Dear FSOMS Members,
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2025 FSOMS Annual Meeting, held October 24–26 at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando. The weekend was a tremendous success, bringing together oral and maxillofacial surgeons from across Florida for outstanding education, meaningful connections, and important Society business.
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Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of two OMSs, along with seven others to the Board of Dentistry. Dr. Brad Cherry, who was reappointed, and Dr. Chad Marshall joined new appointees Marc Anderson, Andrew Forrest, Jessica Stilley-Mallah, and Elizabeth Traverso and the reappointments Karyn Hill, Angela Johnson, and Nicholas White.
Marc Anderson, DMD
Anderson is the Dentist at Anderson Dental. He currently serves in the Florida Army National Guard and previously served in the United States Air Force. Anderson earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of California, Los Angeles, his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the University of Southern California, and is currently working towards his juris doctor from the University of New Hampshire.
Andrew Forrest, DMD
Forrest is the Founder and Clinical Director of Orange Park Dental Partners. He previously served as a faculty reviewer for the Periodontics Chapter in the McGraw-Hill Clinical Dentistry textbook and retains a teaching appointment as a Clinical Assistant Professor for the University of Florida’s Department of Periodontics. Forrest earned his master’s degree in oral immunology from the University of Florida and his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the University of Miami.
Dr. Chadwick Marshall
Dr. Mashall is the Owner and Surgeon at Chadwick J. Marshall Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. Active in his community, he is a board member and former President of the Florida Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and the Okaloosa-Walton Dental Society. Dr. Marshall earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Florida State University and his Doctor of Dental Medicine and Doctor of Medicine degrees from the University of Florida.
Jessica Stilley-Mallah, DMD
Stilley-Mallah is a Periodontist for the Periodontal Health Center in Tampa. Active in her community, she is a member of the American Dental Association Dental Content Committee and previously served as the President of the West Coast District Dental Association. Stilley-Mallah earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Florida, her master’s degree in oral biology from The Ohio State University, and her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the University of Florida.
Elizabeth Traverso
Traverso is an Assistant State Attorney for the Sixth Judicial Circuit. Active in her community, she was the recipient of the 2022 Prosecutor of the Year Award from the Suncoast Police Benevolent Association for her work on prosecuting gang cases. Traverso earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida and her juris doctor from the University of Florida.
Dr. Bradley Cherry
Dr. Cherry is the Owner and Surgeon at Bradley A. Cherry Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. Active in his community, he is a member of the Florida and American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the Academy of Osseointegration, and the International Congress of Oral Implants. Dr. Cherry earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia, his master’s degree from the College of William & Mary, his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, and his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Florida.
Karyn Hill
Hill is a self-employed Dental Hygienist Consultant and Chief Examiner for the American Board of Dental Examiners. She is currently appointed as the American Board of Dental Examiners Dental Hygiene Chair for the United States and serves on the American Board of Dental Examiners Appeals Committee and Discipline and Grievance Committee. Hill earned her associate degree in dental hygiene from Palm Beach State College and her bachelor’s degree in oral health promotion from O’Hehir University.
Angela Johnson
Johnson is a Registered Dental Hygienist for D. Mark Volteral’s Dental Office in DeLand. Active in her community, she serves as a member of the Victoria Gardens Women’s Club and the American Dental Hygiene Association. Johnson earned her associate degree in dental hygiene from Florida State College at Jacksonville.
Nicholas White, DMD
White is a Pediatric Dentist at Nicholas A. White, DMD, P.A. Active in his community, he is a member of the American Dental Association, the American and Florida Academies of Pediatric Dentistry, and the Southeastern Society of Pediatric Dentistry. White earned his bachelor’s degree in health sciences from the University of Nevada and his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the University of Florida.
These appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.
Register now for Day on the Hill — Funding Opportunities Available!
WHEN: March 17-18
WHERE: Washington, D.C.
WHY: To protect and advance the OMS specialty!
Please support AAOMS advocacy efforts and the specialty by joining OMS colleagues from across the country in Washington D.C. on March 17 and 18 as AAOMS celebrates the 25th Anniversary of Day on the Hill, the Association’s premier grassroots advocacy day.
Watch what OMSPAC Board member John J. Rydlewicz, DDS has to say about the benefits of participating in this federal advocacy event.
To ensure our state is well represented at this event, let’s turn out in numbers. Please register today and encourage a colleague to join you!
AAOMS will cover roundtrip airfare and one night’s hotel accommodations on a first-come, first-served basis for a limited number of AAOMS fellows and members who have not attended an in-person Day on the Hill within the past five years.
No advocacy or political experience is required. AAOMS Staff will ensure you are well-equipped to meet with members of Congress and their staff.
If you have any questions, please contact Paula Kantas at pkantas@aaoms.org or 847-233-4392. Visit AAOMS.org/DayontheHill for more information.
Join us as we bring together leading scientists and clinicians to share their knowledge and insights regarding bone grafting, bone regeneration, implant healing, and patient optimization.
Robert S. Clark, DMD, was introduced as the 2025-26 President of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) during its Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., in September.
With AAOMS’s other officers and Board of Trustees, Dr. Clark assumes leadership of the professional organization representing more than 9,000 oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Dr. Clark, of Lexington, Ky., served as President-Elect and Vice President, each for a year, as well as AAOMS Treasurer for four years and District III Trustee for four years. An ABOMS Diplomate, he served on the board’s Oral Examination Committee for seven years and is a past President of the Kentucky Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. He is a partner at the Kentucky Center for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Lexington and a founding partner and board member of OMS360, based in Cumming, Ga.
Dr. Clark received his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry – graduating with high distinction. He received the Alpha Omega Award and was inducted into the Omicron Kappa Upsilon Honor Society. He completed his oral and maxillofacial surgery residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center/Parkland Memorial Hospital.
“I am honored to present my theme for this year as your AAOMS President: Together We Thrive – Celebrating Family and Our AAOMS Community,” Dr. Clark said in his Inaugural Address to the AAOMS House of Delegates. “Together, we have the power to thrive and shape the future of our specialty. Let’s move forward as one united community, embracing the diversity within our ranks and celebrating the strength that comes from our shared commitment to excellence.”
Dr. Clark succeeds J. David Morrison, DMD, of Loveland, Ohio, who will serve as Immediate Past President. Other 2025-26 officers elected by the House of Delegates are President-Elect Charles A. Crago, DMD, MD, FACS; Vice President Debra M. Sacco, DMD, MD; Treasurer Jeffrey H. Wallen, DDS; and Speaker of the House Steven R. Nelson, DDS, MS.
In addition, Pushkar Mehra, DMD, BDS, FACS, and Daniel J. Gesek Jr., DMD, join the Board as Trustees in District I and District III, respectively. They replace Edward J. Miller, DMD, and Dr. Sacco, whose two-year terms expired. W. Frederick Stephens, DDS, District VI, was re-elected to his second two-year term.
Dr. Crago, of Deep River, Conn., served six years as District V Trustee and in the AAOMS House of Delegates for over 25 years. In addition, he was District V Caucus Chair and has served on a variety of AAOMS committees. He retired in 2024 after 40 years of private practice as the managing partner of a seven-doctor, five-office oral and maxillofacial surgery practice that served most of North Dakota. He also served as President of the state societies of New Mexico and North Dakota, was President of the Southwest Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and has been an ABOMS Diplomate since 1988.
Dr. Sacco, of Chapel Hill, N.C., served six years as Trustee for District III. Before her time as Trustee, she served as a Delegate for North Carolina, was a member and Chair of numerous AAOMS committees and was a member of the first ROAAOMS executive committee. In addition to her service with AAOMS, Dr. Sacco was an examiner for ABOMS, a member of the claims committee for OMSNIC and a mentor with the Osteo Science Foundation.
Dr. Nelson, of Denver, Colo., was elected to his 24th term as Speaker of the House and received AAOMS’s Presidential Achievement Award in 2022. He is a member of the Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children’s Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Center team and in private practice at Nelson & Wells Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Denver. He served on the board of the Colorado Dental Association and for many years was President for the Colorado Dental Lifeline Network where he remains an active volunteer.
Dr. Wallen, of Myrtle Beach, S.C., was first elected treasurer in 2023 and has served the profession in numerous capacities, including past President of the Southeastern Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and the South Carolina Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, Alternate Delegate and Secretary of the District III Caucus and a member of the Committee on Public and Professional Communications. In addition, he is past Chair of OMSPAC and has served on the Committee on Governmental Affairs. Dr. Wallen started a private practice in Myrtle Beach, and has practiced there for the past 30 years.
Dr. Mehra, of Boston, Mass., is Chief of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Boston Medical Center and Professor and Chair of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine. He has represented Massachusetts as an AAOMS Delegate since 2009 and serves as a Consultant to the Commission on Dental Accreditation. A past president of both the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and the Massachusetts Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, Dr. Mehra has authored three textbooks, published extensively in medical and dental literature and is a frequent invited speaker at international professional meetings.
Dr. Gesek, of Jacksonville, Fla., has served in the AAOMS House of Delegates for over 20 years, including as caucus chair for District 3. He spent eight years on the AAOMS Committee on Anesthesia, chairing it in 2011–12, and contributed to the Simulation Committee from 2012–15. He currently serves on the Committee on Constitution and Bylaws, the Committee on Governmental Affairs and the ADA Liaison Committee. In 2019, he was President of the Florida Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. His leadership roles also include Chair of the Florida Board of Dentistry (2012–13), service on the ADA Council on Dental Education and Licensure, and membership on the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Exam Committee. He is President-Elect of the Florida Dental Association and sits on the Board of Directors for the Florida Prescription Drug Monitoring Foundation.
Other Trustees are Martin E. Eichner, DDS, District II, of Monroeville, Pa.; Gregory M. Ness, DDS, FACS, District IV, of Worthington, Ohio; and Julia R. Plevnia, DDS, FACS, District V, of Parker, Colo. The Board also includes Secretary/Executive Director Karin Wittich, CAE.
Drs. Jason Portnof, Dan Gesek, Lance Grenevicki, Chad Marshall, Tom Bowers
and Douglas Johnson.
Dear State OMS Society Executive Directors and Presidents:
Please find attached a letter from the chair of the AAOMS Committee on Healthcare Policy, Coding and Reimbursement. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions! Thank you!
Sandy Guenther
Director, State Government Affairs
American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
9700 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Rosemont, IL 60018
Office: 800-822-6637, ext. 4388 | Fax: 847-678-4619
sguenther@aaoms.org | AAOMS.org | MyOMS.org