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DSO People serves as your trusted source for staying current on key personnel movements. Whether you’re a vendor or part of a DSO team, staying informed about leadership changes within DSOs is essential for success. Keeping track of shifts at the executive and C-suite levels provides valuable insights needed to navigate the evolving landscape and improve performance.
Here is June’s DSO People list:
Guardian Dentistry Partners, which supports dental practices across 11 states and Washington, D.C., promoted two executives:
- Lauren Eveland has been promoted to Vice President of Operations. She previously served as the organization’s Senior Director of Operations. Before joining Guardian, Lauren held the role of Director of Operations at Simply Beautiful Smiles. She began her career in the dental industry as a registered dental hygienist (RDH).
- Tejesh Patel, DDS has been promoted to Chief Clinical Operations Officer. Prior to this role, Dr. Patel served as a partner dentist and Vice President of Clinical Affairs. He founded Matthews Family Dentistry in Matthews, NC, 22 years ago and is also a managing partner at Enliven Capital.
Fidler and Associates, a premier executive search and consulting firm specializing in the multi-site healthcare industry, proudly announced the addition of Joy Lungo as Director of Dental Business Development. This strategic hire reinforces the firm’s commitment to connecting exceptional talent with leading organizations in the dental sector.
With over two decades of experience in the dental industry, Joy Lungo brings a wealth of knowledge and a robust network of relationships to Fidler and Associates. Her distinguished career includes leadership roles at prominent dental companies such as Dentsply Sirona and Hu-Friedy, where she served as Director of Channel Sales and Senior Director of Corporate Accounts, respectively. Joy’s expertise in building meaningful relationships and driving business growth positions her as a valuable asset to the firm’s clients and partners.
Rondi Michaux has been named President and Chief Growth Officer at Espire Dental. She has served on the company’s Board of Directors for the past year. Prior to joining Espire, Rondi held leadership roles at 42 North Dental, Dental Care Alliance, and North East Dental Management. She began her career in the dental industry as a dental office manager.
Longtime DSO veteran Ray Scott, DDS, has been appointed Vice President of Clinical Operations at North American Dental Group (NADG). He joins NADG from Heartland Dental and brings decades of leadership experience in the dental space. Dr. Scott previously served with American Dental Partners and spent 34 years as President of Carus Dental.
Brandy Denton earned a promotion to Chief Operating Officer of Southern Family Dental Partners. She has been with the growing dental group for over three years as their Human Resources Director. She has also worked in management at Willamette Dental Group.
SALT Dental Partners welcomed David Pallaschke as their new Chief Financial Officer. David most recently served as CFO and President of BrightStar, where he led Finance, HR, and Company Owned Operations through a period of rapid growth—culminating in the company’s successful sale to Peak Rock Capital in 2025. Prior to that, he was SVP of Finance & Analytics at ATI Physical Therapy, where he helped double the company’s footprint from 400 to 800 clinics. During his time at ATI, David worked closely with SALT Dental Partners’ CEO, Dylan Bates. Headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., Salt Dental Partners (SALT) is a dental partnership organization focused on specialty pediatric dentistry and orthodontics with over 150 locations across 20 states throughout the country.
Johnny Cho has joined Dental Care Alliance (DCA) as Director of M&A and Partnerships, after previously serving at Sonrava Health. He also held a prior role as an M&A Analyst at Western Dental & Orthodontics. Based in Sarasota, FL, DCA benefits from Cho’s extensive experience in private equity-backed healthcare transactions. He has led transformative deals at Sonrava Health—parent company of Western Dental & Orthodontics, Brident, and DentalWorks—as well as in the broader financial services industry.
U.S. Oral Surgery Management (USOSM) developed and implemented a succession plan earlier this year to ensure a smooth transition from long-time CEO, Richard Hall. Richard has transitioned from his role as President and CEO of USOSM to Chairman of the USOSM Board of Directors. The new CEO is Doug Drew, a seasoned healthcare executive with more than 30 years of leadership experience. Prior to joining USOSM, Drew served as the Global President of Mars Veterinary Health, the largest veterinary platform in the world with more than 3,000 veterinary hospitals and 12,000 veterinarians in 20+ countries. While there, he led the organization through a period of significant expansion and strengthened its reputation as a leader in veterinary healthcare.
Roma Virani joined Dental Care Alliance as their VP, Payor Operations & Strategy. Prior to DCA, Roma worked at Great Expressions Dental Centers and ProHEALTH Dental. With a presence in 24 states, the organization supports over 400 uniquely branded practices and more than 900 dentists. Its affiliated practices span all dental specialties and operate under a diverse collection of 150+ brand names.
Chelsea Thomas became Director of Integration & Expansion at Reveal Dental Partners. Prior to joining the implant group which launched in January 2025, Chelsea was with Vista Verde Dental Partners. The group is headquartered in Miami, FL.
Passion Dental Group promoted Mavis Hunter to VP of Business Development. Prior to that she was their Regional Director. Mavis has also worked for dentalcorp. Passion was founded in 2019 and is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Sonrava Health announced two strategic additions to its executive leadership team:
- Mariah Machnikowski, Chief Human Resources Officer. Mariah brings more than 25 years of experience leading human resources teams across the retail, hospitality, and health and wellness industries. She is recognized for building award-winning workplace cultures and driving transformative talent strategies in large, multi-state organizations. Most recently, she served as Chief People Officer at Lazy Dog Restaurants, where she led HR efforts for over 6,000 employees, focusing on talent acquisition, employee development, retention, and benefits.
- Greg Michelini, Chief Information Officer.With more than 25 years of experience in healthcare, retail, and pharmacy, Greg is a seasoned technology leader known for modernizing enterprise systems and driving digital transformation. He most recently served as CIO at Athletico Physical Therapy, where he led technology strategy and operations across 26 states. His leadership supported digital engagement, infrastructure advancement, and operational transformation across both front-end and back-end systems.
Lee Crawford exits Lightwave Dental for Star Dental Partners. He joined the Plano, Texas-based dental group as their new VP of Marketing. The DSO is exclusively focused on the Southeast United States.
Bright Direction Dental promoted Tricia Nardi to Director of Training and Culture. Prior to this promotion, Tricia was their Director of Operations and prior to that, the Director of Recruiting/HR. She has also worked at Grand Dental Group.
MaxAssist® announced the appointment of Lorie Streeter as Vice President of US Expansion. In this role, Lorie will spearhead the company’s national growth strategy by leveraging her extensive industry relationships alongside an influencer-driven approach that prioritizes the needs of Office Managers. Her strategy uniquely integrates real-time field insights with practical solutions aimed at alleviating overwhelm, accelerating practice growth, and revitalizing purpose—from the operatory to the management team and beyond.
Lorie brings valuable experience as the former Vice President of the American Association of Dental Office Managers (AADOM). MaxAssist is the only on-screen personal assistant designed to support every aspect of dental practices.
DSO People is sponsored by Fidler and Associates, the premier nationwide advisory and executive search firm specializing exclusively in the multi-site healthcare industry and a proud partner of Group Dentistry Now. From regional managers to C-suite executives, we provide tailored solutions to address our clients’ most critical challenges. With a strategic, client-centric approach, we customize our advisory and recruitment services to meet the unique needs of each organization, ensuring the placement of exceptional leadership resulting in success. Whether you are looking to hire an executive or looking for a new career, please contact Fidler and Associates to discuss your next steps at www.fidlerandassociates.com.
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