Board of Directors

Amber Allen, BA, RPSGT, RST, CCSH

President

Amber Allen has been in the sleep field since 2008 and currently serves as the Program Director of the CAAHEP-accredited Polysomnographic Technology Program at Collin College in McKinney, TX. She was instrumental in developing and building the program from the ground up. Before joining Collin College, she worked as an RPSGT for the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH. Amber has spoken at numerous international, national, and state sleep and respiratory care conferences. Amber has served on the public relations and marketing committee and chaired the education and CSTE committees for the BRPT. She also serves on the Sleep Technologist and Respiratory Therapist Education Committee for the AASM and is passionate about educating students and the public about the importance of sleep. Prior to her career in sleep, Amber was a child prodigy who started college at 14. After graduating Summa Cum Laude with her Bachelor of Arts degree at 19, she began her post-collegiate career in the music industry in Nashville, where she worked for 8 years, including appearances on American Idol and as an extra in film and TV projects with some of the biggest names in music. In 2021, Amber graduated Summa Cum Laude with an AAS degree in cyber-security and hopes to bridge this education into sleep medicine and other areas of healthcare to make facilities and patient information more secure.

Eduardo Hernández BS, RPSGT, CCSH

Secretary

Eduardo Hernández graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Respiratory Care from the Universidad Metropolitana of Puerto Rico. Bilingual in English and Spanish and multi-credentialed as a CCSH and as an RPSGT, he currently serves on the Board of the Florida Association of Sleep Technologists. In addition, Eduardo is an active member of the BRPT Examination Development Committee (EDC), has participated in a BRPT Standard Setting as a Subject Matter Expert and has spoken at numerous sleep conferences.

Previously Eduardo worked at various adult and pediatric hospital-based sleep centers in Puerto Rico and Orlando, FL; and is currently working at ZOLL Itamar Medical as a clinical sales specialist.

Marc C. Johnson, B.A., RPSGT

Treasurer

Marc Johnson began his career in sleep in 1992 doing research for Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. After graduating from Temple University with a BA in Psychology, Marc began working as a sleep technologist at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia. In 2000, Marc became the lead daytime technologist. In 2005, Marc took on a new role as Clinical Director at the Drexel University College of Medicine’s Sleep Center.  In 2021, Marc took a position as a Clinical Sales Specialist at Zoll Itamar..

Michelle DiMaria, BS, RRT, RPSGT

Director

Michelle DiMaria has a near 20-year career with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as a Respiratory Therapist, Sleep Technologist, and Clinical Supervisor. She graduated from The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Respiratory Care. After a decade of working directly with pediatric patients conducting sleep research, being involved in publications and working on career advancements, she currently holds a position as Clinical Supervisor for a 16 bed, 3 site lab for both inpatient and outpatient pediatric sleep studies. Michelle is focused on the importance of interprofessional collaboration; improving patient care matched with an effective multidisciplinary team. Serving as a board member for the NJ Sleep Society for several years, Michelle helped create new marketing strategies for the organization making it more targeted and accessible to sleep professionals.

Steve Glinka, MPH, RPSGT

Director

Stephen Glinka’s career in sleep medicine has spanned over 20 years in a variety of leadership capacities. He began at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as an RPSGT, followed by years as a Lead Technologist, then Clinical Coordinator for Sleep Services of America. This experience set the foundation for his time as a PSG instructor for the Lenoir Community College Program, where he currently serves on the college’s PSG Advisory committee, culminating in his roles as Area Manager, later Regional Manager, and most recently, the Director of Clinical Operations at MedBridge Healthcare. Steve earned his Bachelor’s degree from William Peace University and his Masters in Public Health from East Carolina University.

Christopher Hamm, Esq

Director-Public Member

Originally from New Jersey, Christopher has lived in Texas for more than a decade. He is an attorney in private practice and opened his own firm in 2017.  Christopher specializes in family law, estate planning, probate and guardianships. In addition, he is a member of the Advisory Committee for the Collin College Polysomnographic Technology program. In his spare time he enjoys watching and playing sports including golf.

Kenan Hoelke, BS, RPSGT, CCSH

Director

Kenan Hoelke has been involved in polysomnography since 2002. During this time, he worked in three countries across two continents. Kenan began his career at a small independent sleep laboratory in Ottawa, Canada. He then transferred to a provincially run hospital-based sleep laboratory in Barrie, Canada. Later he moved to the United States where he accepted the position of Senior Polysomnographic Technologist for a hospital-based sleep laboratory in Michigan. Kenan currently lives in Iceland and is a member of the Reykjavik University’s Sleep Revolution initiative. Kenan holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biological Sciences and Psychology from Brock University in St. Catharines, Canada. He has been an integral part of the BRPT’s Exam Development Committee for a number of years.

Su Jeong Linstrom, RPSGT, RST

Director

Su Jeong Linstrom is currently the Associate Clinical Manager of the Sleep Program at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Su has served in various roles in adult and pediatric sleep since 2008. She is passionate about pediatric sleep and has a special interest in Health Literacy and advocates for inclusive and equitable care for all. Su studied Biology as an undergraduate student at Colorado State University and earned a Project Management certification from Cornell University.

Wayne Nelson, BS, RRT, RPSGT, CCSH, R. EEG T.

Director

Wayne Nelson’s extensive career in healthcare spans over 25 years with Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, a large community hospital located north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He currently holds credentials as a Respiratory Therapist, Sleep Technologist, Clinical Sleep Educator, and EEG Technologist. Wayne is passionately and actively involved in direct patient care and has a deep understanding of the emerging trends in healthcare services and the strategic shifts that are transforming the state of our sleep technology profession. Wayne was part of the recent RPSGT Job Task Analysis review and is an active member of the BRPT Exam Development Committee. Wayne’s clinical expertise and Canadian perspective in the field of sleep medicine is a welcomed addition to the international scope of this Board.

Katie Tran, MD

Director

Katie Tran is a board-certified sleep medicine physician practicing at UT Southwestern Sleep and Breathing Disorders Center. She is an assistant professor who helps with the sleep fellowship program, the sleep lab and sleep clinic operations. Dr. Tran has clinical interests in alternative therapies to obstructive sleep apnea and improving CPAP tolerance.

Jill West, BA, RPSGT, CCSH

Director

Jill West began her career in sleep medicine in 2010 as a night tech. In 2014, in addition to running and scoring studies, she partnered with her medical director to establish a startup Durable Medical Equipment (DME) company. Five years later, Jill applied her insights on compliance and efficacy as a Program Manager for Philips Respironics. She is currently employed by Cadwell as a Sleep Clinical Educator.

Jill serves on the BRPT’s Advanced Titration Committee and is in her second term with the Exam Development Committee. She has also contributed to the AAST’s Continuing Education Program. She has a heart for service and volunteers her time and resources towards animal welfare outreaches. Jill also obtained certification as a Professional Ski Instructors of America to better serve participants in her local adaptive ski programs.

Angelica Benitez Yusti, RPSGT, RST

Director

Angelica Benitez Yusti, is the Co-founder of globalsleepeducation.com, where she delivers the first STAR program in Spanish to medical professionals in Latin America. Angelica brings nearly a decade of experience in the sleep field and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Respiratory Care from the Universidad Santiago de Cali of Colombia and a Postgraduate Graduate Diploma Course in Nursing Management from West and Ealing College in the United Kingdom. She is bilingual in both English and Spanish and holds the RPSGT and RST credentials. In addition, she is a Certified Technologist in Colombia by ACMES, the Colombian sleep association. Angelica also serves as a Sleep Educator at Fundación Andina University in Colombia, which administers the Sleep Diploma Program for the Respiratory department. In 2021 she joined MaskFit AR as a product specialist in LATAM and in 2023 she moved to Puerto Rico where she works in two sleep labs, leading the sleep education in Spanish.