Board of Directors

Hannah Dowdy is a cardiovascular sonographer from Charleston, SC who trained at USC and the Claude W. Smith, MD School of Cardiovascular Technology at MUSC Columbia. Shortly after obtaining her credentials, she began her career in the echo lab at Duke University Hospital in Durham, NC. In 2022, she moved backed to Columbia, SC to work in her alma mater at MUSC Health as an instructor and the clinical coordinator. In her free time, Hannah enjoys traveling, exercising, and visiting her family in the Charleston area. She is grateful for the opportunity to serve as Secretary of the SCSE this year and looks forward to getting to know new faces of the field that share the same passion that she does. 

Robert Smith from Camden, South Carolina is the Program Director for the Claude W. Smith, MD School of Cardiovascular Technology at MUSC Columbia. He and his wife Suzy are the proud parents of a 12 year old son named Banks. Robert received his undergraduate degree from Clemson University and a Master in Health Administration from MUSC. In addition he graduated from Midlands Tech with a certificate in cardiovascular sonography. Through his almost 20 year career he has worked in a number of capacities including Vascular Lab Manager at McLeod Regional Medical Center, Clinical Applications Specialist for Imacor, Informatics Educator at Prisma and as a Cardiovascular Sonographer at Lexington Medical Center.

I have been in the healthcare field for almost 30 years. I started out as an EMT and Respiratory therapist in 1996 in the cardiopulmonary department in a South Carolina hospital. I transitioned to learn Echo in 1997 as an OJT and moved to Charlotte to continue to train and grow at Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute at Atrium Health in 2000 where I am currently the Supervisor of the Echo lab at CMC Main. I obtained my RDCS in 2004, my Advanced Cardiac Sonographer in August 2021and FASE in 2012. I was part of the Scientific Session Committee with the American Society of Echocardiography from 2021-2023, where I was able to able to give a ten-minute talk on scanning Constriction vs Restriction for sonographers and help with the DIY 3D lab for Mitral Valve. At the ASE meeting in 2023, I was able to also participate in the MACH 1 series and present my 3 abstracts that were selected. In 2024, I was also able to speak at the SCSE meeting on "Interesting Cases". I am honored to be part of the SCSE as the vice president in 2025.

I attended the University of Kansas and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology. This launched my 38-year career into the world of Echocardiography. My first job as a Cardiac Sonographer was at the VA in St. Louis (my hometown).  After a few years in the industry, I became a registered cardiac sonographer in 1981. Most of my career in Echocardiography was spent at Rush University in Chicago where I gained experience and knowledge in research, stress echo and cutting-edge technology in ultrasound.   In 2004, my husband Roger and I decided to move our family from Chicago (Lauren 4yo and Nicole 1 ½yo) to Lexington, South Carolina for balance of life. In 2005, I started as the Echocardiography manager at Lexington Medical Center and then transitioned to Technical Director. Over the years, I have had various roles in the field of Echocardiography and I was recently crossed trained to perform vascular exams. When I am not at work, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, traveling, snow skiing, and enjoying activities on Lake Murray.  South Carolina Society of Echocardiography is the first board I have served on and this year I am serving as board secretary. I am looking forward to learning from our senior board members and I am grateful for the opportunity to give back to our community.

Melissa Escudero is originally from Wayne, NJ but has lived in Tega Cay, SC for the past sixteen years with her husband, 14-year-old twins, a dog, and a cat. She graduated with an associate in applied science degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography from Bergen Community College in 1995. In 2002, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree magna cum laude in Health Service Management from Montclair State University. In 2023, she graduated from Ohio University with a master's in health administration degree.  She is an Advanced Cardiac Sonographer with over twenty-nine years’ experience in echocardiography. She is also a Fellow of the American Society of Echocardiography currently serving as a member-at large on the Finance Committee. She has also mentored students, new hires, and cardiology fellows. She has served as an Adjunct Clinical Instructor for the echo program at BCC working with students on scanning techniques and competencies. She has also functioned as an ICAEL consultant having successfully aided echo labs seeking both initial accreditation and reaccreditation. She currently works as a Supervisor of Cardiology at Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute-Kenilworth.

Jeremy has over 8 years of clinical and leadership experience in the healthcare industry spanning Radiology, Cardiology, and Vascular Surgery under various roles including Lead Sonographer and Technical Director. In addition to being a Fellow of the American Society of Echocardiography, he is ARDMS board certified in echocardiography, vascular, and general. He is also Project Management Professional certified under PMI. He has a bachelor's degree in Cardiovascular Sonography from Grand Valley State University as well as a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Illinois. Jeremy is currently working as the Non-Invasive Cardiology Manager at AnMed Heart and Vascular Center in Anderson, South Carolina and is passionate in promoting ergonomics, education, and sonography profession awareness to the community.

Kaitlin is from Hartsville, SC, but has lived in Charleston since 2011. She received her Bachelors degree in Physical Education with a concentration in Health Promotion from the College of Charleston. She later received her certificate in Cardiovascular Sonography from Midlands Technical College. After finishing school she began working at MUSC, as a new graduate. Since then she advanced in MUSC’s Imaging Specialist Clinical Ladder Program in 2019, to a Sonographer III, and in 2022 moved into the Lead Sonographer position. This is her second year on the South Carolina Society of Echo Board.

In 1992, Erin started her medical career at Bruce Hospital while attending Florence-Darlington Technical College. She moved to Columbia in 1995 and began working at Columbia Cardiology as a medical assistant while simultaneously furthering her education in echocardiography at MUSC. Erin transitioned to Lexington Medical Center in the Cardiovascular department in 2002 and eventually became the first dual registered sonographer at the hospital in 2009 and has nearly 20 years experience as a registered cardiovascular sonographer. She recently transferred to the mobile cardiovascular lab with LMC. Erin currently lives in Lexington with her husband, Bo, of three years and their blended family. She enjoys traveling, exercising, and spending time with family and friends.

Dr. Kim is the son of a cardiologist and soon followed his father’s footsteps. Dr. Kim began his adult education with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1990 where he graduated with honors from the University of Texas at Austin. In 1994, he graduated as a Doctor of Medicine from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. He completed his Internal Medicine Residency in 1997 and his Cardiology Fellowship in 2002 where he served as Chief Interventional Fellow. The American Board of Internal Medicine certifies him in Interventional Cardiology, Cardiovascular Disease, and Internal Medicine. The Texas and South Carolina State Board of Medical Examiners also certify him as a Medical Examiner. In 2002, he moved to Greenwood, SC and created the first coronary artery stenting program at Self Regional Healthcare. This was a big win for Greenwood and surrounding areas. He has previously served as the Medical Director of the Echocardiography Lab and currently serves as the Medical Director for the Cardiac Catheterization Lab at Self Regional Healthcare and the Cardiovascular Technology Program at Piedmont Technical College. Dr. Kim had quite a few cardiology publications in multiple peer-reviewed journals over the years. Above all, Dr. Kim is a person who cares deeply for his patients, the team members that assist him in taking care of his patients, cardiac students, and the education of health care professionals. Dr. Kim shows this through his day-to-day practice and his generosity.