In 2012 the AAPD through the Council on Government Affairs developed a state Public Policy Advocate initiative in order to strengthen and coordinate advocacy efforts by our state chapters. The Public Policy Advocate (PPA) position is designed to serve as the state pediatric dentistry association’s advocate for the oral health issues of infants, children, adolescents and patients with special health care and developmental needs. The PPA will help represent the state pediatric dentistry association in promoting children’s oral health issues with the state legislature and other elected bodies, state regulatory agencies (including Medicaid and health departments), licensing bureaus, professional health and child welfare organizations, oral health coalitions, foundations, institutions of dental education, publicly-funded safety net programs, and the private sector benefits industry. The PPA will also closely coordinate their activities with those of the state dental association. PPAs will serve as an advocacy liaison between the state pediatric dentistry association and the state dental association.
The PPA program is modeled on the successful efforts by Dr. Paul Reggiardo (past AAPD president and chair of the Council on Dental Benefit Programs) in serving as PPA for the California Society of Pediatric Dentistry over the past decade.
AAPD members interested in public policy issues in their state as well as policymakers and advocates for children’s oral health at the state level should feel free to contact the PPA in your state. Click here for the current list of state PPAs. For further information about the program please contact AAPD Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel C. Scott Litch at oed@aapd.org.
State Public Policy Advocates (as of October 2018)
Alabama
Dr. Stephen C. Mitchell
stevem@uab.edu
(205) 934-1136
Alaska
Dr. Jessica Blanco
jessicablancodmd@gmail.com
(907) 523-5437
Arkansas
Dr. Jeffrey D. Rhodes
jrhodes@smile-shoppe.com
(479) 631-6377
Arizona
Dr. Jessica L. Robertson
roberjes@icloud.com
(928) 779-0385
California
Dr. Natalie C. Mansour (pro tem)
natalie.usc.trojan@gmail.com
(818) 500-7330
Colorado
Dr. Jeffrey A. Kahl
kahlja@msn.com
(719) 522-0123
Connecticut
Dr. Douglas B. Keck
dougkeck@earthlink.net
(203) 245-1454
District of Columbia
Dr. Anupama R. Tate
atate@childrensnational.org
(202) 476-3559
Florida
Dr. Irwine Sainvil
faithfuldds@gmail.com
(305) 794-5686
Georgia
Dr. James I. Lopez
lope3017@bellsouth.net
(706) 324-1834
Hawaii
Dr. Lynn K. Fujimoto
fujimoto.lynn00@gmail.com
(808) 741-4486
Idaho
Dr. John R. Ukich
jrukich@yahoo.com
(208) 667-3556
Illinois
Dr. Charles S. Czerepak
pinedent@aol.com
(773) 880-5455
Indiana
Dr. John D. Hennette/ Dr. Terri Winn
cinhen@cinergymetro.net
info@kidsdentistofindiana.com
(765) 653-5437
(765) 362-5437
Iowa
Dr. Matthew K. Geneser
matt-geneser@uiowa.edu
(319) 335-7483
Louisiana
Dr. Suzanne E. Fournier
fouse06@gmail.com
(504) 410-3051
Maine
Dr. Stephen C. Mills
LMILLS5977@aol.com
(207) 883-4203
Maryland
Dr. Shari C. Kohn
thedentist4kids@comcast.net
(410) 771-8200
Massachusetts
Dr. Hubert J. Park
hubertpark@gmail.com
(617) 895-6700
Michigan
Dr. John H. Deppen
jhdeppen@gmail.com
(269) 323-8016
Minnesota
Dr. Elise Sarvas
esarvas@umn.edu
(919) 423-5969
Mississippi
Dr. Neva Eklund
Neklund1965@gmail.com
(601) 842-4341
Missouri
Dr. Aaron Bumann
aaron.bumann@gmail.com
(810) 733-5310
Montana
Dr. Kevin L. Rencher
mkrencher@msn.com
(406) 449-0189
Nevada
Dr. Lindsay Row
lindsayrow3@gmail.com
(702) 277-1039
Nebraska
Dr. Holly A. Randone
holly.randone@mypdsmail.com
(402) 462-6557
New Hampshire
Dr. Roger A. Achong
drachong@concordpediatricdentistry.com
(603) 224-3339
New Jersey
Dr. Maxim Sulla
maxsulla@yahoo.com
(732) 249-1010
New Mexico
Dr. Kris Hendricks
drhendricksdds@gmail.com
(505) 473-5437
New York
Dr. Rajesh Adhia
rajesh.adhia@nyumc.org
(718) 630-8783
North Carolina
Dr. Beau Meyer
beau_meyer@unc.edu
(919) 445-0505
North Dakota
Dr. D. Michael Goebel
drmikepc@hotmail.com
(701) 355-1142
Ohio
Dr. Homa Amini
Homa.Amini@nationwidechildrens.org
(614) 722-5651
Oklahoma
Dr. Ashley Orynich
ashleyorynich@gmail.com
(561) 445-8604
Oregon
Dr. Natasha Bramley
dr.natashabramley@gmail.com
(267) 237-3677
Pennsylvania
Dr. Ross M. Wezmar
pedormw@aol.com
(570) 346-7760
Rhode Island
Dr. Daniel J. Kane
dkane@chartercare.org
(401) 456-4441
South Carolina
Dr. Hannah Willis Rustin
hannahrwrustin@gmail.com
(803) 942-2709
South Dakota
Dr. Brent J. Bradley
bjbilly1@yahoo.com
(605) 341-3068
Tennessee
Dr. Joseph A. Faiz
josephfaiz@gmail.com
(615) 494-5437
Texas
Dr. William D. Steinhauer
wdsdds@texas.net
(210) 432-1510
Utah
Dr. L. Clark Romney
lcromney@hotmail.com
(801) 532-1402
Vermont
Dr. Brian D. Collins
bcinbigd@att.net
(802) 388-3553
Virginia
Dr. Patrice B. Wunsch
pbwunsch@vcu.edu
(804) 827-2698
Washington
Dr. John L. Gibbons
jkagib@comcast.net
(253) 627-6023
West Virginia
Dr. Vinod Miriyala
dr_vinod@hotmail.com
(740) 534-9231
Wisconsin
Dr. Colleen Collins Greene
cgreene@chw.org
(810) 394-6539