CHICAGO, December 5, 2014 – Oral Health America (OHA) has added five new members to its Board of Directors: David Benovy, Director of Sales—North America for Septodont International; Al Canal, Chief Relations Officer for Bankers Healthcare Group, Inc.; Michelle Filiault, Vice President of Field Operations for Henry Schein, Inc.; Leslie Grant, DDS, Past President of the National Dental Association; Karen Neiner, Vice President of Corporate Development and Professional Relations for Hu-Friedy Manufacturing Co. LLC and Carolyn Van Eck, President of Van Eck Consulting. The new members will officially join the board of directors on January 1, 2015.
The board also elected new officers, with Frank Catalanotto, DMD, Department Chair of the Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Florida, elected for a two-year term as Chair. George Tysowsky, DDS, MPH, Vice President of Technology at Ivoclar Vivadent was elected as Vice Chair and Margaret (Peggy) Cottrell, CEO of ProEdge Dental will serve as Immediate Past Chair, both for two-year terms. Ann Gugino, Vice President and CFO for Patterson Companies will serve a one-year term as Treasurer.
David A. Benovy, Director of Sales—North America, Septodont International
Mr. Benovy has been with Septodont since 2010, where he currently serves as Director of Sales for North America. He came to Septodont from Dental Services Group, where he served as Regional Vice President of Sales and Operations for the Eastern Division, and before that worked for DENTSPLY International as Director of Sales—Prosthetics. He is a current board member for the Dental Industry Association of Canada and previously served on OHA’s gala committee.
Al E. Canal, Chief Relations Officer, Bankers Healthcare Group, Inc.
Mr. Canal joined Bankers Healthcare Group, Inc., in 2009, where he launched the company’s first charitable organization, “Healthy Start—A BHG Foundation” to aid practitioners with better resources to serve underserved communities. Mr. Canal previously worked for Eventure, LLC as Director of Strategic Partner Development and as Regional Director of Business Development for Barden & Robeson Corp.
Michelle Filiault, Vice President, Field Operations, Henry Schein, Inc.
Ms. Filiault has been with Henry Schein, Inc. since 2002 where she currently serves as Vice President of Field Operations to maximize efficiencies for a national field organization of more than 70 locations. Prior to her role at Henry Schein, she worked for Avis Rent a Car System, Inc. for 8 years as Director of Fleet Operations and Administration.
Leslie Grant, DDS, Past President, National Dental Association
Dr. Grant has been active with the National Dental Association since 1986, previously serving as president and chair. She also currently serves on the Give Kids a Smile National Advisory Committee and on the board of directors of the U.S. National Oral Health Alliance, Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) and the DentaQuest Foundation. Dr. Grant also worked as a general dentist for more than 20 years in the Baltimore area.
Karen Leigh Neiner, Vice President, Corporate Development and Professional Relations, Hu-Friedy Manufacturing Co. LLC
Ms. Neiner has been with Hu-Friedy for 25 years, currently serving as Vice President of Corporate Development and Professional Relations where she has increased sales through new product and category introductions and developed the Friends of Hu-Friedy social media program to provide dental hygienists with continuing education and professional development support. She also worked as a registered and licensed dental hygienist prior to coming to Hu-Friedy.
Carolyn M. Van Eck, President, Van Eck Consulting
Ms. Van Eck, through Van Eck Consulting, is currently focusing on merger and acquisition projects in the dental industry. She recently retired from GC America Inc. after working for more than 30 years as CFO and Vice President - Finance and Legal Affairs. She also served as Interim Executive Director of the Chicago Dental Society Foundation in 2013, improving the financial stability of the organization and introducing a fundraising campaign that matched funds from members, industry and the CDS. Ms. Van Eck was Past Chair of the Dental Trade Alliance and also its Foundation and served on the CDS Board of Trustees.
