Jaimie Meihaus
NMDHA President 2022-2023
"Together We Are Unstoppable"
President's Message
Greetings New Mexico Hygienists!
I am extremely humbled to serve as President of NMDHA! I remember going to Scientific Session as a
student and listening to the welcome speech from past President, Valoree Althoff. I knew then that
someday I wanted to make an impact on dental hygiene in that same way. After graduation, I moved out
of state and attempted to reach out to the association there to get involved but was unsuccessful, so I
gave up and let my ADHA membership lapse. Eventually I returned to New Mexico, where I practiced for
6 years before deciding to get involved in NMDHA. What sparked my desire to become involved was
transitioning out of clinical practice and into education. I had spent almost 10 years following everything
happening in dental hygiene both in New Mexico and throughout the country and now I was able to
influence new graduates to go out and get involved. So, I reached out, attended a few Board of Trustees'
meetings and here we are!
I’d like to start by sharing a little bit about myself. I graduated from New Mexico State University with a
bachelor's degree in Biology in 2011. I attended Doña Ana Community College and received an Associate
of Applied Science degree in Dental Hygiene in 2014. Finally, I returned to graduate school and received
a Master of Science in Dental Hygiene in 2017. I teach full time at Pima Medical Institute as the second
year Clinic Coordinator and I have two children ages 2 and 4. Life is busy!
My goal for this year is to increase NMDHA membership, specifically with students who are graduating
this year. I hope to influence these new graduates to get involved right out of school and to stay
involved. I was a SADHA member while in school, but never really understood how important it was to
be a professional member. I want to demonstrate for new members that it is possible to be a parent, to
be a full-time hygienist and to still volunteer with the association and help advance our profession.
In New Mexico. We are fortunate to have the ability to administer local anesthesia under general
supervision and to have prescriptive authority, just to name a few. I hope that new graduates will bring
their enthusiasm for advancing our scope of practice even further and that our seasoned members will
help to mentor and guide these new professionals. Together we are unstoppable!
I hope you will join us this year as we continue to push the profession of dental hygiene forward, while
focusing on becoming the best versions of ourselves as hygienists, volunteers, and community
members.
Jaimie Meihaus, RDH, MSDH
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 | Jaimie Meihaus |
|---|---|
| Immediate Past-president | Kayla Gallegos |
| Vice-president | Christie Baca |
| Secretary | Vivian Barker |
| Treasurer | Lexy Moore |
| President Elect |
Vacant |
| Delegate Chair | Kandice Lewis |
|---|---|
| Delegate | Cindy Vigil |
| Alternate Delegate | Jaimie Meihaus |
| High Desert | Cathy Sovereign |
|---|---|
| Southern | Rebecca Sanchez |
| Tres Rios | Valoree Althoff |
| ADHA District IX Trustee | LeeAnn Winkler |
| Administration | Jaimie Meihaus |
|---|---|
| Education and Research | Kayla Gallegos |
| General Membership Meetings | Christine Nathe |
| Member Services | Justine Ponce |
| Public Relations | Cindy Vigil |
| Regulation and Practice | Barbara Posler |
| Committee Member | Robin Gatlin |
|---|
Regulation & Practice Committee
| Committee Member | Kandice Lewis |
|---|---|
| Committee Member | Brittany Tripp |
Nominating Committee
| Committee Member | vacant |
|---|---|
| Committee Member | Robin Gatlin |
| Committee Member | vacant |
| Newsletter/E-news | Kelly Valdez-Ayres |
|---|---|
| Social Media Manager | Cindy Vigil |
| Website Manager | Cindy Vigil |
| Committee Member | Vivian Barker |
| Committee Member | Barbara Poser |
|---|---|
| Committee Member | vacant |
| HYPAC Chair | Christie Baca-Garcia |
|---|---|
| HYPAC Treasurer | Valoree Althoff |
| HYPAC Director | Erik Smith |
| HYPAC Director | Kelly Valdez-Ayres |
| HYPAC Director | Trang Lucero |
| NMDHA ADHA IOH Liaison | Kelly Valdez-Ayres |
| Parliamentarian | Barbara Posler |
| Volunteer Coordinator | Kitty Rivera |
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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.