2012 Thelma J Neff Distinguished Award Recipients

The Alliance of the ADA will recognize seven members with the 2012 Thelma J. Neff Distinguished Service Award during the AADA Convention. The recipients, who have been members for more than ten years, were chosen for their significant contributions in the areas of leadership, dental health education, legislative advocacy, and the well being of the dental family.

Please join me in Congratulating these women for their tireless efforts!

Jane Binns has been an Alliance member for many years,  serving as Component President, State President and currently District 9 Trustee on the AADA Board.  She has volunteered for several years presenting dental health education programs to students in Utah.

Janelle Kauffman has the most contagious “can do spirit” and incredible attitude.  She never says no when asked to help and is a willing, enthusiastic participant of all Alliance activities.  She has arranged two well being conferences which helped build leadership, confidence, friendships and involvement with the GA Alliance.  In addition she played a huge role in the Georgia Mission of Mercy project.  Currently Janelle is the President Elect for the Georgia Alliance.

  

From the time Johanna Manasse joined the Illinois Alliance and the Chicago Alliance she enthusiastically accepted positions on both boards.  Her first job as Historian allowed her to demonstrate her artistic skills and was just the beginning of serving the Alliance.  She has been president of both the state & Chicago Alliance.  On the national level Johanna chaired the Membership Committee and devoted many hours to creating ways to entice spouses to join the organization.  She is responsible for the new logo for the Alliance of the ADA and the “Head to Toe” project which is one of the most successful projects that AADA has completed.

Joyce Hashimoto has been a member of the Alliance for 21 years.  She is married to Dr. Scott Hashimoto who she met while he was attending UCSF Dental School. They have 3 sons.  At the component level, Alliance of the Southern Alameda county Dental Society, she has served in many elected positions and chaired meetings and events.  Joyce is one of the favorite “Tooth Fairy” members when she participates in California Hometown Parades and the East Bay Stand Sown for the Homeless Veterans.  Nationally she has served on the AADA DHE Committee.  In addition to all her activities, Joyce is the office manager for her father-in-law’s dental practice.

Melissa Voler has been an Alliance member for 17 years and for the past 7 years has been serving as the treasurer of the Pennsylvania Alliance. She spends hours on accounting work and often goes above and beyond her duties.  She also handles the Holiday Sharing Card project which raises funds once a year and leads the discussion to determine how to allocate the funds after they are given to the Lancaster County Dental Society.  Her family, which includes 3 active girls, usually assist when it is time to stuff dental kits for children’s Dental Health Month.  Melissa is a great volunteer and a great supporter of dentistry.

 

Every Alliance needs a Stephanie Test.  She is intelligent, warm, welcoming, cordial, thoughtful, punctual, and most of all, thorough.  As ADPA Convention chair, she is the “face of the Alliance”.  In addition to attending PDA meetings and interfacing with PDA staff to set the schedule for ADPA functions, Stephanie meets all deadlines for publication and printing.  She completed all tasks easily for the PA Head to Toe project in Hershey, PA.  She is married to Dr. Tim Test and serves as his office & business manager.  Her family & friends all benefit from her innumerable talents.

When you think about the words dedicated, reliable, knowledgeable, confident, helpful, & always smiling, Tonya Shupe immediately come to mind.  Tonya joined the Alliance in 1988 when husband Jim, a Pediatric dentist, moved back to Ft. Wayne to practice.  She volunteered to be the Alliance treasurer about the time that the non-for-profit status needed changing with the state of Indiana.  Following many hours with the IRS and the accountant, she solved all the problems and moved ahead and created a fund raiser called a “Putting Hustle”.  It was not only a money maker but gave great exposure to the Alliance.   All of this experience has lead to Tonya serving on a state level as audit chairman.  Tonya is a great leader and a great representative of the Alliance.