Director-at-large
Robert DeLorme
Gwinnett Technical College
Adjunct Faculty
Member Since: 1979
AARC Activities:
- Chair By-Laws Committee 2016-2017
- By-Laws Committee 2015-2017
- AARC CoARC Commission appointment 2011-2015
- PACT representative for GSRC 2006–2012
- Summer Forum: Presenter Dr. Fred Helmholz Education Lecture Series 2005
House of Delegates Activities:
- Delegate, Georgia Society for Respiratory Care 2007 to 2019
- Co-Chair Resolutions Committee Chair 2013- 2019
- Resolutions Committee 2009 – 2019
Affiliate Activities:
- President, Georgia Society for Respiratory Care 2000-2001
- President-elect, 1999-2000
- Treasurer, 1997 – 1999
- Board of Directors, Georgia Society for Respiratory Care, 2007-2019
- Legislative Chair 2004 to present
- District 4 & 5 Representative, 1993 – 1994
- Parliamentarian, 1994-Present
- Continuing Education Committee, 1989 – 1992
Related Organizations:
- Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care Site Visitor 1989 -2015
- Cystic Fibrosis Camp of Ga., Counselor, 1988 to 2004
- Board of Directors, Cystic Fibrosis Camp of Ga., 1992-1998
- DTAE Commissioner’s Faculty Forum, 1995-1997
Education:
- Ed.S., University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 1989
- M.Ed., Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 1986
- B.S. Respiratory Therapy , Medical University of S.C., Charleston, S.C., 1980, RRT 1981, NPS, 1991
- B.S., Wofford College, Spartanburg, S.C., 1975
Publications:
- Entry Level Exam Review for Respiratory Care: Guidelines for Success by William V. Wojciechowski Contributor
- Perinatal/Pediatric Respiratory: A Comprehensive Manual by Robert Howard, 1991. Contributor
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 always been a diverse organization. You only need to look at one of our early pioneers and founding fathers to see that diversity in Jimmy A. Young. There is always room for improvement. AARC should continue reaching out to prospective students showing them how our profession welcomes all who wish to join. Look at the current student population already in programs to see this diversity. Once in programs we should continue reaching out asking these students to be a part of our professional organization. Show them the diverse leadership in place at both state and national levels and how we want them to be part of a growing profession. Continue reaching out to practicing therapists highlighting this diversity and how we want all to be part of this organization helping our patients.
What ideas would you present to increase AARC membership?
What ideas would you present to increase AARC membership?
Increasing membership is a hard nut to crack. I have served many years in the HOD listening to individual state societies struggling to attract new members and retain current members. I believe the AARC and many state affiliates are on the right track trying to reach out to students. We need to continue helping students recognize the value AARC can bring to their professional lives. Something as simple as highlighting how AARC tracks CEUs can demonstrate the value. Help students understand how this one area can simplify verifying CEUs for renewing NBRC credentials and Licensure. Explaining this to practicing therapists may help them see the value of being a member. Where allowed, encourage managers to include AARC membership as part of career ladders. While HR departments may prevent this, we should help and encourage managers to be creative in ways to encourage their staff to be a member.
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 believe the HOD is one of the best preparatory grounds for serving on the BOD. Serving as a State Affiliate BOD and Officer is great for learning leadership management skills and working as a team to solve issues at the state level. Serving at the state level helped prepare me for the learning opportunities the HOD provides. When one first arrives in the HOD, it immediately becomes clear these folks are attempting to improve our profession by wrestling with all the issues we hear from patients and practicing therapists. Serving 12 years in the HOD, listening to the AARC Presidents and other leadership gives one a broad perspective. I also was fortunate to represent the AARC on CoARC for 4 years. I think the combination of all three, i.e. State Affiliate, HOD and CoARC have been a great preparatory ground to serve on the BOD if elected.
