The BRPT Names Amber Allen President-Elect of the Board of Directors
Eduardo Hernandez Begins Term As Secretary, BRPT Welcomes Three New Board Members
Arlington, VA – December 16, 2022 – The Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT) named Amber Allen, BA, RPSGT, RST, CCSH President-Elect of the Board of Directors. Her two-year term as President will begin in January 2024. Allen has been a member of the BRPT Board since 2017 serving as Secretary as well as Chair of the Education, CSTE and STAR committees. Allen is currently the Program Director to the CAAHEP-accredited Polysomnographic Technology Program at Collin College in McKinney, TX.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Amber as the next BRPT President,” said Andrea Ramberg, MS, RPSGT, CCSH. “A consummate educator and mentor, Amber is one of the hardest working professionals I know. She’s dedicated to the field and passionate about ushering in the next generation of sleep technologists, ensuring they have the right skills to succeed.”
Said Amber Allen, BA, RPSGT, RST, CCSH, “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working on a variety of projects for the BRPT and learning from this diverse team of leaders who represent different areas of this growing profession. I‘m excited for this next challenge and couldn’t be happier to continue our work together to support the profession we care so deeply about.”
Eduardo Hernández, BS, RPSGT, CCSH will begin his term as Secretary in January 2023 and serves as Chair of the BRPT’s Exam Development Committee. Hernandez worked at various adult and pediatric hospital-based sleep centers in Puerto Rico and is currently working at ZOLL Itamar Medical as a clinical sales specialist.
Immediate Past President, Steve Marquis, MBA, RPSGT, CCSH received the President’s Shining Star Award for his leadership in spearheading the BRPT’s Educational Grant Programs. Said Ramberg, “Steve was the driving force behind the development and implementation of the CCSH Educational Grant, the A-STEP/STAR Grant and most recently, the Jomo Martin Nkunika Memorial Scholarship programs. These programs have been extremely well-received and a highlight for all of us on the Board.”
In addition, the Board welcomes three new members, Steve Glinka, BS, RPSGT, from Concord, NC; Christopher Hamm, Esq., from Bedford, TX; and, and Kenan Hoelke, BS, RPSGT, CCSH from Iceland.
These new roles in Board leadership take effect January 1, but an official installation will take place at the next Board of Directors meeting in February.
About The BRPT Board
The BRPT Board of Directors is comprised of volunteer members, all of whom serve four-year terms. The Board is international in scope and blends the expertise of the sleep community representing the interests of the consumer, patients, educators, and sleep technologists. Biographies of all BRPT Board members can be found at www.brpt.org.
New Board Member Biographies
Steve Glinka, BS, 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 also served on the college’s PSG Advisory Board, 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, graduating Magna Cum Laude, and is currently enrolled in East Carolina University’s Graduate School for Public Health.
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. Christopher and his wife are excitedly expecting their first child due in March. 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.
About The BRPT
The BRPT develops and administers credentialing exams for polysomnographic technologists and technicians. The RPSGT is respected worldwide as the leading credential for polysomnographic technologists. Since the first credentialing exam administration in 1979, BRPT has credentialed more than 20,000 RPSGTs worldwide. In 2014, BRPT launched the Certification In Clinical Sleep Health (CCSH) examination for healthcare providers specializing in sleep medicine who work directly with sleep medicine patients, families and practitioners for patient care management, improved outcomes, and sleep health education and advocacy for patients and the community.
Headquartered in Arlington, VA, the BRPT is an independent, non-profit certification board that cultivates the highest professional and ethical standards for polysomnographic technologists. The BRPT administers the RPSGT, CPSGT, and CCSH exams in the United States and internationally, as well as the Pediatric Sleep Certificate Program. Additionally, the BRPT maintains the RPSGT registry and CPSGT roster. The BRPT also provides its Continuing Sleep Technology Education (CSTE) Program for educational providers seeking continuing education credits for their offerings. For more information, please visit www.brpt.org.
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