FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For additional information, contact:
Michelle Lee
Executive Director
(800) 298-6727
[email protected]

July 10, 2019 (ATLANTA) — The Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) has announced the members of the 2019-2020 OSAP Board of Directors and the 2019-2020 OSAP Foundation Board of Directors.

“As OSAP continues to grow, we are fortunate to have Marguerite Walsh as our new Board Chair for the 2019-2020 year. Her marketing expertise and passion for the dental industry is just what we need as we continue to grow and expand,” shared OSAP’s Executive Director, Michelle Lee, CPC. “When I was hired a year ago, I was impressed with the depth of our Board and how active and engaged they are in fulfilling our association’s vision to make every dental visit a safe visit. I have the utmost confidence that our newest Board members will also be strong contributors as we continue to position our association as the leading resource for dental infection prevention and control and patient and provider safety education.”

Marguerite Walsh, Vice President of Product Merchandising at Henry Schein Dental, will serve as Chairperson. Marguerite Walsh joined Henry Schein, Inc. in 1991 and is currently Vice President, Product Merchandising for Henry Schein Dental. A member of the Henry Schein Dental’s Merchandise Marketing Group, Marguerite is responsible for positioning the Company as a market leader with respect to its product offering and category market share. With nearly 30 years of experience, she manages a Product Management Team responsible for developing Henry Schein’s expertise in merchandise product categories and developing marketing plans that will result in increased market share and profitability. Marguerite has participated with OSAP since its inception and has served on the OSAP board since 2014. She is also a member of the Dental Trade Alliance and serves on the Market Data Committee.

David Kierce, Global Platform Leader for Dentsply-Sirona’s Infection Prevention Product Line, will serve as Treasurer for the OSAP Association Board of Directors and the OSAP Foundation Board of Directors. Kierce has been on the Dentsply-Sirona team for over 25 years. He started with DENTSPLY Ceramco in June 1993 as a Territory Sales Representative. From there, his career has grown to include leadership roles in special markets, merchandising, and marketing.

LCDR Matthew R. Ellis, MPH, CIC, REHS joins our Association Board of Directors. LCDR Ellis is the Institutional Environmental Health Officer and Public Health Emergency Management Coordinator for the Indian Health Service (IHS), Portland Area. He serves as Co-Lead of the IHS Portland Area Healthcare Accreditation Readiness Team, with a specific focus on infection control, safety, risk management, and the environment of patient care.

Aaron Pfarrer also joins our Association Board of Directors. Mr. Pfarrer is the Director of Merchandise at Patterson Dental Supply with 25 years of experience building the company's professional and consumer oral health care business. He has made contributions in global business, marketing, and brand management, portfolio management, product and technology development and launch, professional and industry relations, clinical and scientific affairs all resulting in market-leading products.

Douglas Risk, DDS was elected as Vice-Chair and Chair-Elect for the Association. Dr. Risk served in the US Air Force and attended the Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency at Lackland Air Force Base. Dr. Risk has experience in clinical practice, command and headquarters assignments, and deployments, his career culminated as the Director of the Dental Evaluation and Consultation Service. Since retiring in 2017, he has provided consultation services to private practices, manufacturers, and the Department of Defense, and is currently in clinical practice as a Regional Clinical Director. After serving as a board director and then as Treasurer, Dr. Risk will be in a solid position to lead the association beginning July 2020.

Evelyn Cuny, MS was elected Secretary for the OSAP Association and Foundation. Prior to this role, Cuny served as a Director and past Chairperson. Ms. Cuny is the Assistant Dean for Global Relations and Director of Environmental Health and Safety at Pacific Dugoni School of Dentistry. Ms. Cuny is a consultant to the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs and is a member of the National Occupational Research Agenda Council in the Health Care and Social Assistance sector. She has served as an expert reviewer and advisor to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Other Association Directors include Kathy Eklund, RDH, MHP, Immediate Past Chairperson, David Reznik DDS, Theresa Mayfield, DMD, Jessica Wilson, MPH, and Karen Gregory, RN. OSAP is a 501(c)(6) membership association. The purpose of the Association is to be the voice for leadership and compliance with science-based dental infection prevention and safety practices through quality education and information dissemination.

Other Foundation Board Members include: include: Margaret (Peggy) Cottrell (Chairperson), David Kierce (Treasurer), Eve Cuny, MS (Secretary), Jennifer Naylor, MBA, and Donald (Don) Cohen, DMD. The OSAP Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt educational foundation. The purpose of the Foundation is to augment and expand upon the Association’s ability to provide information and education by raising funds from the healthcare industry, private sector businesses, foundations, and the government. The Foundation is dedicated to education, research, service, and policy development to promote safety and the control of infectious diseases in dental healthcare settings worldwide.

About OSAP

The Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) is the only dental membership association solely focused on infection prevention and patient safety education. Our members include individual clinicians, group practices, educators, researchers, consultants, trainers, compliance directors, policymakers, and industry representatives who advocate for safe and infection-free delivery of oral healthcare. OSAP focuses on strategies to improve compliance with safe practices and on building a strong network of recognized infection control experts. OSAP offers an extensive online collection of resources, publications, FAQs, checklists, and toolkits that help dental professionals deliver the Safest Dental Visit for their patients. Plus, online and live courses help advance the level of knowledge and skill for every member of the dental team. For additional information, visit osap.org.

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