2025 Honours

Sue Raynak

Congratulations to Sue Raynak, who was recently honoured by the Government of Ontario with the June Callwood Outstanding Achievement Award for voluntarism. The award recognizes longstanding volunteer service and going above and beyond to make a positive impact on the lives of others. Sue was also inducted, by Hospice Palliative Care Ontario, into the June Callwood Award Circle of Outstanding Volunteers for her selfless service, generosity of spirit, and compassion in supporting Thunder Bay Hospice Northwest Services.

Camille Cousyn

Camille Cousyn, a graduate of Saskatchewan Polytechnic (Regina campus), received the school’s Outstanding Citizenship Award for her efforts in co-founding the Saskatchewan Dental Hygiene Student Society. Under her leadership, the group successfully completed impactful initiatives such as food drives and fundraisers which have raised over $1,000 to support the Regina Food Bank, Saskatchewan Oral Health Coalition, and Sask Polytech Health and Wellness Day.

Lucy Pavao

Congratulations to Lucy Pavao on earning a Postgraduate Certificate in Leadership and Coaching from O’Hehir University. Lucy is also pursuing a master’s degree in oral health promotion.

Kathy Yerex

Kathy Yerex received the Bridget Major Honorary Award from the Manitoba Dental Hygienists Association. This award is presented to a Manitoba dental hygienist who is known as a passionate and caring co-worker; a lifelong learner who demonstrates a commitment to serving others. Kathy has demonstrated the spirit of care for her patients, coworkers, and community. Those who know her have been impacted in a positive, lasting way.

Leigha Rock

Congratulations to Dr. Leigha Rock, Associate Professor and Director, School of Dental Hygiene, Faculty of Dentistry, Dalhousie University, who has been recognized by the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences as one of Canada’s highly esteemed Emerging Leaders in Health Sciences. This recognition celebrates excellence in health sciences, and recognizes the talent, dedication, and passion that define the future of the field.

Mary Bertone

CDHA Past President Mary Bertone, director of the University of Manitoba School of Dental Hygiene and past director of the Centre for Community Oral Health (CCOH), was recently honoured with the 2025 Alumni of Distinction Award from the University of Manitoba School of Dental Hygiene Alumni Association. Mary was recognized for her distinguished career in dental hygiene and as one who has “selflessly and significantly contributed to the dental hygiene profession through her extensive leadership, community involvement, collaboration, health promotion and volunteer experiences.”

Laura MacDonald

Congratulations to Dr. Laura MacDonald, whose research project, “Team-based collaborative learning from the head to the toes to better health for all,” has been granted funding through the University of Manitoba’s Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Support Fund. This fund provides opportunities for professors, instructors, and librarians to engage in research that increases knowledge in teaching pedagogy and learning. Laura’s project pilots an interprofessional team-based collaborative experiential learning program aimed at facilitating the integration of oral health within comprehensive health care.

Lisette Dufour

Congratulations to longstanding CDHA member Lisette Dufour who has received the King Charles III Coronation Medal, a Canadian commemorative medal awarded to individuals in recognition of their significant contributions to Canada, their province, territory, region or community.

Lisette was selected for this honour because of her invaluable contributions to the oral health of Canadians throughout her career, first in dental public health, working in the office of the Chief Dental Officer of Canada, and more recently in her current position in the Oral Health Branch at Health Canada. Lisette has been a key advisor on the collection of oral health data through the Canadian Oral Health Survey (COHS) and assisted with the operationalization of the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP). Her extensive pan-Canadian oral health network and her knowledge of private and publicly funded oral health programs across Canada were instrumental in informing the discussions that shaped policy, communication, and operational strategies for the CDCP, ensuring that all aspects of the plan would reflect the current regulatory delivery of oral care services by all professionals across Canada.

Congratulations, Lisette, on receiving this prestigious and well-deserved award. We are grateful for your service to Canadians and to the dental hygiene profession.

Mystica Alexandra Lopez De Leon

CDHA is proud to share this human-interest story about CDHA member Mystica Alexandra Lopez De Leon, who owns an independent dental hygiene practice, Pearl Boutique.

Mystica was present as a vendor at the Lapu-Lapu Day street festival in Vancouver, BC, in April, but had fortunately left early, before the horrific vehicle attack took place. As a member of the Filipino community, she wanted to help in some way after the tragedy, so her office issued a call for others to join her in donating blood.

CityNews Vancouver covered the story with a feature during its newscast: vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/05/07/vancouver-lapu-lapuday- attack-blood-drive

Mystica notes, “I may never know all of the donors who joined us outside of our booking time, but nevertheless I am grateful for all the donors’ embodiment of ‘kapwa’— a shared sense of community, especially in this time of mourning.”

This is just another shining example of how dental hygienists are vital members of their communities, giving back in so many ways.

Ashleigh Peck

Congratulations to Ashleigh Peck, owner of Purely Mobile Hygiene, who recently received a City of Kingston Accessibility Award, acknowledging those making significant contributions to improving access for everyone in the city. Ashleigh provides dental hygiene services directly to people in their homes and retirement communities, aiming to make oral health care more accessible.

Kiara Stefansson

Third-year University of Manitoba student Kiara Stefansson received two of the School of Dental Hygiene’s most prestigious awards: the Dr AW Hogg Scholarship and the Isbister Undergraduate Scholarship in Dental Hygiene awarded to the dental hygiene student with the highest academic standing.

Iris Lin

Congratulations to Iris Lin, whose PhD in oral biology and oral and maxillofacial pathology was conferred by the University of British Columbia (UBC) on Friday, November 29, 2024. Dr Lin had previously earned a BDSc (ETP) and a MSc from UBC.

David Okunola

Dalhousie University student David Okunola was the recipient of the Highest Academic Standing in Dental Hygiene Award and a co-recipient of the KeatingBekkers Award in Dental Hygiene award. The KeatingBekkers Award is given to a student in the School of Dental Hygiene who shows exceptional promise, outstanding attributes, and interest in the profession of dental hygiene.

Meaghan Bennett

Congratulations to Meaghan Bennett who, within her role as lead, community health at Oulton College, received the 2024 Award of Merit from the New Brunswick Dental Society, recognizing the contributions of the Tooth Fairy Program in Moncton. Meaghan also recently earned her Master of Health Studies, with a teaching focus, from Athabasca University.

Laura Perri Voros

Laura Perri Voros graduated from the Doctor of Education program at Western University (London, Ontario) on October 24, 2024. Laura hopes to apply the knowledge and experiences learned from this journey to advance the profession.

Tayyaba Fiaz

Congratulations to Tayyaba Fiaz for being presented with a Diversity and Inclusion Appreciation Award from the Canada Pakistan Affiliated Chamber of Trade (CPACT), in recognition of her ongoing efforts and commitment to community health, and continuous dedication to improving oral health accessibility. Since 2021, Tayyaba Fiaz has been organizing, managing, and participating in small- and large-scale community outreach dental hygiene clinics in Montreal and its surrounding suburbs. These clinics bring together volunteer dental hygienists to provide essential oral care services to vulnerable populations, ensuring access to quality oral health care for those in need. Through Tayyaba’s leadership and dedication, she has fostered strong connections within the dental hygiene community and expanded the impact of these initiatives.

Bev Woods

CDHA board director for Ontario and founder of Gift From the Heart Bev Woods was recently elected president of the Quinte West Chamber of Commerce.

Tarik Abdulkarim

Congratulations to Tarik Abdulkarim, winner of Dalhousie University’s 2025 Faculty of Dentistry Impact Award. The award recognizes his impact as co-president of his class and his service on several committees and boards. He was also the corecipient of the Keating-Bekkers Award in Dental Hygiene, which is given to a dental hygiene student “who shows exceptional promise, outstanding attributes, and interest in the profession of dental hygiene.”

Natasha Pelley

Natasha Pelley’s SnuggleTooth Smile Mobile Clinic in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, was the winner of the $10,000 Small Business Grant 2025 from Zensurance in recognition of her remarkable dedication and ambition to provide dental hygiene care to underserved communities in her region.

Lindsay Van Dam

Congratulations to Lindsay Van Dam who has been selected as one of Dalhousie University’s 2025 OpenThink Scholars. These are a select group of PhD researchers conducting work that informs public discourse, influences policy, and drives innovation. Scholars are trained in communications and knowledge translation to engage audience in their work beyond academia. Lindsay will be hosting a blog, sharing evidence-based information and insights on the importance of oral health, the role of oral health professionals, and ways in which interprofessional education for collaborative practice can support goals for integrated oral/health care teams and systems.

Noreen Ocampo

Noreen Ocampo, founder of The Filipino-Canadian Dental Hygienists’ Society, was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal. The medal recognizes individuals of all ages and walks of life who have made a difference in their communities in the areas of service, sustainability, and diversity.

Paulette Dahlseide

Congratulations to Paulette Dahlseide, DipDH, MSc, RDH (she/her), CDHA member and board director from Alberta, on her appointment as the Network for Canadian Oral Health Research (NCOHR) Indigenous Peoples’ Health Working Group chair, effective March 1, 2025.

Paulette is a proud Métis woman and citizen of the Métis Nation in Alberta. Living and working on Treaty 6 territory of the Cree, the Nakoda Sioux, the Dene, and the Saulteaux, her family names are Garneau, Lacombe, Lavallee, and Thomas with extensive history and connection to the Métis homelands of the Red River and into Northeastern Alberta.

With a Diploma in Dental Hygiene (1994), Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene (2014), and Master of Science in Medical Sciences (2024) from the University of Alberta, Paulette has been a dental hygienist for 30 years. Her independent dental hygiene practice, a storefront and mobile clinic, has been committed to bringing accessible, preventive oral health care to patients in their homes, community health centres, schools, and long-term care facilities since 2010. As a researcher, her work focuses on community-led, relational, and reciprocal approaches to knowledge co-creation and translation. She currently works as an assistant clinical professor in the Mike Petryk School of Dentistry and a program lead for the Wâpanachakos Indigenous Health Program in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta.

NCOHR Working Groups support the strategic goals and priorities of the network. The mandate of the Indigenous People’s Health Working Group is to build a foundation for conducting respectful oral health research with Indigenous communities in Canada.