Meet our Board of Directors

Contact any BOD member through AARC Connect

Jessie Exilus- President 2023-2025

Jessie Exilus, BSRT, RRT, RRT-ACCS, RRT-NPS

Jessie has been involved with the AARC since she moved to New Hampshire in 2014. Jessie has worked primarily in inpatient tertiary care in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. She currently works as a Clinical Specialist for GlideScope. Jessie plans to focus on expanding relevant continuing education opportunities, operational organization and increasing the profile of Respiratory Therapists in the community we serve. Jessie lives in Nashua and is a proud dog mom to her rescue pup. 

Kerry McNiven- Secretary

Kerry McNiven MS, RRT, FAARC

Kerry has been involved with the AARC for 45 years. She recently retired from her Professor, Director of Clinical Education position in Manchester, CT, and moved to NH. She has served in many capacities at both the national and local level. She recently completed her term as an AARC Director at Large. She was Secretary in the House of Delegates and has served as delegate, secretary, and director at large in her former state. Kerry feels the profession of Respiratory Care has been very good to her, and although she has retired from her job, she has not retired from her profession. Although she is not well known in VT/NH, she wishes to continue to serve the profession and its members. She lives in Madison with her husband and her slender-billed conure Libby.  

Jeff Cirignano - Treasurer 

Jeff Cirignano BS, EMT-P, RRT, RRT-ACCS

Jeff has been involved in pre-hospital and hospital-based healthcare for over 40 years; he graduated Summa Cume Laude from the VTC Respiratory Therapy program in 2015 and since has worked as a hospital-based RRT at both Dartmouth-
Hitchcock and Rutland Regional Medical Centers. In 2019 Jeff was appointed by the Vermont Secretary of State as an Advisor to the VT Respiratory Care Board and continues in that position today. Jeff is also a Randolph Village Fire Department member and lives in Randolph, VT, with his wife Larae, three rescued dogs, two rescued ferrets and one rescued cat.

Lisa Darling- House of Delegates

Lisa Darling, MS, CRT, RPSGT, CSE, RCP

Lisa became a respiratory therapist immediately after high school and has managed departments and worked in sleep medicine. She loves patient care, and is now working in DME. Lisa will focus on offering continuing education in the current environment, as well as organizational processes. As evidenced by the photo, she’s a newlywed, and the proud mother of two sons. She is an avid nature photographer and rail trail walker.

Chris Chambers- House of Delegates

Chris Chambers BS, RRT

Chris has been a registered respiratory therapist for 29 years. He is currently the supervisor of respiratory therapy at The University of Vermont Medical Center. He has worked in all aspects of care, including Adult ICU, NICU, PICU, E.D. and transports. He is currently an NRP instructor. Since 2008, he has been a clinical expert and faculty member of the Vermont Oxford Network’s Neonatal Quality improvement collaborative, NICQ. He is a content team member for the National Credentialing Corporation’s ELBW Care of the Extremely Low Birth Weight Neonate certification exam. He is currently a Vermont State Licensure Board of Advisors member and an active AARC member. His goals as a house delegate is to help promote the Respiratory Care profession through recognition,

reimbursement, recruitment, and retention.

Tracy McGuiness- Board Member at Large, VT PACT

Tracy McGuinness, M.Ed., RRT, CPFT

Tracy has been an RT for 39 years. Currently, she is the Program Director at Vermont Technical

College’s Respiratory Therapy program. Prior to that, she was with UVMMC in various roles. Tracy’s goals this year include promoting Respiratory Care as a career. Tracy is married

with three adult children, loves to cross-country ski, bicycle, and visit friends & family.

Kathy Hilliard- Board Member at Large

Kathy Hilliard, BS, RRT, RCP
I have been a Respiratory Therapist for over 35 years. My personal mission is to provide superior customer service through safe, quality, cost-effective respiratory services under the guidelines set forth by the American Association of Respiratory Care and the National Board of Respiratory Care.

I love my chosen profession and now as the Director of the Respiratory Therapy program at River Valley Community College; I am able to share my mission and my passion as I develop future Respiratory therapists.

Over the years I have worked in many patient care areas from neonatal transport, neonatal to adult open-heart patients, critical care services, and pulmonary rehabilitation. I have had many roles as a respiratory therapist from staff therapist, transport therapist, critical care therapist, system Respiratory Therapy Department Director of a two-hospital system, and as a Respiratory Therapy Educator.

Fortunately, and unfortunately, with the current Coronavirus pandemic, the dynamic role of a respiratory therapist in patient care and our profession is now recognized for the part we contribute to the care of critically ill patients. I have never been more proud of my profession.

On a personal note, I relocated to New Hampshire in September 2020 to accept the position at River Valley Community College and to be closer to my one daughter, who lives in New Hampshire. My other daughter and her husband live in Chicago. I currently share my home with two golden retrievers and two cats, my fur children.

Dan Van Hise- Board Member at Large, NH PACT

Dan Van Hise BS, RRT, CRT-NPS 

Dan has been very active in the Respiratory Therapy Community since 1983, graduating from
Northeastern University’s Respiratory Therapy Program. Dan began his career as a Critical Care Therapist at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston and has worked as a clinician or Respiratory Manager in many hospitals around the USA, including the Elliot Hospital, Emerson Hospital, University of Colorado Medical Center, Vencor Denver, and Rady Children's Hospital. Dan was very engaged in advanced respiratory monitoring of neonates and left the bedside environment to become a product manager in one of the first neonatal pulmonary function devices.
Over the last 30 years, Dan has worked in the Medical Device world bringing new ventilator technologies to serve my fellow clinicians in global hospitals. I was responsible for multiple
product designs and launches in the USA, beginning with the Siemens SV 300A and Servo-i, PB840 Ventilator, Vyaire (VIASYS) ReVel Ventilator, Philips V60 Ventilator, Philips Trilogy 202, and
most recently the Vapotherm HVT 2.0. Currently, I am the Global Vice-President of Marketing for Vapotherm, Inc. While working in the Medical Device Industry, I have continued to work clinically at the bedside as much as possible and I have served on the AARC International Committee for many years.
Dan lives on the NH Seacoast with his wife and 7 children (most have left the nest) and proudly supports the US Coast Guard Auxiliary as an active pilot, NH Admissions Coordinator for the US Coast Guard Academy, and the District Staff Officer for Public Affairs in Northern New England.

Hannah Magro- Education Committee Chair

Hannah Magro RRT, RRT-ACCS, AE-C, PDE, CCT