Steering Committe Members
Lydia Hollis-Barad, RDH, MPH, PAHM
Emblem Health/GHI Dental Preferred and Preferred Plus
New York, NY
LBarad@EmblemHealth.com
Lucy Bianco, RDH
Lourdes Hospital/Lourdes Center for Oral Health
Binghamton, NY
Lbianco@Lourdes.com
Secretary/Communications Chair, NYSOHC
Carletta Carter, CDA, RDA
Clinical Service Manager/ Community Liaison
Dental Assistant Supervisor
University of Rochester Eastman Dental Center
Community Dentistry & Oral Disease Prevention
Rochester, NY
carletta_carter@urmc.rochester.edu
Tom Curran, DDS
Member of Maternal & Child Health Block Grant Advisory Board
In Albany, part of the Div. of Family Health at the NYSDOH
tcurran@stny.rr.com
Paula Fischer, RDH
Training & Education Coordinator, New York State Oral Health Technical Assistance Center
Rochester, NY
pfischer@rpcn.org
Vermell Ford, RDH, BA
DHASNY, Inc.
Bronx, NY
vermuford@aol.com
James Kennedy
Director of Program Development
Finger Lakes Community and Migrant Health
Geneva, NY
Jimk@flchealth.org
Steven J. Kerpen, DMD, MPH
Finger Lakes Community and Migrant Health
Great Neck, NY
skerpendmdmph@aol.com
Research & Surveillance/Maternal & Prenatal Chair, NYSOHC
Jay Kumar, DDS, MPH
Acting Director, Bureau of Dental Health
New York State Department of Health
Albany, NY
jvk01@health.state.ny.us
Laura Leon, Executive Director
New York State Dental Foundation
Assistant Executive Director, New York State Dental Association
Albany, NY
lbleon@nysdental.org
Workforce-Chair, NYSOHC
Richard Merchant
Northern Area Health Education Center
Canton, NY
rkm@nahecnet.org
Carlos Munoz, Professor and Chair
School of Dental Medicine
Buffalo, NY
cmunoz@buffalo.edu
Judith Overton, RDH, BS
North Country Children’s Clinic
Watertown, NY
(Serving Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence and Franklin Counties)
joverton@childrens-clinic.org
Access to Care Chair, NYSOHC
Steven Russell, MEEM, MSHA, CPHIT
Healthcare IT and Operational Excellence Executive
stevenrussell@frontiernet.net
Vice Chair/ Public Policy Chair, NYSOHC
Ronald Salyk, DDS Vice President, Dentistry
Morris Heights Health Center
Bronx, NY
RSalyk@mhhc.org
Buddhi Shrestha, DDS, MS, PhD
Director, New York State Oral Health Technical Assistance Center
Vice-President for Oral Health Services
Rochester Primary Care Network (RPCN)
Rochester, NY
Buddhi@rpcn.org
Rhona Sherwin, DDS
Clinical Associate Professor
Dept of Orthodontics and pediatric Dentistry
Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine
Stony Brook, NY
rhona.sherwin@stonybrook.edu or RhonaDDS@aol.com
Sharon Struminger, RDH, MPS, MA
Professor/Continuing Education Coordinator
Department of Dental Hygiene Farmingdale State College
Stony Brook, NY
sharon.struminger@farmingdale.edu
Treasurer/ Finance Chair, NYSOHC
Nicholas Tucci, DMD
General dentist, private practice
Nassau County Dental Society
n.tucci@verizon.net
Chair, NYSOHC
Bridget Walsh,
Senior Policy Associate
Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy
Albany, NY
bwalsh@scaany.org
Vice Chair Elect, NYSOHC
Mary Ellen Yankosky, Executive Director
New York State Public Health Association
Albany, NY
MEYankosky@comcast.net