Meet Our Board

Meet Our Board

Gerard Marshall BS, CIC, RRT 
President

Manager of Infection Prevention Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center. Gerard Has been an APIC member since 2009 and has been in Infection Prevention Since 2006. Gerard has been active in NV healthcare and State organizations since 1998. He has C0-chaired the NVASP since 2018, has been President of the NSRC and has been on the advisory boards of PIMA, CCSN and Carrington College. He was a planner and presenter with the NV State epidemiological educational Summits from 2010 to 2016. He was appointed to be on the team that rewrote the Sentinel Event Definition for Nevada’s Revised Statutes, NRS 439.830.  As a field educator Gerard has facilitated education in clinical settings for Public Health Students, PT, OT ST and RT since 1998. He spends his free time with his family and enjoys golfing and is an avowed foodie. He is passionate about making a difference in the safety of the healthcare that clinicians provide to Nevadans.

Bridget Magnus BSN,  RN CCRN, CIC
President -Elect

Infection Preventionist Encompass Health of Las Vegas. Bridget Magnus earned her BSN in 2016 from Touro University Nevada. She decided she wanted to go into the infection control field the first day of Microbiology, when she learned nurse epidemiology existed. After working as a floor nurse and earning her CRRN (Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse), she realized her dream to become an Infection Preventionist in 2019 -- just in time for the COVID pandemic -- earning the CIC in 2021. Her hobbies include reading and yoga. Her household includes her amazing husband and two cats.  

Claudia Tchiloyans MHA BSN, RN CIC
HCA Far West Division Assistance Vice President Infection Prevention
Treasurer & Immediate Past President 

Claudia has been an APIC member since 1999 and has been in Infection Prevention since 1998. She currently leads IP efforts for 6 hospitals in Nevada and California as the Division Leader of Infection Prevention. Claudia has IP experience in community, academic, and private acute care. She has been an RN since 1988 and has experience in Adult step down, IV Therapy, and Neonatal Intensive Care. She bridged her ADN to a BSN in 2014 and completed her Master in Healthcare Administration in 2019. Claudia moved her family to Las Vegas in 2019 and immediately became a member of the Southern Nevada APIC Chapter. She believes that IPs can and have changed the world!...and is very excited to work with everyone on our mission to reinvigorate the chapter.

Claudia has served as President- elect 2024 and President 2025. Voted Treasurer and is Immediate Past President 2026.

Gwenn Snook MLT(ASCP), MT(AAB), CIC
Infection Preventionist at University Medical Center of Southern Nevada

Secretary

With a medical career that began in 1996 as a Medical Technologist in Iowa, Gwenn joined UMCSN in 2002. After starting in 2006 serving as a data specialist in the Infection Prevention/Control department, she transitioned to the Infection Preventionist role in 2009 and earned her CIC in 2010.

She is a CAP (College of American Pathologists) surveyor since 2013. She has been twice nominated for the March of Dimes support staff award. Her expertise includes managing multidrug-resistant organisms, H1N1, Ebola, COVID-19, MPox, and Tuberculosis. Gwenn has presented at numerous educational events in the Las Vegas valley, particularly on Mycobacterium tuberculosis in hospital settings. Demonstrating a strong commitment to emergency preparedness, Gwenn Snook was a co-lead for the Decontamination team at UMCSN and has completed FEMA and OSHA training. She is also a member of the Human Trafficking taskforce, working to raise awareness and support for vulnerable populations.

Outside of work, Gwenn Snook enjoys spending time with family, exploring the outdoors, attending movies, sporting events, and concerts, and volunteering with the Down Syndrome Connections organization.

Gwenn has served as the 2025 Membership Committee Chair and has been voted Secretary for 2026.

Teresa Shepherd, BS, BA, BSN, RN, CIC
Chair Education Committee

DQM for Dignity Health Rehabilitation Hospital. Teresa has been in healthcare since 2007 and became an APIC member in 2016.  She moved up the ranks during her career from bedside nursing to case management, and then on to infection prevention and quality management.  She looks forward to building community relationships within the framework of APIC, Southern Nevada chapter 035, and providing creative ideas in education for that purpose.

Steve Higginson, MSN, RN, CIC
Director of Nursing, State of Nevada, Aging and Disability Services –
Desert Regional Center – Intermediate Care Facility

Chair Nominations Committee 2026

Steve Higginson earned his MSN in 2014 from Loyola University New Orleans. He worked as a Quality Improvement nurse for the Department of Correction in Utah and was the chair of the Utah Board of Nursing. He retired after 21 years with the Department of Corrections and moved to Nevada and was hired as the nursing director for ADSD in 2018 where he guided the agency through the COVID pandemic. Toward the end of the pandemic, he was offered a grant to study and take the CIC exam which was passed in 2023. He continues to lead the infection control operations for the Desert Regional Center while leading the nursing team. His hobbies include watching sports and outdoor cooking, especially BBQ. Household includes his wife and two sons, one of which is away at college.

Clarisse Mock, BSPH
Infection Preventionist MountainView Hospital Las Vegas, NV
Chair Communications/Media Committee 2026

Clarisse earned her Bachelor of Science in Public Health from the University of Las Vegas Nevada. While working towards her degree, Clarisse wanted to immerse herself in the healthcare field to enhance her understanding of the professions. Clarisse began as a volunteer in the Emergency Department and later became an intern for the Infection Prevention Department at Sunrise Hospital. This aligned with her interest in infectious pathogens and her background in public health & epidemiology. After finishing her internship in Infection Prevention with Sunrise Hospital, Clarisse became a full time Infection Preventionist in 2022. Clarisse’s hobbies include cosmetology, fitness, travel, and linguistics. She lives in Las Vegas with her cat, Miu.

Clarisse has agreed to serve as the Communications/Media Chair for 2026.  She will be officially appointed by the Board at the January 2026 Board meeting.