Nashville (June 23, 2015) — Today during the American Dental Hygienists’ Association’s (ADHA’s) 92nd Annual Session, Jill Rethman, RDH, BA, of Prescott, Ariz., was installed as the organization’s 2015-16 president, along with the ADHA’s new slate of officers for the upcoming 2015-16 year.
“As the profession of dental hygiene continues to move upward, it is truly an honor to represent my colleagues in the coming year,” said Rethman. “I look forward to collaborating with all those in health care as we strive to do what's best for the patients we serve.”
Rethman, who has more than 35 years of experience in the dental hygiene profession, has served the ADHA in a number of ways, including as ADHA President-Elect for the 2014-15 year. She has been active at numerous levels within the organization, including serving as president and past president of the Hawaii Dental Hygienists’ Association (HDHA), as well as for two years as the HDHA’s Regulations and Practice Chair. She also was named that organization’s most outstanding member in 2002.
In addition to Rethman’s work as Editor in Chief for Dimensions of Dental Hygiene, she has authored articles that have been featured in numerous publications, has co-authored a chapter for three different textbooks and is presently writing a text on oral health prevention strategies throughout life. She has presented programs throughout North America, Europe and Japan, and serves as a visiting clinical instructor at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Dental Medicine, Department of Dental Hygiene; and as an adjunct professor at The Ohio State University School of Dental Hygiene.
A graduate of The Ohio State University, Rethman was named the OSU Outstanding Dental Hygiene Alumnus for 2004. She has been the recipient of numerous other awards, including a special citation in 2005 from the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) for her efforts in organizing the AAP’s Annual Dental Hygiene Symposium, and most recently, the 2014 Johnson & Johnson/ADHA Award for Excellence in Dental Hygiene.
Rethman succeeds Kelli Swanson Jaecks, MA, RDH, of Salem, Ore., as president. Swanson Jaecks will remain an ADHA officer, serving both as ADHA immediate past president as well as the 2015-2016 chair of the ADHA Institute for Oral Health.
Additional ADHA officers newly installed at the ADHA’s 92nd Annual Session include: Betty Kabel, RDH, BS, of Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., president-elect; Tammy Filipiak, RDH, MS, of Mosinee, Wis., vice president; and Donnella Miller, RDH, BS, of Clarksville, Tenn., treasurer. Remaining in her position as speaker of the house is Carolyn Roberton, RDH, BSDH, of Auburn, Wash.
The newly installed district trustees for 2015-2016 are as follows: Peter Gangi, RDH, BS Ed, of Methuen, Mass., District I (Maine, Mass., N.H., R.I., Vt.); Sharlee Burch, BSDH, MPH, EdD, of Lexington, Ky., District V (Ind., Ky., Mich., Ohio); Diana Saylor, RDH, of Nashville, Tenn., District VI (Ala., Ark., La., Miss., Tenn.); and Matt Crespin, RDH, MPH, of West Allis, Wis., District VII (Minn., N.D., S.D., Wis.).
District trustees returning in 2015-2016 are as follows: Jaclyn Gleber, RDH, EdD, of Chester Springs, Pa., District II (Conn., N.J., N.Y., Pa.); Michele Braerman, RDH, BS, of Fallston, Md., District III (Del., District of Columbia., Md., Va., W.Va.); Jessica Kiser, RDH, BS, MS, of Castle Hayne, N.C., District IV (Fla., Ga., N.C., S.C.); Lisa Moravec, RDH, MS, of Scottsbluff, Neb., District VIII (Ill., Iowa, Kan., Mo., Neb.); Valoree Althoff, RDH, BS, of Farmington, N.M., District IX (N.M., Okla., Texas); Barbara Dixon, RDH, MEd, of Salt Lake City, Utah, District X (Colo. Mont., Utah, Wyo.); Lin Sarfaraz, RDH, of Fullerton, Calif., District XI (Ariz., Calif.); and Lancette VanGuilder, RDH, of Sparks, Nev., District XII (Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Nev., Ore., Wash.).
