Director-at-large
Keith Siegel
Siegel Respiratory Consulting, Inc.
President/Owner
Member Since: 1988
AARC Activities:
- Board of Directors (Immediate Past Speaker): 2019–2020
- AARC Committees: Social Media — 2013; Bylaws — 2008, 2009, 2015 (Bylaws Committee Chair, 2009); Audit Sub-Committee — 2014, 2016 (Audit Sub-Committee Chair, 2016); Finance Committee – 2014, 2016; Advocacy & Government Affairs — 2016, 2019, 2020; Strategic Planning Committee – 2019, 2020; Ad Hoc Committee on Respiratory Therapists and Disease Management
House of Delegates Activities:
- Delegate, Maine Society for Respiratory Care: 2004–2013, 2015
- Treasurer: 2014
- Speaker-elect: 2016
- Speaker: 2017–2018
- Past-Speaker: 2019–2020
- HOD Committees: Orientation, Elections (Co-Chair), Delegate Assistance
Affiliate Activities:
- President, Maine Society for Respiratory Care, 1999
- President-elect, 1998
- Past-President, 2000
- Delegate, 2004–2013, 2015
- Director-at-Large, 1997
- Political Advocacy Contact Team (PACT) Representative, 2007–2020
Related Organizations:
- Board of Directors, American Lung Association of Maine, 1998–2009
- Public Policy Advocacy Committee, American Lung Association of Maine, 2011–2016
- Pediatric Asthma Advisory Committee, American Lung Association of Maine, 1991–1998
Education:
- RRT, Southern Maine Community College, South Portland, Maine, 1992
- Bachelor of Science, Business, Southern New Hampshire University, 2013
- Master of Business Administration (MBA), Southern New Hampshire University, 2016
Publications:
- AARC Times, “GOLD recommendations”, November 2017
- COPD Digest, “Respiratory therapists, telehealth, and you. COPD”, May 2018
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, the Journal of the COPD Foundation. “National and state estimates of COPD morbidity and mortality — United States, 2014–2015”, 2018
Elections Committee Questions:
Within your role, and if given the opportunity, how would you incorporate and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion to uphold, update, and uplift the AARC as an organization, all AARC affiliates, and all AARC members?
The AARC has made it a priority to assure that the organization values ALL of its members, and recognizes that we are stronger because of the diversity of our membership. As a member of the AARC Board of Directors, I will strongly support the work of the AARC’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee and pledge that I will work to assure that all decisions made by the Board of Directors consider the impact on all of our members and our patients, regardless of demographic.
What ideas would you present to increase AARC membership?
I believe the key to growing membership lies with our educators and our department leaders. I recommend working directly with our Education and Management Sections, encouraging them to reach out to all RT schools and clinical settings to encourage the educators and managers to be active within the AARC. If students and staff see that their teachers / managers are not active with the AARC, it sends a message that perhaps AARC membership is not that important. Nothing can be further from the truth! Leaders need to set the example for those they lead by demonstrating active involvement in the AARC.
The AARC should also work with state affiliates to develop leadership groups within their states, where RT leaders can come together to discuss issues of importance and communicate them to their state society board. I would not limit this group to AARC members, but rather include all RT leaders. That way, non-members would see the value of AARC membership an hopefully join the AARC.
Role-Specific Questions:
Your role as Director-at-large is to represent the general AARC membership. If given the opportunity to represent, how have you prepared or educated yourself to adequately represent the national membership?
I have served my state affiliate in many capacities for over two decades, including serving as President, and as the longest-serving Delegate in our state’s history. 2020 marks my 17th year serving in the House of Delegates, which has given me a great deal of insight and experience in understanding the needs of the membership at the national level. Additionally, in my role as a House of Delegates Officer, my duties require me to represent the needs of the all state affiliates and their members, rather than simply representing my state affiliate.
As Immediate Past-Speaker of the House of Delegates, I am a non-voting member of the Board of Directors. Participating in the Board of Directors meetings has given me insight into the roles, responsibilities, and workings of the Board of Directors. If elected, that experience will allow for a smooth transition to a voting member of the Board.
