From the time I was in high school, I knew I wanted to work in health care and help people. It was during my senior year that I learned about respiratory therapy and decided to pursue a career in this field.
I received my Bachelor’s of Science in Respiratory Therapy in 1982 from Saint Mary of the Plains in Dodge City, Kansas. After working for a few years at my hometown hospital, I took a job in Lubbock, Texas working in the neonatal intensive care unit and on the neonatal transport team. I moved to Vermont in 1987 where I initially worked as a staff therapist at the Medical Center Hospital of Vermont. Over the years, I practiced in many areas at Fletcher Allen Health Care including the pediatric and neonatal transport team, the pulmonary function lab, the outpatient pulmonary clinic, and the pulmonary rehabilitation program. During those years, I also served as department manager of respiratory therapy at the Fanny Allen Hospital and I worked at Northwestern Medical Center in Saint Albans as a per diem staff therapist. Currently, I continue to practice per diem at the University of Vermont Medical Center. In 2008, I was appointed the Director of Clinical Education for the Respiratory Therapy program at Vermont Technical College beginning my career in education. In 2015, I received my Master’s in Education from Southern New Hampshire University. I believe that my years of practice in multiple areas of respiratory care have provided me with the experience I need to train respiratory therapists in the many roles available to them.
I have been an active member of the American Association of Respiratory Care since 1981. I served with the state professional society in Texas and I currently serve on the board of the Vermont/New Hampshire Society for Respiratory Care. In my free time I like to Nordic ski, kayak and bike with friends and spend time with my family.