WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., July 23, 2021 — Dawn Ann Dean, MSDH, RDH, an alumna of West Liberty University‘s Sarah Whitaker Glass School of Dental Hygiene, was named the president-elect of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) on Sunday, June 27, during the 2021 ADHA Virtual House of Delegates.
“It’s my greatest honor to have been elected as the 2020-2021 ADHA President-Elect and to share the excitement of the coming years with our ADHA family and industry friends,” Dean said.
With 30 plus years in the dental industry and more than 20 years as a proud ADHA professional member, Dean has enjoyed the privilege of serving on the local, state and national level, in addition to five years as an ADHA Board of Trustees member in the elected positions of ADHA District III Trustee (DC/DE/MD/VA/WV) and Vice President.
Her ADHA leadership journey began as a Student American Dental Hygienists’ Association (SADHA) president, while she was a dental hygiene student at West Liberty University (1981-1984). Dean graduated with her Associate of Science Degree in Dental Hygiene in 1984 and received the WLU Golden and SADHA Awards during the Honors Convocation.
Dean is a 1986 graduate of the West Virginia University, Eberly College of Arts & Sciences, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology, and the first of two applicants and graduates from the West Virginia School of Dentistry with a Master’s of Science Degree in Dental Hygiene Research & Administration in 1992. Dean is a Sigma Phi Alpha National Dental Hygiene Honor Society, WVU SOD Alpha Xi Chapter, member, an Alpha Xi Delta Sorority, WLU Epsilon Theta Chapter, legacy member, WV Oral Health Coalition (WVOHC)member, Toastmasters International member, and received the WVU School of Dentistry Distinguished Alumni Award in 2017.
With a passion for lifelong learning, leadership, and philanthropy, Dean’s favorite quote by Robert Ingersoll, “We rise by lifting others,” epitomizes her life’s mission to develop tomorrow’s leaders today and innovate the future through public service.
Professionally, Dean has enjoyed a diverse, dental hygiene career, as a clinical dental hygienist in private practice in West Virginia, WLU DH Clinical Instructor (2004-2008), RDH Expert Witness, Twice PRO Team Ambassador, West Virginia Dental Hygienists’ Association (WVDHA) and Tri-State Dental Hygienists’ Association (TSDHA) Past President, in addition to currently serving on the ADHA Institute for Oral Health Board of Directors.
The Sarah Whitaker Glass School of Dental Hygiene is housed in WLU’s College of Sciences and was established in 1938 and graduated its first class in 1940. Accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation, it offers both the Associate of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees.
WLU’s dental hygiene clinic serves the public during the school year and is located Campbell Hall of Health Sciences. For more information, please visit www.westliberty.edu or call 1.866.WESTLIB.