I am currently working as a public health consultant for the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors. (NACDD). I joined NACDD in January 2016 after serving in various leadership capacities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP). I am a dental hygienist with a Master's in Public Health and a Certificate in Health Services Administration. I practiced dental hygiene for 11 years and also worked in academia (Loyola University School of Dental Hygiene) and local public health (DuPage County Health Department). I spent 6-1/2 years working at the American Dental Association (ADA) serving as the Coordinator for Fluoridation and Preventive Health Activities before joining CDC in 1993. While my background is in oral health, I also have experience in tobacco prevention and control and diabetes prevention and management. I live in Loudon, TN (Smoky Mountain Foothills) with my husband "Park" and our Nova Scotia Ducktolling Retreiver "Reddog". Park and I have one daughter - Jaimee who lives in Chattanooga, TN. I enjoy golfing, boating, cooking and gardening and I make the best pickled beets ever. I am thrilled to be serving as a subject matter expert on oral health for NACDD and hope to advance state health department work to coordinate oral health and chronic disease program efforts with the goal of connecting the mouth back to the body.