We’re pleased to announce that 2024’s “Powering Dentistry’s Growth: The Definitive Dental HR Conference” will be held September 27-28, 2024 in Denver, Colorado
We look forward to welcoming you this year for more relevant, timely, and valuable thoughts and strategies from the leaders in dentistry and human resources. The event’s agenda and lineup of world-class speakers is listed below. Please feel free to reach out at any time with questions!
See you there!
| 7:30 AM | Registration |
| 8:30 AM | Welcome / Opening |
| 8:45 AM | Joyonomics – Amanda Gore |
| 10:15 AM | Break and Sponsor Introductions |
| 11:00 AM | Dental Team Profitability: The Business of Investing in Your Team – Kate Willeford |
| 12:00 PM | Lunch |
| 1:00 PM | The Role Mental Wellness Plays in Your and Your Employees’ Success – Eric & Abigail Vickery |
| 2:00 PM | Your Brand, Your People: How Your People Can Power Your Marketing & Your Business – Abe Kasbo & Rebecca Neill |
| 3:00 PM | Break |
| 3:15 PM | Coaching and Confronting an Employee—A Clear Roadmap for Difficult Conversations – Alan T. Twigg and Jennifer Schultz |
| 4:15 PM | Sponsor Drawings |
| 4:45 PM | Closing & Wrap |
| 5:00 PM | Networking Reception |
| 8:30 AM | Welcome Back |
| 8:45 AM | The Keys To Creating An Ideal “Team Forward” Culture – Amy Morgan |
| 10:45 AM | Break |
| 11:00 AM | Resentment Is Your Superpower! – Cait Donovan |
| 12:30 PM | Lunch |
| 1:15 PM | Strategic Staffing Solutions: Harnessing the Power of Remote Professionals to Overcome the Staffing Crisis – Kim Brozovich |
| 2:00 PM | Resolving Team Conflict—How to Smooth the Waters When Employees Are Fighting – Alan T. Twigg and Jennifer Schultz |
| 3:00 PM | Closing & Wrap |
Brace yourself for an irresistible journey as we delve into the captivating realm of emotions, boundaries, and rediscovering your true essence in ‘Resentment is Your Superpower.’
Whether for yourself, the people you are managing or the people you are working with, this presentation will unravel the impact of ‘negative’ emotions and the potential of turning them into your greatest allies. Say goodbye to frustrations that leave you feeling not as effective as you want to be, as this counterintuitive and fun approach provides an immediately implementable formula for reclaiming your energy and zest for life.
Takeaways
Led by the renowned expert, Cait Donovan, you will find this presentation inspiring, empowering and full of “ah-ha’s”. With laughter and fun in abundance, you’ll experience freedom as you actually embrace the power of resentment to build healthier boundaries, foster harmonious relationships and improve communication, both personally and professionally.
How you can infuse yourself and teams with joy, for incredible inner and outer results?
Studies show that joy at work increases productivity 31%, reduces errors 18% and boosts chances of promotion 40%. Bottom line: Joy matters!This keynote is geared around the new skills required to rise up, rediscover and reclaim the joy that will help everyone with resilience! Discover how to cultivate your own inner joy and infuse this healing force within your team.
This keynote is geared around the new skills required to rise up, rediscover and reclaim the joy that will help everyone with resilience! Discover how to cultivate your own inner joy and infuse this healing force within your team.”
Maintaining team cohesion, motivation, and a sense of purpose is challenging, especially in a world where physical disconnection and doing more with less has become the norm. ‘Busy-ness’ is the new ‘disease’ impacting almost everyone. Rushing and having the perception (and reality) of ‘too much to do’ can destroy mental clarity and physical health. All of these rob us of our joy. Constant social media comparisons and addictions don’t help.
This is an opportunity to reimagine joy and:
The good news is that our brains can be rewired for joy. This session teaches you how. It includes how to stop stress from killing you; how to be resilient; how to be your best version; how to re-focus on what matters, and take responsibility for your choices and behavior!
The difference between a growth mindset and a fixed one is the difference between a joyful life and a stressed, unhappy one; between a joyful team and a dysfunctional one; a great culture or a toxic one.
This session will change your perceptions, relationships, personal accountability, enthusiasm, engagement, energy and culture. But wait – there’s more! It can also help you adopt a more positive approach to change–while you laugh!
Led by Rebecca Neill and Abe Kasbo of Verasoni, this presentation will provide powerful strategies that help create brand and values “ambassadors” throughout the entire team.
Effective and consistent communication, along with positive “noise” in the marketplace makes the process of recruiting and employee retention easier and supports successful patient marketing efforts.
Let’s get everyone involved and move beyond industry marketing hype to understand various audiences within dental practices and how to best meaningfully align brand messaging across all channels to positively impact your practice.
This session will help clarify your brand values and develop brand rules for cohesive messaging with team members and the patient experience, too. Through this intensive interactive workshop, participants will learn how to utilize internal communications strategies that engage dental teams to foster a positive work environment while engaging patients to positively perpetuate your practice’s brand.
Rebecca and Abe will illustrate how to integrate your digital footprint with the practice’s brand culture by utilizing and showcasing your team culture. They will also cover managing online reputation and how to ethically incentivize teams to leave positive reviews, emphasizing transparency and continuous improvement.
Throughout the presentation, you’ll learn the importance of brand messaging consistency and uncover practical tools such as brand checklists or audits to ensure alignment across all touchpoints. You will leave with actionable insights and strategies to develop a unified dental brand that engages teams, resonates with patients, and attracts top talent.
“The strength of the team is each individual team member. The strength of each member is the team” –Phil Jackson
An inspired, self-directed team, focused on continuous growth, is essential in today’s dental practice. And this is applicable whether you are simply growing a single location or merging, acquiring or expanding locations.
Developing, melding and maintaining a supportive and positive organizational culture is the backbone for long-term team success. In the ever-changing and dynamic landscape of today’s competitive job market, cultivating an environment that magnetizes and keeps top-tier teams is an imperative skill for leaders and managers in any size dental practice–“Culture is King”.
Failure to pay attention to, monitor and appropriately evolve your culture leads to constantly being sucked down the rabbit hole of stress and personnel upheaval and turmoil. It diverts time, energy and dollars that could otherwise be used meet growth and profitability goals.
During this session, we will dive deeply into the team lifecycle, learning how to find the right team members, growing internal talent and retaining motivated “A”-players who move your practice vision and goals forward. You will learn:
The business of dentistry has evolved and the role of dental practice leadership has evolved with it. Gone are the days where there were reasonable overheads (+/- 60%) and an abundance of available employees.
Those “good old days”, meant not having to pay a lot of attention to the numbers or the “people side” of the practice. Now overheads are higher (+/- 70%) and the importance of retaining quality employees is paramount.
Creating a financial growth track for your team, as well as yourself, is a proven component that supports employee recruitment and retention. Instead of being afraid they will quit, teach them about the value of using the benefits you offer and how to afford to retire.
“Best practices” now include:
This presentation will help establish your “CFO mindset”, i.e investing in your team (paying out money) = rate of return (increasing cash flow). Which in turn will help you make actionable financial decisions more proactively. Decisions that are both in the best interests of you, the practice and the team.
Stress, burnout and a lack of mental wellness can negatively impact any organization where the focus is the bottom line and everyone is pulled in too many directions, trying to accomplish more with less.
We all know that stress and burnout effect attitudes, performance, energy and relationships. All of which are necessary and important ingredients for personal and professional success.
In the past, the most common reaction or response has been to ignore it, not talk about it and hope it will go away or magically get better on its own. Sadly, this has become so pervasive and impactful, for myriad reasons, that it can’t—shouldn’t—be ignored. You and your organization have to take these issues seriously by gaining the knowledge and skills to address them.
During this presentation, you will learn:
Everyone in the practice has a role in creating psychological safety and space—fostering a culture that is open and healthy. In this presentation, led by Eric and Abby Vickery, they will teach practical skills to address concerns and lead individuals and teams toward health and success!
Communication skills are not inherent but can be acquired through learning and teaching. Initially, any new task can feel daunting and awkward, but with practice, it becomes more natural and comfortable. Engaging in difficult conversations, especially with employees, may feel intimidating.
What should you say? What should you not say? How do you say it? How much documentation is needed? What if someone is defensive?
In this hands-on workshop session, Jennifer and Alan will teach proven communication skills, including an easy framework for having these difficult conversations. The focus will be on providing in-person coaching to an individual employee who is not meeting expectations. You will learn how to prepare for the conversation, handle common employee reactions, determine logical next steps, and execute appropriate follow-up measures.
In this hands-on workshop session, Jennifer and Alan will teach proven communication skills, including an easy framework for having these difficult conversations. This session will focus on in-person coaching with an individual employee who is not meeting expectations. You will learn how to prepare for the conversation, strategies for handling common employee reactions, logical next steps after the conversation, and appropriate follow ups.
You will gain confidence through practice. Instead of theory alone , you will be in the “hot seat” giving the feedback. The goal is to leave with as much “muscle memory” as possible.
Learning Objectives:
Get ready for a working session that will give you confidence and clarity for having “the talk” with employees who are missing the mark!
Building on the skills learned in session 1, this workshop focuses on conflict among two or more employees. As the practice leader, how do you mediate the conflict? What if it’s a “she-said-he-said” situation? How do you figure out who is “right” or “wrong”?
Team conflict, strife, gossip, harassment, bullying, and even physical violence are (sadly) all possibilities in the workplace. The goal is to avoid the messy stuff, and yet even the old-fashioned “I just don’t like that person” can creep in, even in the best workplaces.
Put a bunch of people in an office for hours, and interpersonal conflict is all but guaranteed. As leaders and managers, you can easily find yourself in the role of mediator. If you succeed, the team will thrive. If you fail, you risk losing one or more key team members.
In this session, you will learn the proven framework and process for solving team conflict. Discover the necessary steps to gather all of the information, sift through the data to extract the key information, and then follow up with a process of making your final determination and communicating with the team members.
Learning Objectives:
Dealing with team conflict can be immensely stressful and challenging for leaders and managers. While some level of interpersonal drama is often unavoidable, there are effective strategies to both prevent and address it decisively before it escalates into more serious issues. Join us for a dynamic workshop aimed at empowering you with the skills and confidence needed to navigate conflicts as a mediator!
This course will explore the opportunities and challenges of outsourcing in response to the staffing and retention challenges facing dental practices in the US.
While outsourcing has proven to be very beneficial from a number of perspectives, if not executed properly it can exacerbate and undermine the very reasons for outsourcing in the first place. This can lead to patient dissatisfaction and even patient loss, ultimately costing the practice more in the long run.
The fundamental motivation behind outsourcing is to strengthen relationships with patients by allowing for more personalized human interaction in the office while delegating less patient-facing tasks to remote professionals. With the proper onboarding process and training, remote (outsourced) professionals can help offload various responsibilities from the front office, allowing for more focus on patient care, scheduling, and collections. By doing so, the team can move away from tedious responsibilities that detract from the overall patient experience.
Join us to learn the “dos and don’ts” and the “why’s and wherefore’s” of outsourcing, like:
This course will delve into outsourcing, offering practical strategies for successful integration and collaboration with the dental practice setting. Attendees will gain insights on how to effectively leverage remote professionals to enhance patient care and streamline operations, ultimately leading to improved efficiency and patient satisfaction.
Amanda Gore is CEO of The Joy Project, an author, speaker, columnist and business woman. She is a CSP and has won both Educator of the Year and Keynote Speaker of the Year awards from the National Speakers Association. Author of five books and several video and audio training programs, Amanda has a bachelor’s degree in physiotherapy, a major in psychology, and expertise in ergonomics, stress management, group dynamics, neurolinguistics, neuroscience, and occupational health.
For more than 25 years, Amanda has been one of America’s and Australia’s most admired “experience-creating” speakers. She uses proven principles to transform organizational cultures by changing perceptions, improving relationships, connecting people, managing change, and team dynamics.
Amanda is a catalyst for change. For too long business has been paralyzed by its over analysis of data. This presentation will help you re-connect to the energy and emotional layers that really drive leadership, performance, innovation, engagement and creativity in your business and life.
We are in an age of “unlearning”, unlearning the ways we used to work and live, while re-learning new ways to engage and connect with our teams. Creating joyful cultures and actually focusing on joy as a business strategy today is smart, brilliant, necessary, and essential.
During this fun, enlightening and thought-provoking session, Amanda will share strategies, techniques and skills that will allow you to more readily adapt to change, transform attitudes, eradicate fear, and improve relationships, communication, and customer service.
As a communications and performance expert, Amanda uses the science of the heart and the principles of emotional intelligence and neuroscience, to help business leaders achieve the results they want by getting people engaged in, enthusiastic about, and aligned with corporate goals and vision.
With decades of experience speaking in over 20 countries to a wide range of corporations, groups and associations, including dental programs throughout the United States, combined with constant research in scientific discovery, Amanda will entertain, change perceptions, behaviors and attitudes, and move you to action.
Cait Donovan is a dynamic storyteller who specializes in sharing empowering and relatable narratives, featuring laugh-out-loud funny real-life examples. Whether delivering corporate workshops, captivating keynotes, or engaging podcast appearances, Cait inspires audiences to take action. Her unique blend of humor and insight offers a fresh perspective on recovery and well-being, making her a valuable resource for your team’s growth.
Abe Kasbo is Founder and CEO of Verasoni, a marketing communications advisory, consultancy and agency. The firm delivers integrated marketing communications strategies to the dental community including distributors, manufacturers, DSOs and independent dentists across the country.
He was inducted into the Seton Hall University Entrepreneur Hall of Fame in September 2018, and is the founder of OnlyOneToothBrush.com–a philanthropic effort aimed to bring 200,000 toothbrushes to support the oral health of Syrian refugees in Germany, Canada, and the United States. Abe is a board member of the London-based Awareness Foundation, and served as board member of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity International Foundation.
Abe serves as an advisor to C-Suite executives on communications, branding, and public relations strategies. He is a member of the Board of Advisors and immediate past Chair of The Center for Entrepreneurial & Innovation Studies at Seton Hall University.
He has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Institutional Investor, PBS, FoxBusiness.com, Bankrate.com, Dental Economics, The American Marketing Association, The National, The Record, The Star-Ledger, FOX, WOR, WCBS, New Jersey Monthly, Becker’s Healthcare Review, as well as international media outlets in Europe and the Middle East.
Abe holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Healthcare Policy and Management, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Seton Hall University.
As Verasoni’s Chief Operating Officer, Rebecca is a driving force behind the growth and exceptional client experience for clients. Her journey with Verasoni began in 2017 as the Director of Key Accounts, where she demonstrated a deep commitment to leading clients’ integrated marketing campaigns with a strategic and creative approach.
In 2018, Rebecca was recognized as an “Innovator to Watch” by the New Jersey Technology Council, celebrating her leadership in the field. Under her guidance, Verasoni’s business strategy moves efficiently and effectively from ideation to implementation, resulting in measurable growth for clients. Rebecca’s leadership is a steady and motivating force, inspiring our teams to work efficiently, meet deadlines, and foster a company culture of honesty and integrity, always with a sprinkle of fun.
With a passion for authentic human interaction, Rebecca firmly believes that clear and open communication is the cornerstone of successful projects. She helps to inject a human touch into all campaigns, eliciting real emotions that resonate with audiences. Her honest and transparent management approach builds trust with both clients and colleagues, fostering strong relationships that go beyond business.
Beyond her role at Verasoni, Rebecca has served as Chair of the Communications Committee for the Lake Mohawk Preservation Foundation Board of Trustees, where she contributed her communication expertise. When she’s not busy with work or community involvement, she can be found exploring the rural areas of New Jersey, practicing yoga, sailing with her family, or experimenting with new baking recipes.
Kate Willeford, CPA, PFS, is a seasoned advocate for dentists and their teams, bringing nearly three decades of expertise to financial management. As the owner of the Willeford Group, she specializes in guiding clients to retain earnings, minimize taxes, and establish a secure retirement. Kate’s impactful leadership includes her past Vice President role at the Academy of Dental CPAs and active participation in dental management organizations. A contributing author for Dental Economics, Kate’s multifaceted commitment extends beyond her professional pursuits to include competitive rowing, sailing, and tennis, reflecting her dedication to the overall well-being of dental professionals.
Amy Morgan joined Spear Education in 2018 as Vice President of Consulting Strategy as part of the acquisition of Pride Institute—the nationally acclaimed, practice management consulting company where she previously served as CEO. Amy teaches practice management online and at the Spear Campus, helping to coach both clients and consultants incorporate Pride content into the Spear ecosystem.
Amy and her teams have revitalized thousands of dental practices using management systems proven to help dentists become more secure, efficient, and profitable. She started working at Pride in 1993 and, through the mentorship with Dr. Pride, advanced from serving as a consultant and trainer to leading the organization as chief executive.
A popular and sought-after speaker and educator, Amy has presented courses throughout North America and Europe and has been featured at every major dental meeting. She also designs and presents customized programs for study groups and dental companies.
Ms. Morgan is also an active writer and contributes regular practice management articles to Spear Digest. She has published a wide variety of columns and whitepapers in major dental publications, in addition to self-guided training manuals. Her books—like “Leadership Lessons From the Road: Why Bother, We’re All Nuckin’ Futz!”—provide real solutions to help doctors and their teams address the daily issues that arise in the evolution of their practices.
Abigail is dedicated to igniting hope, nurturing resilience, and empowering her clients through strengths-based care approaches. With nearly two decades of experience in clinical mental health, she specializes in Trauma-Informed Systems of Care, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Family Systems Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. By blending her clinical expertise with a passion for coaching, Abigail offers a unique and transformative approach. Having personally experienced the life-changing benefits of coaching, she is committed to helping clients identify and overcome obstacles hindering their progress toward holistic life fulfillment.
Eric Vickery leverages his degree in Business Administration and personal success to provide his clients with effective business strategies that lead to success. With over 20 years of experience in dental practice management and extensive training in the field, Eric has helped numerous doctors and their teams achieve success. His areas of expertise include verbal skills, systems and success training, and team development. Eric’s engaging personality, extensive knowledge, and sense of humor make him a highly sought-after presenter and consultant. He coaches dental offices across the United States and holds the position of President of Coaching at All Star Dental Academy.
Jennifer Schultz possesses an exceptional blend of clinical, practice management, and technological expertise with over 25 years in the dental profession. She is also a certified HR consultant with Bent Ericksen & Associates.
With her years of combined experience as a clinical hygienist, HR onboarding specialist, software trainer, practice management, and transition consultant, Jennifer understands and appreciates the multi-faceted, inter-connectedness and unique challenges of getting the clinical side and business side of dentistry to work seamlessly and effortlessly.
She also understands how important communication, goal-setting, and objective productive feedback are in support of effective performance management. Jennifer approaches these managerial and leadership skills proactively (versus reactively) and with a future, solutions-focused orientation (versus a past, punitive-orientation). The results are uniquely positive, constructive, and results-oriented.
Kim Brozovich boasts nearly 25 years of healthcare expertise, specializing in fostering growth within dental practices by implementing effective strategies to enhance productivity and profitability. In 2022, she launched MacLeran & Vaughan to assist dentists in transitioning or selling their practices. With a strong background in business operations and HR leadership, Kim excels in driving transformative management strategies to achieve ambitious business objectives. She leverages her financial acumen to nurture industry partnerships while offering guidance to dental leaders. As a nod to her Scottish heritage, she adopted the Scottish Thistle as the emblem for MacLeran & Vaughan, symbolizing bravery, courage, and loyalty in the face of challenges.
Fran Pangakis’s passion is in creating office relationships that ‘work’. She is a certified training and development professional with extensive skills in facilitation, communications, training, coaching, and professional development.
Fran works with doctors and teams to unlock talent by tapping into their Emotional Intelligence (EI) and behavioral traits. She has more than 30 years of experience in dentistry, from her clinical roots as a dental hygienist and, since 2002, as a practice management consultant and leadership coach where her clients praise her ability to provide ‘transformational’ solutions that meet the needs of both doctor and team.
She is a certified HR consultant with Bent Ericksen and Associates, a certified coach with the Institute for Social and Emotional Intelligence, and a trainer in 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace.
Experience matters: Cindy Ishimoto has coached and developed effective leaders for over 35 years. Cindy is a well-known, sought-after leadership coach and speaker with the ability to create passionate leaders, motivated teams, effective organizational communication, and a culture of growth and profitability.
Cindy’s presentations focus on helping organizations establish realistic systems that provide them with a better balance between serving customers, profitability, and having positive professional morale (a great culture). She’s recognized for having a genuine passion and innate ability to create leadership in individuals that are self-directed and self-maintained across today’s growing professional environments and climates.
She is skilled at igniting the same passion in her clients and audiences, fostering healthy, productive growth for all team members with genuine excitement and a newfound dedication to their organizations.
Cindy has been named a Leader in Consulting by Dentistry Today from 2006-2023.
Her speaking lessons are more than just lectures; they offer key insights that have proven to provide business success on all levels, leadership growth, and strengthened team unity.
Get the keys you need to transform your organization, all delivered with Cindy’s truly unique outlook and enthusiastic energy.
Kara Kelley is the founder and CEO of Clinical HR LLC, a Human Resources advisory firm for dental and medical practices, committed to helping practices develop strategic HR systems that engage teams, cultivate leadership skills, manage employee relations, and implement competitive total rewards systems.
Though Kara initially enrolled in a Marketing degree program, she discovered her passion and changed direction after taking an HR course, eventually earning a B.S. in Business with a concentration in Human Resource Management. Kara is a Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) and holds Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) designation from the HR Certification Institute (HRCI).
As a life-long learner and someone who is never content with the status quo, Kara stays current on federal and state employment regulations through extensive continuing education. Kara is the Co-VP of Career Development and a member of the Legal & Legislative committee for Austin SHRM, as well as serving on several other professional boards and committees. Kara is also the current Program Chair and incoming President-Elect for the National Speakers Association’s Austin chapter, and is a member of the Academy of Dental Management Consultants (ADMC).
Steve Adams, MBA is a wellness expert, writer, speaker, and founder of Tiger Medical Institute. With years of experience in health and wellness, Steve believes that good health is the foundation of a successful and fulfilling life. His philosophy is simple: the better, stronger, happier, more energetic, and healthier you are, the greater value you will be to yourself and everyone else.
At Tiger Medical Institute, Steve helps practices rethink their approach to employee benefits. He possesses an expanded view that goes beyond traditional health benefits and incorporates strategies for optimizing sleep, brain function, energy, and vitality. By focusing on these areas, Steve helps employees feel their best, perform at their highest level, and bring more value to their work and personal lives.
With over 30 years in the dental industry, Geri has hands-on, useful experience in everything from practice management, patient treatment to administration and leadership. In addition to having owned two large periodontal practices with her husband Dr. Robert Gottlieb. Geri launched her own business in 2019, GG Practice Coaching & Development. Geri understands even more what it takes to successfully grow and develop a business from the ground up. This experience and her continuous education gives her a better understanding and empathy of the multiple silos in our industry; clinical, leader, manager, owner and team.
Always looking to accumulate more knowledge and understanding, Geri spends about 200 hours a year in continuing education. Geri has certifications in Adult Learning, Behavioral Therapy, The Five Behaviors of a Team, and DiSC Behavioral Assessments. These tools allow her to generate unique insights into the personal needs of each member of your team. Before launching her own business, Geri spent 4 years as a lead coach with ACT Dental Practice Management and Motivational Speaker, Kirk Berhendt.
Geri’s passion for organizational health, team and leadership development are the foundation of her coaching philosophy and are some of the necessary ingredients for sustainable growth and development of any business.
Robyn Reis began her dental career over 20 years ago, as the marketing and communications director for a privately-owned, multi-location group dental practice in Delaware. Drawing on her previous medical industry experience and owning her own business, she was able to translate her management skills into helping other dental practices grow and thrive while achieving record results at her group practice.
Since then, Robyn hasn’t looked back ~ she’s held positions as marketing director, HR manager, practice administrator, director of continuing education, and key roles in laboratory sales and management, as well as being a private practice coach. She has authored numerous articles on practice management and lectures across the country on HR and employment compliance for dentists and phone success skills. In addition to invited appearances on podcasts, Robyn is also a certified HR consultant with Bent Ericksen & Associates, a guest faculty member at The Pankey Institute for Mastering Business Essentials course, and is VP of Coaching with All-Star Dental Academy.
Charles Cohen is the managing director and third-generation owner of Benco Dental Company, the nation’s largest independently owned dental distributor, and Clarion Financial, a sister company offering financing to dentists. Founded in 1930 by Benjamin Cohen, Benco serves over 25,000 dental offices and dental laboratories across the United States. The company is based in Northeastern Pennsylvania with locations in 40 states.
A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Charles joined Benco as a territory representative in 1989. After taking on management roles in the company’s sales and marketing department, he assumed a senior leadership role in 1997.
Charles and his wife Rebecca live in Allentown with their son Benjamin and daughter Leah.
Michelle Allen is a Human Resources Specialist and one of the Employment Compliance “brainiacs” with Bent Ericksen & Associates.
An HR professional for 25+ years, Michelle’s specialties, along with employment compliance, include human resources management and recruiting/hiring. In addition to her consulting capacities, she also speaks, presents and provides client training.
Michelle holds a Senior Professional in Human Resources certification from the Human Resources Certification Institute and is a Senior Certified Professional with the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM).
Dr. Richard Huot founded Beachside Dental Consultants, Inc. in 2004.
Dr Huot lectures on leadership issues, dental practice career transitioning, common sense office design, proper insurance coding, financial planning, and buying/selling dental practices. His articles have been featured in Dental Products Report, Dental Economics, Dentistry Today, Dental Practice Report, ADA News, AGD Impact, and other state dental journals.
Dr. Huot retired from the USAF Reserve Dental Corps, after 30 years of military duty, and his last assignment was as the Commander of the 920th Aeromedical Staging Squadron at Patrick AFB, Florida. Dr. Huot was a private practice owner from 1985 to 2008, and still practices clinical dentistry today on a per diem basis.
Dr. Huot served on the ADA ADPAC board from 2008-2012 and was Treasurer in his last year. He then was on the ADA Council of Government Affairs and is also a member of the ADA Standards Committee for Dental Informatics (SCDI) and serves as chair of the Council on Insurance and Retirement Plans (CMIRP).
A past president of the Maine Dental Association in 1994, and the 2006 President of the Atlantic Coast District Dental Association in Florida, Dr. Huot is a Fellow in the American College of Dentists, the International College of Dentists, the Academy of General Dentistry, and the Pierre Fauchard Academy. He served on the Florida Dental Association Board of Trustees and as ADA Vice President for two years. Dr. Huot was recently appointed to the AGD Council on Legislative and Government Affairs.
He graduated from the College of Financial Planning in 1996, and is currently enrolled in the Chartered Financial Consultant program at the American College of Financial Services.
Tonya Lanthier, RDH, is founder and CEO of DentalPost, the industry’s premier and largest online and mobile job board, connecting and educating nearly one million jobseekers with 80,000 dental practices nationwide.
Recognized among Inc. Magazine’s Inc. Female Founders 100 list in 2020, and a four-time winner of the prestigious Inc. 5000 awards, Tonya has gained international acclaim for her work improving lives and helping dental professionals build teams that excel.
As a dental hygienist and entrepreneur, Tonya is a member of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association, supporter of AACD’s Give Back a Smile program and volunteer at several charitable organizations including Georgia Mission of Mercy and Ben Mansell Clinic. She is a board member of the Oral Cancer Cause and Dental Entrepreneur Women.
Shawn Peers, the Dental CEO Maker, empowers dental professionals to achieve exponential growth by transforming their mindset from that of a “small practice owner” to that of a true business CEO! This transformative approach not only enhances the success of dental practices but also allows practitioners to dedicate more time to dentistry, leading to a less stressful and more fulfilling life.
With a unique background as a recovering lawyer, Shawn leverages his Masters degree in law, an MBA, and extensive experience to guide his clients in adopting a CEO perspective towards the business of dentistry. Through his expertise, he helps private practice dental CEOs save costs, enhance operational efficiency, and cultivate a happier team that is deeply committed to delivering the exceptional patient experience they envision.
Furthermore, Shawn holds the distinguished role of President and CEO at DentalPeers, a reputable Group Purchasing Organization that has been serving the Canadian dental community for an extensive period of time.
Drawing upon her extensive 25-year background in human resources, Tammie Maddy is a seasoned professional who excels in providing comprehensive guidance and support to her clients, enabling them to achieve their operational goals while effectively managing risks. As the Client Relations Manager and HR Consultant at Zimmerman, Boltz and Company, Tammie brings a wealth of expertise to the table.
Tammie’s broad skill set encompasses various areas, including management, recruitment, retention, compensation, labor relations, policy interpretation, training, and communication. This rich background serves as an invaluable resource for both her clients and colleagues, allowing her to offer sound advice and strategic solutions.
As a strategic business associate, Tammie places a strong emphasis on fostering positive client and employee relations, both within the organization and specifically within the dental sector she serves. Her dedication to nurturing these relationships demonstrates her unwavering commitment to the success and well-being of her clients.
Moreover, Tammie’s passion for education and sharing her knowledge extends beyond her role at Zimmerman, Boltz and Company. She is recognized as a highly regarded guest lecturer at The Ohio State University, where she takes great pride in imparting her expertise to the next generation of dentists. With a specific focus on highlighting the value of the “Human” Resource and ensuring employment compliance, Tammie plays a vital role in shaping the future of the dental profession.
Andrés Romero stands as a seasoned financial coach, planner, and charismatic speaker, boasting over two decades of unwavering expertise. As the visionary founder and dynamic CEO of E2E Financial, LLC, he steers a mission to empower lives through financial mastery.
With an unwavering commitment to excellence, Andrés and his accomplished team extend comprehensive financial advisory, administrative, and vigilant monitoring services tailored exclusively for dental practices nationwide. His dedication shines as he curates pragmatic solutions, tailored to harmonize with distinctive financial aspirations and retirement dreams.
Fueling his ardor is an unshakeable dedication to championing dentists and their formidable teams. A focal point of their expertise is sculpting meticulous 401k plans and an array of investment and retirement strategies. All of this takes place within the panoramic canvas of both professional and personal financial landscapes, an approach that spans every juncture of life’s journey.
Certified as a Financial Planner (CFP®) and hailed as a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), Andrés radiates prowess in every step he takes. His influence extends into the Academy of Dental Management Consultants (ADMC), where he wears the badge of membership, having even graced its board of directors in the past.
In the tapestry of finance and guidance, Andrés Romero stands as a luminary, casting a guiding light for a prosperous and secure future.
It was over 43 years ago that Kay Huff began helping teams as a Dental Practice Coach. Since then, Kay has been a driving force in helping hundreds of practices exceed their goals, as well as an inspiring presenter who brings audiences warmth, laughter and most importantly, tips, tricks and practical advice they can immediately put to work and get tangible results.
From her dental assistant roots, Kay worked her way to front office, treatment coordinator and office manager roles. Kay’s natural leadership skills and proven talent for building and motivating teams, continually improving business systems, and enhancing practice profitability led her transition to full-time practice coaching.
Kay puts her decades of hard-earned experience to work for dentists, whether she’s delivering engaging talks on the lecture circuit or working directly with dynamic dental teams, Today, as Benco Dental’s Practice Solutions Ambassador, Kay is passionate about her work and carries a strong background in dental business systems, team motivation, leadership, and practice profitability.
Kay is a member of the Speaking Consulting Network and the Academy of Dental Management Consultants and has also been recognized as one of the top leaders in CE with Dentistry Today for 2021.
