Texas Society of Sleep Professionals |

Brian Gaden BS RRT, RPSGT
TSSP President, 2017 – 2018

Brian graduated from San Jacinto College central in May 1996 with an Associates degree in Respiratory Care. He began his healthcare career with Houston Methodist Hospital immediately upon graduation. During his 12 years with Houston Methodist, Brian served as a clinical Respiratory Therapist, a Respiratory Care Manager and the Director of one of first AASM accredited sleep laboratories in Houston. Brian received his RPSGT credential in 2003 while working with Houston Methodist. In 2009, Brian received his Bachelor of Science degree in Respiratory Care from the University of Texas in Galveston. In 2007 Brian left Houston Methodist and joined Respironics as a clinical specialist. He worked with Philips Respironics through January of 2015 when he joined a small Houston based medical equipment company, Respiratory Quality Services (RQS). RQS provided home ventilators for patients suffering from neuromuscular diseases such as ALS. In addition, RQS had a robust sleep therapy program that served patients all over the Houston area. In 2017, Brian left RQS to rejoin Philips Respironics as a Respiratory Specialist. Brian is a founding member of the TSSP along with Jeff Tangman, Dr. Greg Marshall and several others. The TSSP story began in a hotel meeting room in 2005 and continues on to this day.

Dr. Don Watenpaugh
Vice President, 2016 – 2017

Dr. Don Watenpaugh is a sleep medicine specialist and scientist. He was born in Dallas, Texas, and he grew up in Irving. He received his PhD in physiology from University of California, Davis in 1995. He joined Sleep Consultants in Fort Worth, Texas first as a sleep study analyst from 1997 to 2000, and then as a caregiver in 2004. He trained for clinical work with Drs. Mary and Ed O’Malley in Norwalk, CT, and with Drs. John Burk and Ed Lucas at Sleep Consultants. Dr. Watenpaugh earned board certification in sleep medicine in 2005. In addition to sleep-related research, he has also published work in environmental toxicology, exercise physiology, thermoregulation, and gravitational physiology (spaceflight). (A Medline search of “watenpaugh d” shows much of his peer-reviewed publication record.) Dr. Watenpaugh has directly supervised the research or clinical training of 36 undergraduate/graduate students and doctors. He is adjunct professor in the Department of Integrative Physiology, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, and in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas, Arlington. His personal interests include football (American), orienteering, cycling, rock skipping, aviation, art, poetry, and playing cornet.

Don C Armstrong, RSPGT
TSSP Treasurer, 2016-2017

Don completed a stint in the United States Marine Corps in 2006. He entered sleep through an OJT program with a sleep lab in Austin while attending school. He earned his registry in sleep in 2008 and has since performed duties in all areas encompassing sleep lab functions, including scoring, DME and management. He has worked for companies ranging in size from the largest sleep related corporations in the country, to small independent physician owned labs. He is currently the Lead Technologist at Texas Pulmonary Sleep Center in Arlington. He has served the TSSP since 2015 at which time he was elected to the position of Treasurer.

Eva Alegria BS RRT, RPSGT
TSSP Secretary, 2015 – 2017

Eva Alegria began her career in Respiratory Therapy over 18 years ago. She has worked in many clinical areas including respiratory management. As a manager, she assisted in the planning and development of the sleep center for St Luke’s Patients Medical. Eva has assisted in accreditation and the reaccreditation process.

She is the sleep educator for Baylor St Luke’s PAP clinic. She has become a key point person in managing and preparing authorizations for sleep patients. While working in the PAP clinic, she has developed techniques in the mask fitting and education process that aim toward higher compliance for struggling PAP users.

Eva is currently consulting in the authorization process as she continues to share information she has acquired to assist others to minimize denials. She continues to share her knowledge with others to help patients overcome obstacles surrounding their mask and machine. She also currently serves as a board member for TSSP.

Duties of Board Officers (Excerpt from ByLaws)

Section 6.6 President. The President shall be the principal executive Officer of the Corporation, and shall in general implement and supervise all of the business and affairs of the Corporation, subject, however, to the control of the Board of Directors and of any duly authorized committee of Directors. The President shall, if present, preside at meetings of the Board of Directors. In addition, the President shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed b the Board of Directors from time to time.

Section 6.7 Vice-President. If the President is not present at a meeting of the Board of Directors, the Vice-President shall preside. The Vice-President shall perform such additional duties as may be assigned by the Board of Directors or the President from time to time. If at any time the office of President is vacant, the Board shall designate the Vice-President to serve as President and a new Vice-President shall be appointed for the remaining term of office.

Section 6.8 Secretary. The Secretary shall: (1) keep the minutes of the meetings of the Board of Directors and of committee having any of the authority of the Board of Directors, in one or more books provided for that purpose; (2) ascertain that all notices are duly given accordance with these Bylaws or as required by law; (3) be custodian of the corporate records, including the Minute Book of the Corporation; and (4) in general perform all duties incident to the office of Secretary and such other duties as from time to time may be assigned by the President and/or by the Board of Directors.

Section 6.9 Treasurer. The Treasurer shall have charge and custody of, and be responsible for, all funds and securities of the Corporation, receive and give receipts for monies due and payable to the Corporation from any source whatsoever, and deposit all such monies in the name of the Corporation in such banks, trust companies, or other depositories as shall be selected in accordance with Article 9 of these Bylaws.