role in the evolving healthcare workforce.
Health care is changing more rapidly than ever. What ideas do you have to help today’s Respiratory Therapist meet these challenges?
Respiratory therapists must be prepared not only to adapt but to lead as healthcare continues to evolve. To support this, AARC focuses on education, advocacy, and professional engagement. Delivering flexible, high-value education—including on-demand learning, micro-credentialing, leadership development, and specialty pathways—ensures therapists can practice at the top of their license across all settings, including telehealth. Strong advocacy remains essential to securing recognition as essential providers in emerging care models, with continued emphasis on reimbursement reform, licensure portability, and telehealth access to support workforce sustainability and patient care. Equally important is fostering engagement and belonging through mentorship, leadership opportunities, and volunteerism across all career stages. Aligning these efforts across committees, affiliates, and partners will position respiratory therapists to shape the future of healthcare.
How would you approach optimizing, developing, and implementing value added benefits, programs, and resources within AARC leadership and governance structures to meet the diverse needs of our members while also cultivating a keen sense of belonging and encouraging long term membership?
Enhancing value-added benefits within AARC requires aligning governance structures with proven, high-impact programs that strengthen member engagement and belonging. Successful models already in place include AARConnect and its mobile app, which support peer collaboration and accessibility, as well as AARC Congress, the Association’s leading venue for education, innovation, and networking. The Emerging Leaders Program has created a strong pipeline of volunteers who advance into leadership and governance roles. Recent membership growth and active-member retention near 90% reflect the value members place on AARC’s education, advocacy, and professional connections. Advocacy initiatives such as the Respiratory Care Fly-In and licensure portability efforts further boost grassroots engagement. Expanding programs with measurable outcomes and using consistent metrics for engagement, retention, and leadership development will sustain alignment, value, and long-term commitment to AARC.
Explain your vision in the role of AARC Vice-President — External. How would you encourage the AARC committees, specialty sections, and other volunteers to contribute to the strategic direction of the AARC?
Two years ago, AARC members elected me as Vice President of External Affairs to help align committees, specialty sections, and external partners, to strengthen respiratory care’s voice across healthcare. The role centers on building strong relationships with policymakers, agencies, and professional organizations and turning those partnerships into actionable guidance for the Board. I am seeking a second term to build on this experience and continue providing clear, credible representation and effective governance. Balancing external engagement with internal accountability ensures advocacy and partnerships remain aligned with AARC’s mission and long-term goals. A key priority is keeping volunteers engaged through clear communication, inclusion, and feedback, while promoting dialogue between volunteers and the Board to strengthen belonging, shared ownership, and organizational success.
