Through my career as a Dental Hygienist, I have found several people that have inspired me to be humble, compassionate, authentic, and ethical. Among those very important individuals who have inspired me, aside from my family, most, were my patients with special needs. I have learned more about kindness, honesty, and joy from these patients than from any textbook, class or continuing education course I have ever taken or attended.
My patients motivated me day after day to get up every morning and to love my job no matter how challenging it was. Therefore, the theme for this year is about empowering, transforming and strengthening ties.
Dental hygiene is a rewarding profession where hygienists are able to be caring, compassionate, and to love what they do. I would like to encourage all dental hygienists to be motivated and to wake up day after day loving their profession. Dental hygienists inspire patients, transform lives and more often than not, strengthen the relationships between patient and provider.
As the NMDHA president, I will work on strengthening our profession so that dental hygienists in New Mexico can keep empowering, inspiring and transforming the lives of the patients they care for. I invite dental hygienists, members and non-members to actively participate in our association because together we are not just a number, we are stronger. Together, we have transformed the practice of dental hygiene in our state and we continue to do so. Let’s keep working on our strengths to achieve greater things for the practice of dental hygiene in our state and the nation.
The future of dental hygiene is dependent on our strengths and unity as an association, on our ability to empower and inspire others to remain active and on our capacity to transform issues into opportunities for growth and success. Dental hygienists, when in harmony, are a powerful force that creates change and promotes unity above all. It is important that we continue to inspire others as we are inspired by many. We ought to embrace diversity as an important element of our association and the members we represent. We must educate the public and other healthcare providers on the functions of a dental hygienist and the crucial role we play in the interdisciplinary environment. We must pursue opportunities for dental hygienists in our state so that our profession remains strong and marketable. We must inspire change in order to protect our members from unstable and unethical work environments.
In closing, I applaud you for being a member of our association and encourage you to empower others to join by visiting adha.org or contact our association and check the Member Benefits. I encourage prospective members to join, because united we are stronger and when we are stronger, we promote and inspire change and we strengthen our ties as a professional community.
Elmer Gonzalez, RDH, MS, MA, MBA
NMDHA President 2017–2018
The following is a list of the current Board of Trustees for the NMDHA. NMDHA represents the interests of over 1,300 dental hygienists in New Mexico. This board is elected in the fall of each year and serves a one-year term in most offices. The position of Secretary, Treasurer, and Delegate is a two-year commitment.
The Councils are appointed or re-appointed by the current President. If you are interested in serving your profession, please contact the current President. We are always happy to see new faces and get input on keeping our profession at the forefront of oral healthcare in New Mexico.
Questions or comments for any Board member can be directed to the President, who will forward your email to the intended Board member.
| President | Elmer Gonzalez |
|---|---|
| Immediate Past-president | Cindy Vigil |
| Vice-president | Maya Mascarenaz |
| Secretary | Jenna Mayerhofer |
| Treasurer | Christina Calleros |
| President Elect | Vacant |
| Delegate Chair | Elmer Gonzalez |
|---|---|
| Delegate | Rebecca Sanchez |
| Alternate Delegate | Vacant |
| High Desert | Mary Kaye Vigil Cathy Sovereign |
|---|---|
| Eastern | Inactive |
| Southern | Renee Flores |
| Northern | Inactive |
| Tres Rios | Rachel Bartley |
| ADHA District IX Trustee | Cynthia Baty |
| Administration | Cathy Sovereign |
|---|---|
| Education and Research | Kayla Gallegos |
| General Membership Meetings | Mary Kaye Vigil |
| Member Services | Christie Baca |
| Public Relations | Vivian Doan |
| Regulation and Practice | Barbara Posler |
| Newsletter/E-news | Kelly Valdez-Ayres Jacob Kaulapai |
|---|---|
| Social Media Manager | Vivian Doan |
| Website Manager | Vivian Doan |
| Committee Member | Vacant |
| Committee Member | Kayla Gallegos |
|---|---|
| Committee Member | Maya Mascarenaz |
| HYPAC Chair | Erik Smith |
|---|---|
| HYPAC Treasurer | Pam Morris |
| NMDHA ADHA IOH Liaison | Kelly Valdez-Ayres |
| Parliamentarian | Barbara Posler |
| Volunteer Coordinator | Kitty Rivera |
To represent dental hygienists in continuing to improve the oral health of our community by being innovative in increasing access to quality oral healthcare.
To elevate the dental hygiene profession by promoting education, expanding the opportunities for practice, and enhancing access to quality oral healthcare.