Creating top education demands top talent
At the DALE Foundation, we know how important is to have access to the best learning opportunities possible. That is why we comprised a noteworthy team of industry professionals and subject matter experts to offer you the most valuable e-learning experience the dental industry has to offer.
Our group of trustees and staff members is dedicated to helping individuals advance their careers with the latest tools and information, and will continue to expand our educational offerings to keep pace with and sometimes take the lead on trends in oral healthcare.
Please click on each name to review their full bio. For questions regarding our Trustees or Staff, contact us.
DALE Foundation Trustees
President: Steven Fink, D.M.D.
President-Elect: Darci Barr, CDA, EFDA, B.S.
Secretary-Treasurer: Virginia Jorgensen, CDA, EFDA, EFODA, A.A.S.
Immediate Past President: Carla Schneider, CDA, RDA
Anita Craig, M.S.
Teresa Duncan, M.S., FADIA, FAADOM
Brenda Fell, CDA, CDPMA
Richard F. Hunt III, D.D.S.
Frank A. Maggio, D.D.S.
DALE Foundation Staff
Executive Director: Cynthia C. Durley, M.Ed., MBA
In Memoriam: Liz Koch, M.P.H., M.Ed.
President
Steven Fink, D.M.D.
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After almost two decades as a practicing dentist, Dr. Fink is now the Director of Dental Education at Fortis Institute, a CODA-accredited dental assisting program in New Jersey. In this capacity, he brings his visionary leadership to running one of the largest CODA-accredited dental assisting programs in the country and is responsible for its successful operation, maintaining its accreditation, and developing initiatives to increase student retention and graduation placement, while meeting the needs of hiring dentists. In addition to his work at Fortis Institute, Dr. Fink is a dental consultant, with a focus on claim files and legal preparation.
Dr. Fink is an active member of the American Dental Association (ADA) and has been elected to serve at the ADA House of Delegates since 2004. He is the Vice Chairman of one of only eleven national ADA Councils where he represents New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico, as well as the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force; U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.; and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Dr. Fink enjoys long-term, effective relationships with each.
He is a Past President of the New Jersey Dental Association, the ninth-largest state dental association in the country. Dr. Fink is also a member of the Academy of General Dentistry, the American Dental Educators Association, and the New Jersey Dental Assistants Association Educators Council. He is a Fellow of the American College of Dentists.
Dr. Fink has served in a leadership capacity to the Passaic County Dental Society, the New Jersey Dental Political Action Committee, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, and the Shaw Dental Society Study Club. Continuing his leadership in student-focused learning, Dr. Fink has been elected to his local Board of Education where he chairs the finance committee to give service back to his community.
President-Elect
Darci Barr, CDA, EFDA, B.S.
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Ms. Barr is an articulate educator and program director in Indianapolis, with established clinical experience in the dental field. As a seasoned presenter, Ms. Barr has delivered numerous community-based initiatives to area schools and organizations including an ongoing service learning program, which received recognition from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.
With prior experience in learning management systems and online course design, Ms. Barr continues to promote progressive and innovative curriculum for the dental community. As continuing service to the educators, auxiliaries, and professionals of dentistry, Ms. Barr shares her expertise through creation of a dental assisting blog, authorship of several articles and dental-related works. She is a member of the American Dental Educators Association, Association of Career and Technical Education and the American Dental Assistants Association, dedicated to advancement of dentistry and education.
Secretary-Treasurer
Virginia Jorgensen, CDA, EFDA, EFODA, A.A.S.
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Ms. Jorgensen has been an instructor at Oregon’s Portland Community College’s (PCC) dental assisting program for nearly 15 years. She is the clinical coordinator of PCC’s dental assisting program, where students are able to participate in live patient care and assist dentists with simple procedures prior to being placed into dental office internships. Ms. Jorgensen uses online technology to teach dental assisting lecture courses and evaluate and test her students’ knowledge. She is the dental assisting department’s safety expert and a member of the Campus Health and Safety Committee and College Emergency Response Team. She has also been PCC’s Health and Safety Officer since 1999.
Ms. Jorgensen is also a partner in a dental consulting business that focuses on Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), ergonomics, and efficiency training for dental professionals. She has participated in numerous OSHA Safety and Infection Control courses, and regularly gives presentations on these subjects to local and state dental groups, as well as in-office evaluation and training.
In the mid-1980s, Ms. Jorgensen was instrumental in bringing the expanded functions exams to Oregon by being a consultant to the Oregon Board of Dentistry and arranging for test administration for the EFODA and EFDA. She sat on the board’s Test Construction Committee and Rules Committee. Additionally, Ms. Jorgensen served on the Dental Assisting National Board’s (DANB) Orthodontic Assisting Test Construction Committee from 1988 to 1992, and the DANB Infection Control Test Construction Committee from 1999 to 2005.
Today, Ms. Jorgensen remains active in the American Dental Assistants Association, having served at state and local levels, including Past President of the Oregon Dental Assistants Association. She is the recipient of DANB’s 2009 Hazel O. Torres Memorial Award.
Immediate Past President
Carla Schneider, CDA, RDA
Ms. Schneider became a Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) through the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) in 1990 and a Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) through the North Dakota Board of Dental Examiners in 1989. She is proud of her CDA certification and believes that holding the CDA certification provides self-confidence, self-fulfillment, and a greater understanding and knowledge of dentistry.
Ms. Schneider has worked as a chairside assistant and office manager to Dr. Mark W. Nelson since 1982. She has been a longtime member of the American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA), and has served as ADAA Seventh District Trustee, Secretary/Treasurer, Secretary, Vice President, and President. She has also served on the North Dakota Dental Assistants Association (NDDAA) as Secretary/Treasurer, President, and Editor. Ms. Schneider is also a past Chair of DANB’s Board of Directors.
Currently, Ms. Schneider is involved with the North Dakota Oral Health Coalition and the North Dakota Dental Foundation. She is the NDDAA Liaison to the North Dakota Board of Dental Examiners and a member of the Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention.
She received the North Dakota Dental Foundation Meritorious Service Award and the NDDAA Recognition Award.
Anita Craig, M.S.
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Ms. Craig serves as the Director of Education and Membership Development for the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), located in Missouri. She is a nonprofit leader with extensive experience developing educational strategy, continuing education management, research, and membership growth and development.
Prior to her role at AAO, Ms. Craig was the Director of Global Conferences at the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the primary professional association and accrediting agency for university-based business schools. Ms. Craig was also the Director of Student Activities at Eastern Illinois University and at Bradley University.
Actively involved in numerous associations, Ms. Craig is the Executive Director of the Northeastern Society of Orthodontists and serves on the Executive Committee of the Global Forum on Management Education. She is also a member of the American Society of Association Executives, American Dental Educators’ Association and Phi Delta Kappa, a professional educators’ fraternity.
Teresa Duncan, M.S., FADIA, FAADOM
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Ms. Duncan is the founder and President of Odyssey Management, a dental practice management consulting firm in Virginia, and a lifetime member of the American Association of Dental Office Managers (AADOM).
Prior to founding Odyssey Management in 2007, Ms. Duncan worked as a practice administrator for a private dental practice. Ms. Duncan has been offering individual consulting services since 1998, and has been a specialty coach in human resources and insurance at the Productive Dental Academy since 2010.
An active member of numerous organizations, Ms. Duncan is involved with the Association of Dental Implant Auxiliaries (ADIA), the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, the Academy of Dental Management Consultants, the Academy of Comprehensive Aesthetics, the American Association of Dental Consultants, and the Hu-Friedy Thought Leader Program. She has earned Fellowship status for both the ADIA and AADOM.
In addition to actively blogging at TheDentalImplantBlog.com, Ms. Duncan is a columnist for the ADIA newsletter and serves on the ADIA and The Progressive Dentist magazine editorial boards. She has been published in RDH magazine, Dental Assisting Digest, and the AADOM Observer.
Brenda Fell, CDA, CDPMA
Ms. Fell became a DANB CDA in 1979 and obtained her Certified Dental Practice Management Administrator credential in 1999.
She earned her Associate of Science in Dental Assisting in 1978 and her Utah Vocational Teaching Certificate in 1998, both from Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. In 2002, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Education from Americus University in Washington, D.C. She feels that DANB Certification is a verification of competency for both employers and patients, and that it promotes high professional and personal standards.
Since 1993, Ms. Fell has held the position of Dental Assistant Program Advisor for Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College in Ogden, Utah, where she promotes DANB Certification to her students and proudly displays her certificates in the classroom for all to see. She has been actively involved in the American Dental Assistants Association, serving in local, regional and national positions.
Richard F. Hunt III, D.D.S.
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Dr. Hunt received his D.D.S. degree from the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry in 1989. He is a general dentist in Rocky Mount, N.C., where he shares a practice with his wife, Dr. Amy W. Hunt. The Hunts employ three Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) Certified Dental Assistants and strongly encourage the continued growth of these valuable team members through continuing education and involvement in their profession.
Dr. Hunt has served dentistry on the local, state and national levels. He currently is Past President of the North Carolina Dental Society (NCDS) and a delegate to the ADA’s House of Delegates. He has also represented North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia on the ADA Council on Dental Practice. As a member of that council, one of his favorite roles was chairing the Dental Team Advisory Panel, which assists in developing projects or activities that enhance the dental team concept. Additionally, Dr. Hunt is past president of the North Carolina Dental Foundation. Dr. Hunt serves as Chair of DANB’s Board of Directors through August 2011, and as Immediate Past Chair, will continue to serve ex officio on the DALE Foundation Board of Trustees.
In 1996, Dr. Hunt received the NCDS Commendation Award for exemplary service by a young dentist. He has also been honored to receive fellowship in the American College of Dentists and International College of Dentists.
Dr. Hunt’s passion for continuing education and lifelong learning led him to study at the L.D. Pankey Institute where he has completed all of the continuums and returns regularly to study and share as a member of the visiting faculty. He is active in his church, serving on the Session and teaching Sunday school. The Hunts have led two mission trips to Mexico where they provided preventive and restorative dental care.
Frank Maggio, D.D.S.
Dr. Maggio graduated from Loyola University School of Dentistry, and then after military service went on to receive his Certificate in Periodontics from the University of Illinois Medical Center College of Dentistry. Currently, Dr. Maggio is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois College of Dentistry, Department of Periodontology. He is a Fellow in the American College of Dentists, the International College of Dentists, the Pierre Fauchard Academy, and the Odontographic Society of Chicago.
As a member of the American Dental Association (ADA) since 1971, Dr. Maggio has served on numerous committees, councils and task forces.He was Chairman of the Council on Dental Education and Licensure and also served as the ADA Trustee from Illinois. He has also been President of the Illinois Dental Society, McHenry County Dental Society, and Fox River Valley Dental Society, of which he is currently a member of the Board.
In addition to his membership in the ADA and his Fellowships in the other professional dental organizations noted above, Dr. Maggio is an active member of the American Association of Dental Boards, the American Dental Education Association, and the American Academy of Periodontology. He is also current Board member of the National Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped and is a former Board member of the Illinois Board of Dentistry and the ADA Foundation.
Executive Director
Cynthia C. Durley, M.Ed., MBA
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Ms. Durley is Executive Director of both the DALE Foundation and the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). She has been employed by DANB for 25 years and by the DALE Foundation since its incorporation in 2010.
In her dual role of Executive Director to both DANB and the DALE Foundation, Ms. Durley provides leadership in organizational governance, fiscal accountability, and administrative, operations, and personnel management. She also promotes the respective missions of DANB and the DALE Foundation, and ensures that each organization’s interests are represented at the state and national levels.
Ms. Durley began work at DANB in 1986 as Director of Testing and Measurement, where she worked with dental assistants, hygienists and dentists to develop and set pass/fail standards for 48 national and state dental assisting credentialing examinations. She held this position until September 1996, when she was named Acting Executive Director. She was hired as DANB’s Executive Director in August 1997.
In 1999, Ms. Durley was elected to the Institute for Credentialing Excellence's (formerly the National Organization for Competency Assurance) National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). The NCCA accredits national certification programs that meet NCCA standards related to organization governance, adherence to recognized psychometric standards, and service to candidates, certificants and the public. She was elected as NCCA's Co-Chair in 2002, serving as its Chair in 2003 and 2004; she was then elected by the Institute of Credentialing Excellence membership to serve as the Institute's President-Elect (2005), President (2006) and Immediate Past President (2007). She is currently on the Institute for Credentialing Excellence’s (ICE’s) Leadership Council, and she serves on ICE’s Research and Development Committee as Co-Chair of the Benchmarking Best Practices in Certification Task Force.
Prior to her work with the DALE Foundation and DANB, Ms. Durley was Manager of Examination Development and Services at the Academy of General Dentistry for four years, during which time she was also Executive Secretary of the Certifying Board of General Dentistry (now the American Board). She has developed examinations and evaluated curricula for the U.S. Navy and taught basic statistics and testing and measurement courses at Loyola University of Chicago.
Ms. Durley has a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Notre Dame, a master's degree in education from Loyola University of Chicago, and a master's degree in business administration from DePaul University.
In Memoriam
Liz Koch, M.P.H., M.Ed.
Liz Koch served as the Chief Operating Officer of the DALE Foundation and the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). Liz passed away unexpectedly on Nov. 1, 2011.
Those who knew Liz Koch described her as funny, inspirational, patient, generous, kind, diplomatic, wise, honest and visionary. Liz was a great listener, a natural leader and a lifelong learner. In her time, she touched many people both professionally and personally.
Liz joined DANB in 2001, holding positions as Assistant Director, and then Director of Testing and Measurement. She was named DANB COO in 2006. In 2010, Liz played an instrumental role working with DANB’s Board of Directors, DANB staff, and the newly formed DALE Foundation Board of Trustees to establish the DALE Foundation, the official DANB affiliate. She was named COO of the DALE Foundation at that time.
Liz had many professional achievements. She earned her first master’s degree, in industrial and organizational psychology, from Cleveland State University. She later earned a Master of Public Health and a Master of Education from the University of Illinois at Chicago. And, she had recently begun work on a fourth master’s program in analytics at Northwestern University.
Her professional affiliations included the American Society of Association Executives, Chicago Area Testing Organizations, the Institute for Credentialing Excellence and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies.