ADA's Newly Elected Officers & Award Winners

Brent H. Kessler, DDS

ADA President-Elect

Dr. Brett Kessler, a Denver, Colorado dentist and 14th District trustee was voted president-elect by the ADA House of Delegates Oct. 10.

Dr. Kessler is the former president of the Colorado Dental Association and the founding chair of the Colorado Dental

Association Foundation. He received his dental degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry.

“The changemaker movement is on, and I’m so so grateful, and I’m looking so forward to these next two years,” Dr. Kessler told the House of Delegates.

Bill Milner, DDS

2023 ADA Humanitarian Award Winner

Dr. William Milner, D.D.S, has received ADA’s 2023 Humanitarian Award for founding his nonprofit, Access Dental Care, to provide elder dental care and treat patients with special needs.

The award is bestowed by the Board of Trustees annually at SmileCon to dentists who have distinguished themselves by outstanding, unselfish leadership through the expenditure of extraordinary time and professional skills — all to improve the oral health of underserved populations. The award includes $10,000 given to the dental charity or project of the recipient’s choice.

“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I was proud to call and congratulate Dr. Milner on being the recipient of one of the ADA’s highest honors,” said ADA President George R. Shepley, D.D.S. “He has spent his 40-plus years in organized dentistry working toward oral health equity, providing care to those most in need. Patients with disabilities, those in nursing homes, and even patients with infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS are receiving care that might not always be available otherwise. Dr. Milner and his staff's dedication is epitomized by the fact they are being proactive about meeting the needs of seniors and those with special health needs, while at the same time inspiring early-career dentists and dental students in North Carolina to follow his lead.”

Edwin A. del ValleSepulveda, DMD, JD

ADA Second Vice President

Edwin A. del Valle-Sepulveda, D.M.D., J.D., an oral and maxillofacial surgeon from San Juan, Puerto Rico, was named second vice president of the ADA Oct. 10.

Dr. del Valle-Sepulveda is the former president of the Colegio de Cirujanos Dentistas de Puerto Rico and received his dental degree from the University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine.

“I am so excited,” Dr. del Valle-Sepulveda told the House of Delegates. “I hope to lead to your expectations. I thank you for trusting in me.”

Allen Reavis, DDS

12th District Trustee

Dr. Allen Reavis of Kansas will now represent District 12 on the ADA Board of Trustees. District 12 includes Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma.

Reavis is a 1984 graduate of UMKC School of Dentistry and has been active in the Kansas Dental Association for his entire career, serving as president in 2020. Reavis serves on the Council on Dental Legislation, Council on Finance and Budget, and serves on the Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation Board.

Dr. Reavis also serves on several ADA councils and has been honored as a Fellow in the American College of Dentists, Fellow in the International College of Dentists, Fellow in the Pierre Fauchard Academy, and Mastership in AGD. Reavis retired from Atchison Dental Associates after 37 years of ownership and now works part time at the Atchison Community Health Clinic FQHC as the Dental Director and provides care to the underserved.

To read more ADA news and updates from SmileCon 2023 in Orlando, visit adanews.ada.org