Breathe NH recently welcomed two new members to their Board of Directors. Sarah B. Knowlton, Esq. and Vincent Kanhai-Singh were elected to the Board at the June 10th Board meeting.

Knowlton, a member of the New Hampshire Bar Association, is currently an attorney at McLane, Graf, Raulerson & Middleton Professional Association.  Prior to moving to Durham, she was an attorney for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. Her experience serving as lead in-house counsel to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, including the Office on Smoking and Health, makes Knowlton uniquely qualified to serve Breathe New Hampshire and its mission.

Similarly, Vincent Kanhai-Singh’s personal experience makes him a great addition to the Board. Kanhai-Singh is living with COPD, a chronic lung disease that damages the lungs, making it very difficult to breathe.  Kanhai-Singh brings the patient’s perspective to the Board of Directors.

Kanhai-Singh, a Litchfield resident and long-time volunteer at Breathe New Hampshire, was the 2007 recipient of the Donald L. Frost Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award.  This award was named in memory of Donald L. Frost, who also lived with COPD and served on the Board of Directors for a number of years when the organization was known as the American Lung Association of New Hampshire.

“It is critical for us to understand the needs of those we are striving to serve, particularly those who are currently affected by respiratory disease” said Daniel Fortin, President and CEO of the non-profit organization. “Vinnie’s perspective will be greatly beneficial to our organization,” Fortin said.  “We are also very fortunate to have recruited Sarah Knowlton.  She comes to us with an extensive legal background, knowledge and experience in public health.  We are looking forward to a growth phase in our organization and are delighted to have a solid Board to help us advance our mission,” Fortin said.