AARC Activities:
- Director at Large Nov 2022 to Dec 2025
- Chair AARC BOD Achievement Awards Committee 2024
- Member RTA Special Committee April 2022 Dec 2023
- Member AARC Strategic Planning Committee 2021
- BOD Liaison Military Task Force 2025
- BOD Liaison Vision Grant March 2025
- BOD Liaison AARC Election Committee Dec 2023 – Nov 2024
- BOD Liaison Ambulatory and Post Acute Care Specialty Section December 2023 to November 2024
- Member Adult Acute Care Section 2019 to 21 and 2024 to present
- Member Leadership Management Section
- Member Education Section 2021 to present
- Member Ambulatory and Post Acute Care Specialty Section December 2023 to present
HOD Activities:
- Delegate Wisconsin Society of Respiratory Care 2015to 2018
- Secretary House of Delegates 2020 to 2022
- Interim Speaker Elect HOD May 2021 to Nov 2021
- Secretary House of Delegates 2018 to 2020
- Chair Strategic Objective 2 Ad Hoc Committee 2017 to 2018
- Liaison Best Practice Committee 2018 to 2022
- Liaison Scrutinizing Committee 2018 to 2022
- Delegate Wisconsin Society of Respiratory Care 2015 to 2018
- Chair Strategic Objective 2 Ad Hoc Committee 2017 to 2018
- Member Bill Bitzel Committee 2019 to 2020
- Member Best Practice Committee 2015 to 2018
- Member Policy Guide Committee 2016 to 2018
Affiliate Activities:
- Liaison, Board of Directors Wisconsin Society of Respiratory Care 2018-present
- Delegate Board of Directors Wisconsin Society of Respiratory Care 20152018
- District 4 Representative Board of Directors WSRC 20132015
- Member WIRES Conference planning Committee, Board of Directors Wisconsin Society of Respiratory Care 2025-present
- Member Legislative Committee Board of Directors WSRC 20152022
- Member Fundraising Committee Board of Directors WSRC 2022
- Member Retreat Planning Committee Member Board of Directors WSRC 2013 2018
- Membership Committee Board of Directors WSRC 1992 to 1994
Related Organizations:
- American Respiratory Care Foundation Trustee Jan 2025 to present
- Advisory Board Member Milwaukee Area Technical College 2010 to 2021
- Advisory Board Member Moraine Park Technical College 2015 to 2021
- FAM Allies 2012-2015
Education and Credentials:
- BS Health Sciences Health Care administration University of Wisconsin Milwaukee1 1991
- AS Respiratory Therapy Madison Area Technical College 1988
Elections Committee Questions:
What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the AARC and what do you recommend addressing it?
The greatest challenge facing the AARC is attracting, retaining, and empowering RTs to meet evolving healthcare demands while elevating our profession. To address this, we must lead with strategy. Through advocacy, we must advance policies that support reimbursement for services, expand scope of practice, and position RTs as essential clinical decision-makers across the continuum of care. Through education, we must strengthen the pipeline by increasing awareness of respiratory care careers, supporting academic programs, and promoting lifelong learning. Through research, we must build and promote evidence demonstrating the value of RT driven care to influence policy and reimbursement. Finally, workforce development must prioritize retention through mentorship and leadership development, ensuring RTs feel valued and supported. By advancing these priorities, we strengthen our profession and secure its future impact.
Health care is changing more rapidly than ever. What ideas do you have to help today’s Respiratory Therapist meet these challenges?
Healthcare is evolving rapidly, demanding more from RTs, but also creating opportunities for RTs to lead the change. To meet this moment, we must focus on three strategic objectives. First, support our workforce by prioritizing retention, well-being, and professional fulfillment. Mentorship and leadership development build confidence, strengthen engagement, and prepare future leaders, while use of Clinical Practice Guidelines reinforces our role in evidence-based care. Second, advance education to reflect expanding roles across the continuum of care. Accessible lifelong learning, specialty and micro-credentials, and clear career pathways will prepare RTs for the constantly changing field. Finally, we must clearly demonstrate our value through advocacy, research, and leadership, ensuring respiratory care is recognized as essential to outcomes and delivery. When RTs are empowered, we don’t just adapt, we lead the change.
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?
To optimize value for AARC members, we must lead with a member-centered, data-informed approach. First, we must listen intentionally. Our members represent diverse roles, settings, and career stages, and their needs should guide priorities. Leveraging feedback and engagement data ensures programs remain relevant. Second, we must deliver value across the career continuum. From students to experienced clinicians, members should see clear pathways for growth through mentorship, leadership development, and accessible education aligned with evolving practice. Equally important is fostering belonging. When members feel connected, engagement and retention follow. Creating inclusive opportunities and elevating diverse voices strengthens our community. When members feel valued, they stay, grow, and lead.
Your role as Director-at Large is to represent the general AARC membership. If given the opportunity to represent, what will be your goals in advocating for the everyday respiratory care professional?
If elected Director-at-Large, my goal is to be a strong, authentic voice for the everyday respiratory care professional, grounded in both frontline experience and national leadership. As an acute care RT, I understand the realities of bedside care and will ensure those experiences are reflected in decisions shaping our profession. My focus will be on amplifying the member voice, strengthening professional support, and elevating the value of respiratory care. Advocacy begins with listening, and every member deserves to feel heard. I will champion mentorship, leadership development, and accessible education so RTs at every stage feel supported and empowered to grow. At the same time, we must elevate recognition of our profession through advocacy, research, and leadership. Because when RTs are empowered, we strengthen our profession, shape the future of healthcare, and transform the lives of the patients and communities we serve.
