About the DALE Foundation

President: Sandra Garcia Young

Sandra L. Garcia Young, CDA, CDIPC, RDA, FADAA, FAADOM, of San Antonio, Texas, currently works as the Practice Administrator for CentroMed, one of Texas’s largest nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Centers. She has over 28 years of clinical experience and has worked in a variety of specialties.

Ms. Garcia Young entered the Air Force in 1996 and completed the Dental Assistant Apprentice course at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. From 2000–2006, Ms. Garcia Young served as a chairside assistant and worked with third-year dental students on four-handed dentistry at the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Dentistry, San Antonio. From 2006–2011, Ms. Garcia Young was the dental assisting program director at the Academy of Health Care Professions in San Antonio, Texas, where more than 300 students graduated from the dental assisting program during her tenure.

Ms. Garcia Young is a recipient of the Air Force Achievement Medal and was recognized as the 2015 Employee of the Quarter in the management category at CentroMed. She is a lifetime member of the American Association of Dental Office Management, as well as an active member of the American Dental Assistants Association, the Association for Dental Safety, the National Network for Oral Health Access, and the Hispanic Dental Association.

Kerri Friel, CDA, COA, RDH, M.A., of Warwick, Rhode Island, is a professor in the Dental Health Department at the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI), where she has taught for more than 25 years. She is the director of the Dental Assisting Program and past president of the CCRI Faculty Senate, and she currently serves as vice president of the CCRI Faculty Association.

Throughout her career, Ms. Friel has helped advance the dental profession through her leadership and volunteerism. She is a member of the American Dental Assistants Association and the Rhode Island Dental Assistants Association, of which she is a past president. She is also a member of the American Dental Education Association and the American Association of Dental Boards and is a current board member of the Dental Lifeline Network Rhode Island. She previously served on the Rhode Island Board of Examiners in Dentistry and has held several roles with CDCA-WREB-CITA.

Ms. Friel received a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene and a master’s degree in adult education from the University of Rhode Island.

Vicki Brett

Vicki L. Brett, CDA, RDH, B.S.D.H., serves as the Executive Director of Montero Medical Missions, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides free dental services to veterans and facilitates care through partnerships with community clinics. The organization also develops sustainable healthcare projects for physicians and allied health professionals with international roots.

Ms. Brett brings decades of experience in both clinical dentistry and healthcare education. Prior to her current role, she spent three years as the Prevention Dental Service Coordinator for the Virginia Department of Health. She also held leadership positions in higher education, most notably as Campus Director of Academic Affairs at ECPI University, where she worked for approximately 14 years. Her diverse background includes experience as a dental hygienist, dental sales representative, and dental assisting program director and instructor.

An advocate for community service, Ms. Brett is a Board Member of Park Place Dental Clinic, a safety-net clinic serving vulnerable populations. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Virginia Dental Association Foundation, which increases access to dental care for underserved Virginians. Since 2014, she has served as a volunteer chairperson for Mission of Mercy (MOM) projects, further emphasizing her commitment to outreach and care delivery.

Her contributions have been recognized with a Community of Excellence Award from ECPI University. She is a graduate of the ECPI University Leadership Institute and has served on the Regulatory-Legislative Committee for Dental Assistants I and II under the Virginia Board of Dentistry.

Ms. Brett is an active member of the American Dental Assistants Association, the American Dental Hygienists’ Association, and the Tidewater Dental Hygienists’ Association. She holds DANB’s Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) certification and earned a Bachelor of Science in dental hygiene from Old Dominion University.

Janée Tamayo

Janée Tamayo, CDA, CPFDA, B.S., MSgt, USAF, of Honolulu, Hawaii, has worked as a dental assistant with the U.S. Air Force for more than 10 years. She has worked as an Air Force dental assistant in Tampa, Florida; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Fayetteville, North Carolina. She is currently the Dental Flight Chief at the U.S. Air Force’s 43rd Medical Squadron. Her past roles have included Dental Flight Chief at Schriever Dental Clinic, Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge of Records and Reception, Clinical Flight Chief, Executive Assistant to the Commander of the 21st Medical Group, and Dental Technician.

Ms. Tamayo earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in dental assisting from the Community College of the Air Force, and a Bachelor of Science degree in sports and exercise science from American Military University. She is currently working toward a Master of Public Administration from American Military University.

She also has received extensive professional recognition. In August 2020, Ms. Tamayo earned the Humanitarian Service Medal from the 21st Medical Squadron. She also has received the Distinguished Graduate and Academic Achievement Award from the Vosler Non-Commissioned Officer Academy (2019) and the Distinguished Graduate and Commandant’s Leadership Award from Peterson Airman Leadership School (2015). Additionally, in 2014, Ms. Tamayo was named Dental Airman of the Year by Air Force Dental Service, and in 2013, Airman of the Year by the 21st Space Wing.