President
Dr Gerald George Mannikarote
Dr Gerald George Mannikarote (Jerry) is an executive healthcare business leader. He has over 2 decades of experience in healthcare and over 10 years of experience in sales and marketing. Jerry has experiences in start ups and Fortune 100 companies and everything in between, from clinical, manufacturing, OEM, and distribution. He has been on the board of the TSSP multiple times including being one of its first Regional Presidents.
Currently, Jerry is the Vice President of Business Development at Medigy LLC. He also is the co-host and co-producer of SleepTech Talk, the world’s most popular podcast on sleep technology. Jerry looks to expand the field of sleep medicine and sleep technology by engaging to the younger generations of sleep technologists and beyond and beyond.
Vice President
Jatin Tekchandani, MSBME REEGT RPSGT
Jatin Tekchandani, recently elected Vice President of the Texas Society of Sleep Professionals, is a multifaceted expert in sleep medicine and data analytics. With a diverse background spanning polysomnography, engineering, and leadership roles, his career encompasses diagnosis, therapy development, and cutting-edge research.
Starting as a night technologist, Jatin worked his way up through hands-on experience, earning prestigious credentials from the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists, the American Board of Registration of Electroencephalographic Technologists, the American Board of Sleep Medicine, and the Computing Technology Industry Association. He also holds a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Houston.
Jatin’s passion lies in empowering sleep technologists with the clinical and technical strategies needed to excel in diagnosing and treating patients using the latest technologies. As a researcher and trainer, he is at the forefront of advancing sleep medicine through data-driven insights and innovative approaches. With his unique blend of technical expertise, leadership acumen, and commitment to professional development, Jatin is a driving force in shaping the future of sleep technology and fostering excellence in the field.
Treasurer
Chris Speigner, BS RPSGT CCSH
With a career at multiple sleep and respiratory companies, Chris comes with a long history of experience in the field of sleep technology and sleep medicine. Chris has held multiple board member roles with the TSSP since its inception. Currently, Chris works with Nox Medical as their Regional Sales Manager.
Alex Espinoza, TPSGT
Alex has been a sleep technologist for many years with Memorial Hermann Hospital system. He currently is an area manager, leading several sleep centers within the system.
Brian Gaden, BS RRT RPSGT
Board Member at Large
Brian began his career in healthcare in 1995 at Houston Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. During his 12 years there, he served as a clinician, a Department Manager for Respiratory Care and as the Director of the Methodist Baylor Sleep Center. Brian has spent most of his time since leaving Methodist in the medical device industry. He spent 10 years in total with Respironics serving in a variety of field sales positions. In addition, Brian has spent time as the COO for Respiratory Quality Services, a DME company serving the ALS population. He also spent time with ZOLL Respicardia and he is now the Business Development manager for ventilation at React Health.
Brian has two adult daughters and he has been a resident of the Clear Lake area, a suburb south of Houston, for 43 years.