President

Kirsten Young –

I have been practicing since 1991 in General and Periodontal practice. I have worked at a DSO and currently, I am in a General practice, located in Oak Hill. Since I have been an active member of  ADHA and volunteered for several board and committee positions, I would be a good representative for the hygienist  in our component. 

Other activities: I have volunteered as Secretary of my HOA and currently serve on the ACC Advisory Committee. 

Hobbies: Working out at F45 and improving my health.

Immediate Past President & Treasurer

Kym Whitehead graduated from Austin Community College’s Dental Hygiene program in 2014. She became interested in the organizational side of the profession while still in school, and was Jr. President, and the Senior President of her graduating class. She receive the only Colgate STAAR award for total student achievement presented in Austin that same year. Kym has a longstanding commitment to community service, and helps organize GADHA’s involvement with the AISD Back To School Bash every year.

Kym loves dental hygiene, because the profession offers her a flexible schedule to pursue other non-profit and volunteer activities, which she believes weaves her tightly into the fabric of our community. Kym believes that membership in ADHA allows her voice to be heard on a national level, assuring that procedures and standards are upheld, for the sake of patients’ health. As a member of TDHA, she has attended annual conference and acted as a delegate for the hygienists of Austin on multiple occasions, ensuring that the concerns of hygienists are met, so that the hygienists are able to focus of meeting the needs of the patients.

Kym believes that membership in GADHA is the best way to meet a wide variety of hygienists of all ages and walks of life, in order to learn from their experience and perspective, and to discover new ways to give back where she lives. She practices dental hygiene four days a week in a central Austin office, and enjoys baking bread and making jelly in her spare time.

Trustee

Mara Crow –

Mara grew up here in Austin, Texas. In 2003, she graduated from the University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston, with a certificate in Dental Hygiene. Then in May of 2007 received a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene Degree. She has worked in periodontal office for most of her career. Looking to help support the local hygiene association and find more volunteer opportunities in the community, she has recently become more involved. Mara is married and has two energetic children. As a family they love to hike, ride bikes, play games, and travel
together.

Secretary

Reena Patel holds a Bachelor’s in Science from The University of South Carolina in addition to an Associate of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene. She served as the South Carolina SDHA Treasurer and received the Colgate S.T.A.R award demonstrating excellence and commitment to the dental hygiene profession. She has been a proud member of ADHA since 2018 and participates in involvement at both the local and state levels. She is passionate about patient advocacy and community outreach and hopes to help advance the dental hygiene profession in the state of Texas. In her free time, Reena enjoys riding her bike, playing soccer, reading, and spending time with her friends and family.

Membership Chair

My name is Karen Tuel. I am from Maryland. I earned an Associate in Arts degree from Montgomery College in 1966. In 1968 I attended Howard University’s Dental Hygiene Program (within the College of Dentistry) in Washington, DC. I was on the Dean’s Honor Roll my second semester. I was elected to membership in Sigma Phi Alpha, the Dental Hygiene Honor Society, in February of 1970. I graduated with a Certificate in Dental Hygiene in June of 1970.

I moved to Austin in September of 1973 and obtained my Texas license in 1974. I became a member of my professional association in 1991. I practiced in general and pediatric private offices. I was employed for 10 years with the City of Austin Dental Program for medical assistance patients. In that time Doug and I married & had a son, born in 1983. I was able to take 2 years off to tend to my family. My next employment was with a private general practice which lasted 27 years until I retired in August of 2015.

I have made many friends over the years as a member of ADHA, TDHA, and GADHA. Being a member
has given me many volunteer opportunities to give back to the Austin community. I participated in
several “Seal Out Decay the Austin Way” programs, Health Fairs, oral health presentations at elementary
schools, an oral health presentation at Seton Hospital to members of the local Parkinson’s Association,
and AISD’s Back to School Bash. I served as a Delegate for many years at the TDHA Annual Sessions.
I also donated blood regularly over the years. I am proud of my 20 gallon blood donation plaque.

At the component level I have served as President for 2 consecutive years, Secretary, and Treasurer a
couple of times.

In 2004 Esther Wilkins came to Austin for a continuing education seminar and I volunteered to pick her
up at the airport. I had my Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist textbook in the car and she
immediately recognized it by its color and said, “Oh, I see you have the Second Edition!”, knowing the
color of each of the twelve editions. She was an energetic 88 year old that year. She autographed my
textbook, thanking me for my kind hospitality. Her penmanship was meticulous!

I have participated for several years in TDHA’s “Legislative Awareness Day” at the Capitol. I testified at
the most recent Sunset hearing for TSBDE.

Doug & I will be celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary this coming January. Currently we are
preparing our home of 27 years for the market. We will be moving to Round Mountain before the end of
the year. We will be close to 3 state parks- Pedernales, Blanco, and Inks. We love camping in our trailer,
getting out in nature, watching the birds and hiking.

Bylaws and Policy & Procedure Manual Co-chairs
Nancy Cline & Sandy Tesch

Sandy Tesch pictured above.

I am a retired dental hygiene educator who moved to Texas 20 years ago. I graduated from the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center School of Dentistry and received a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the University of California.  I was the Dental Hygiene Program Director at the Louisiana State University School of Dentistry for 10 years before I retired.

I am an active member of GADHA because the importance of belonging to my professional association was something that my faculty instilled in me when I was a student. There was no question. .You joined and you contributed. As an educator, I also required it of my faculty and students. Membership in ADHA not only makes the dental hygiene profession stronger, on a personal level, it gives you a “home” and a network of friends where ever you move. I have had “homes” in California, Puerto Rico, Georgia, Louisiana and now Texas. The dental hygiene friendships I have developed will last a lifetime.

Dental hygiene and libraries are dear to my heart.. In addition to my volunteer work for TDHA, I work one day a week at the Blanco Library and I am on its Board of Trustees. My husband and I live on a little ranch in the Hill Country outside Blanco where we enjoy our 6 longhorns, 3 miniature donkeys and one Great Pyreness dog, Boone.