Women’s Health Symposium (WHS)
2026 Dr. Alison P. Riddle-Fletcher Awards Luncheon
Saturday, July 18, 2026 | 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
History of the Women’s Health Symposium
The inaugural National Dental Association (NDA) Women’s Seminar was held in the early 1980s under the direction of Dr. Marie Holliday of Dallas, Texas. Building on that foundation, the first NDA Women Dentists’ Luncheon, which included an educational seminar, was hosted during the 1989 NDA Convention in Washington, DC. In 1992, the event further evolved to include recognition of outstanding achievements with the introduction of the NDA Women Dentists’ Awards Luncheon, launched during the NDA Annual Convention in New York. Dr. Erica Bailey served as chairperson.
During the 1992 NDA Convention, Dr. Hazel Harper of Washington, DC. presented the concept for a Women’s Health Symposium (WHS) to be incorporated into the NDA Annual Convention. Following the review of the NDA Board of Trustees and House of Delegates, the concept was approved and in 1993 the inaugural Women’s Health Symposium was held in Boca Raton, FL under the leadership of Dr. Hazel Harper, the first national chairperson of the Women’s Health Symposium. The founding advisors were Dr. Marsha Butler, Dr. Christopher Fox, and Ms. Thelma Cook.
Over the years, the Women’s Health Symposium has grown to include the Women Dentists’ Awards Luncheon, an annual community service collaboration with NDA -HEALTH NOW®, multiple scientific seminars, and a fitness session. In 2014, the WHS Committee proudly renamed the Women Dentists’ Awards Luncheon to the Dr. Alison P. Riddle-Fletcher Awards Luncheon, dedicating the luncheon to the 90th NDA President, Dr. Alison Riddle-Fletcher, who served while facing her own battle with breast cancer. In 2018, the NDA received a grant award from the Dental Trade Alliance Foundation to create “Links to Oral Health for Expectant Moms,” a program created by women to help improve birth outcomes in African American women. At the 2019 NDA Convention in Washington, DC, with the support of many national partners and community organizations, the NDA Women’s Health Symposium Committee helped launch NDA-HEALTH NOW-Metro DC® and hosted the first NDA perinatal health event.
Since the first Women’s Health Symposium, Drs. Sheila Brown (Chicago, IL), Beverly Murdock (Somerset, NJ), Angela Jamison Johnson (Atlanta, GA), Cheryle Baptiste Hill (Washington, DC), and Brandi Rollins Hair (Columbia, SC) have also served as national chairpersons.
Women’s Health Symposium (WHS)
2026 Dr. Alison P. Riddle-Fletcher Awards Luncheon
Saturday, July 18, 2026 | 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Women Presidents of the National Dental Association
The National Dental Association (NDA) Women’s Health Symposium Committee acknowledges the commitment of past leaders, and we pay tribute to the cadre of women who hold positions of prominence in the National Dental Association at the local, state, and national levels. In 1997, we applauded the milestones and achievements made by Dr. Hazel Harper, the NDA’s first woman president, and we celebrate those who followed in the path she forged for women dentists in NDA leadership.
National Dental Association Women Dentist Presidents
• Dr. Hazel Harper (1997)
• Dr. Cynthia Hodge (1999)
• Dr. Joy Jordan (2004)
• Dr. Leslie Grant (2006)
• Dr. Sheila Brown (2011)
• Dr. Alison Riddle-Fletcher (2014, unexpired term)
• Dr. Carrie Brown (2014, 2015)
• Dr. Judy Greenlea Taylor (2016)
• Dr. Kim Perry (2017)
• Dr. Sheila Armstrong (2020)
• Dr. Pamela Alston (2021)
• Dr. Cheryl Lee (2022)
• Dr. Nicole Cheek (2024)
• Dr. Cheryle Baptiste Hill (2025)
Women’s Health Symposium (WHS)
Program
2026 Dr. Alison P. Riddle-Fletcher Awards Luncheon
Saturday, July 18, 2026 | 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
LUNCHEON PROGRAM
Welcome …………………..........………………….
Mistress of Ceremonies ........................
Society Greetings ………………………………
WHS History ………………………………….......
Introduction of Keynote Speaker …..
Keynote Address ……………………………....
Invocation ……………………………………........
WHS Awards Presentations …….....……
Dr. Brandi Rollins Hair Chair, 2026 NDA WHS Committee
Dr. Emma Guzmán President, NDA Greater New York Dental Society
Dr. Wallace Bellamy President, National Dental Association
Dr. LaTedra Collins Co-Chair, 2026 NDA WHS Committee
Dr. Brandi Rollins Hair Chair, 2026 NDA WHS Committee
Dr. Uché Blackstock Keynote Speaker
Dr. Dorita Newsome-Dobbins President-Elect, National Dental Association
LUNCHEON
Phenomenal Woman Leadership Award
Phenomenal Woman Corporate Award
Phenomenal Woman Visionary Award
Phenomenal Woman Community Impact Award
Phenomenal Woman of Courage Award
WHS Chair Emerita Recognition ……. Special Guests
Moment of Remembrance ……………….
Closing Remarks …………………………….....
Dr. Paula Coates Chair, 2026 NDA Faculty Forum
Dr. Brandi Rollins Hair Chair, 2026 NDA WHS Committee
Biographies
Uché Blackstock, MD Keynote
Speaker
Dr. Uché Blackstock, a Harvard-trained emergency physician, is founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity and a nationally recognized health equity strategist and speaker. She is a New York Times bestselling author whose work, Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine, examines structural inequities, racism in medicine, medical education, patient trust, and institutional accountability.
Through Advancing Health Equity, which was founded in 2019, Dr. Blackstock advises healthcare organizations, academic medical centers, public health agencies, and healthcare industry partners on how to strengthen patient trust, improve communication, address health inequities, and translate values into measurable organizational strategy. The firm facilitates high-level discussions with clinical, executive, public health, and community stakeholders regarding health communication and misinformation.
Dr. Blackstock is a transformative leader who brings a rare combination of frontline clinical insights, executive advisory expertise, media fluency, and deep experience when communicating with diverse communities about racism in medicine. She provides subject matter expertise on institutional culturally responsive care, patient engagement, and the communication challenges that shape the public’s understanding of health and medicine. With more than seventeen (17) years of clinical experience, Dr. Blackstock has direct insight into how patients’ decision making and health outcomes are influenced by trust and communication.
Dr. Blackstock served as a medical contributor for MSNBC/NBC and was the frequent expert voice across national media, including NPR, The Washington Post, Scientific American, STAT News, CNN, and other major outlets. She uses digital platforms to educate broad audiences on health equity, patient advocacy, and public health. The recipient of numerous honors, Dr. Uché Blackstock was recognized by Time Magazine as a TIME 100 Health Honoree (2024) and recognized by Forbes and Fortune for leadership in healthcare, equity, and systems change. Dr. Blackstock also received the NAACP Dr. William Montague Cobb Health Equity Award and the Fortune Brainstorm Health Bernard J. Tyson Health Equity Award (2024).
Tawana Ware, DDS MS, FICD Phenomenal Woman Leadership Award
Dr. Tawana Ware, a board-certified pediatric dentist, was born in Greenville, MS. She completed a Bachelor of Art degree in Biology at Agnes Scott College, then she earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Meharry Medical College. While in dental school, Dr. Ware was awarded the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Scholarship and was inducted into Omicron Kappa Upsilon Dental Honor Society. Following graduation, Dr. Ware went on to Indiana University School of Dentistry where she received both a Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry and Master of Science degree in Dentistry.
After serving in community health with the NHSC, Dr. Ware worked in private practice. She transitioned to full-time teaching for a decade in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Meharry Medical College, then later transitioned to Indiana University where she served as Assistant Professor.
Dr. Tawana Ware has published eight (8) abstracts and been a featured speaker at various venues, including the American Dental Association Annual Meeting, the Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting, and the American Dental Education Association Annual Meeting. Dr. Ware has been recognized for her excellence in teaching and commitment to community service. She was named a recipient of the Indiana University Trustees Teaching Award for Excellence (2020) and Outstanding Woman Faculty Leader of the Year in the category of newcomer at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis (2018).
Dr. Tawana Ware is a past president of the American Association of Women Dentists. She is active in multiple professional and community organizations and holds fellowships in the International College of Dentists and the American College of Dentists. Currently, Dr. Ware serves on the Agnes Scott College Board of Trustees.
Wakeshi Benson, DDS Phenomenal Woman Visionary Award
Dr. Wakeshi Benson, is a board-certified orthodontist, entrepreneur, innovator, and leader in organized dentistry. She is the owner and managing orthodontist of WB Orthodontics in the Greater Richmond region of Virginia.
Dr. Benson is the first Black female dentist and orthodontist from Battle Creek, Michigan and the first Black female orthodontist to practice and own a practice in the Greater Richmond area. She has been a member of the National Dental Association (NDA) for more than twenty-five (25) years and previously served as vice president of the Student National Dental Association chapter at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.
Dr. Wakeshi Benson was the youngest dentist elected president of the Detroit District Dental Society – Central Branch and was selected as a delegate to the Michigan Dental Association House of Delegates. She later served as president of the Peter B. Ramsey Dental Society and Treasurer of the Old Dominion Dental Society, which is the Virginia state component of the NDA.
Dr. Benson completed her orthodontic training at Howard University College of Dentistry, where she served as chief resident. She currently serves as president of the Continental Orthodontic Study Club, Incorporated, the oldest minority orthodontic study club in the United States.
Dr. Wakeshi Benson has mentored more than thirty (30) students accepted to dental school and trained more than fifty (50) high school students in dental assisting. Dr. Benson is also the inventor of the WB Orthodontic Whitening Kit and founder of WB Inspirations, a philanthropic jewelry brand supporting community causes.
Amy J. Kitch Phenomenal Woman Corporate Award
Amy J. Kitch is the CEO of ADI Mobile Health, a family-owned business and leading manufacturer of mobile health clinics with headquarters in Oregon. ADI Mobile Health designs and builds custom mobile medical and dental clinics, specializing in transforming vehicles like RVs, trailers, and box trucks into fully functional healthcare facilities. Operating for over forty (40) years, ADI creates clinics used globally for dentistry, primary care, and screenings to improve community access to healthcare.
Kitch of ADI is a longstanding member of the NDA Corporate Round Table, serving in an advisory capacity to encourage the organization’s growth and development. She attended George Fox University, where she majored in organizational communications with a minor in business marketing. She has over twenty (20) years of experience in all aspects of mobile health clinics, including functional design, manufacturing standards, and facility management. She oversees the company’s adherence to the highest manufacturing standards of mobile health clinics.
ADI Mobile Health and Amy J. Kitch are committed to maintaining long-term relationships with their customers and community. She serves on the Mobile Health Clinic Association Regional Leadership Board for the Pacific Northwest and is a member of the Portland/Metro Coalition for Mobile Outreach. Kitch and her family have been involved in a sister church relationship in Les Anglais, Haiti for more than thirty (30) years. Locally, she enjoys community outreach and volunteering with ADI customers on their mobile clinics. Kitch also participates with an impoverished women’s ministry and a homeless outreach program in Portland.
In addition to the family business, Amy J. Kitch’s family also fostered a deep commitment to humanitarian causes. Amy J. Kitch was honored by the Oregon Dental Foundation for Outstanding Leadership and Community Collaboration, and she maintains her passion for volunteerism.
Donna Grant-Mills, DDS, M.Ed, RDH, FICD
Phenomenal Woman Community Impact Award
Dr. Donna Grant-Mills, a Howard University College of Dentistry graduate, is associate dean for Student Affairs and Admissions at the Howard University College of Dentistry. She serves as Project Director for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Summer Medical and Dental Education Program at Howard University, responsible for teaching, administration, and directing the implementation and operations of RWJF Projects. Additionally, she serves as faculty liaison to the District of Columbia Dental Society for coordination of the Annual Give Kids a Smile Day.
Dr. Grant-Mills has over forty (40) years of progressive experience in healthcare, to include dental assisting, dental hygiene, and general dentistry practice. She has served in diverse settings spanning allied dental education, hospitalbased oral health care management, and community health program development.
Dr. Donna Grant-Mills maintains an active role on community health advisory boards and committees. In 2005, Dr. GrantMills was named Humanitarian of the Year by the District of Columbia Dental Society in recognition of her work for the RWJF Pipeline Initiative, an oral health program benefiting underserved families. In 2006, she was selected to receive the National Dental Association Foundation/Colgate Palmolive Outstanding Teacher Award. That same year, Dr. Grant-Mills joined the American Dental Education Association as fellow in the “Enid Neidle Scholar-In-Residence Program” for the advancement of women in dental education. The Village of Lincoln Heights, Ohio awarded Dr. Grant-Mills the “Legacy Award” for her contributions in medicine and public service in 2011. In 2014, she received the “Community Spirit Award” from the District of Columbia Dental Society.
Dr. Grant-Mills has published and presented scholarly papers in the United States and abroad. She has delivered international presentations in the United Kingdom, Brazil, and Spain. Dr. Grant-Mills is a fellow of the International College of Dentists and holds membership in the American Dental Association, District of Columbia Dental Society, National Dental Association, and the American Dental Education Association
The Honorable L. Louise Lucas Phenomenal Woman of Courage Award
Senator L. Louise Lucas represents Virginia’s 18th District and serves as the Virginia Senate’s President Pro Tempore. She is the first woman and first African American to hold that office. Senator Lucas is also the first African American chair of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee.
Senator Lucas is a Portsmouth, Virginia native and a product of the Portsmouth Public School System. She is president and CEO of Lucas Lodge, Lucas Transportation, Portsmouth Day Support, and Southside Direct Care Provider organizations, operating in the Lucas Professional Center in Portsmouth.
Senator Lucas began her federal career as an apprentice shipfitter at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in 1967, becoming the first woman shipfitter in 1971. She worked as an engineering draftsman, naval architect technician, Command Federal Women’s Program Manager, and finalized her federal career as Equal Employment Manager in 1985. Senator Lucas was appointed executive director of the Southeastern Tidewater Opportunity Project in 1986, the first woman to hold the position.
Senator Lucas has been involved in social, civic, and political activities most of her career, serving in elected office for thirty-eight (38) years. Senator Lucas was elected to serve the citizens of Portsmouth on the Portsmouth City Council in 1984. She was the first African American woman to serve as councilwoman. Senator Lucas was elected to the Virginia General Assembly in1991 and continues to serve citizens of the 18th Senatorial District on multiple senate committees, including the Finance, Courts of Justice, Education & Health, and Commerce & Labor Committees. Senator Lucas served on the Commission on State Funding for Public School Construction and the Governor’s Commission on Information & Technology and was appointed in 2010 to the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation.
A mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Senator L. Louise Lucas has served as the past president of NAACP and charter member of the Martin Luther King Leadership Steering Committee. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Golden Heritage, Links, Inc., Order of the Eastern Star, and the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus.
Special Recognition
Hazel Harper Johns, DDS, MPH, FACD, FICD
Women’s Health Symposium Chair Emerita
Dr. Hazel Harper Johns is a graduate of Howard University College of Dentistry and the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health. A woman of many firsts, Dr. Harper was the first woman president of the National Dental Association (NDA), first woman chair of the NDA Board of Trustees, a Student National Dental Association (SNDA) founder, and the first woman president of the SNDA.
Dr. Harper was the architect of many NDA programs, including the Women’s Health Symposium, NDA Corporate Roundtable (CRT), and the Eddie G. Smith Leadership Institute. She was a longtime consultant to the NDA CRT and editor of the NDA Journal. She is the founding director of the award-winning NDA-HEALTH NOW® and creator of the NDA Inter-Professional Student Leaders Colloquium and Summit and the Nurses Oral Health Training Program.
Dr. Harper has lectured and written extensively on health disparities and has served the profession in a variety of leadership roles. She was the lead author in book chapters published by the American Public Health Association and a contributing author for the 2021 Surgeon General’s Report Oral Health in America: Advances and Challenges. She was also a featured author in the 2022 book, Undaunted Trailblazers: Minority Women Leaders for Oral Health. Dr. Harper was a member of President Bill Clinton’s Health Reform Task Force and a national spokesperson for the American Dental Association. She was on the planning committees of four (4) American Dental Education Association (ADEA) International Women’s Leadership Summits.
Dr. Hazel Harper Johns retired from private practice in general dentistry in Washington, DC. She is president and CEO of Hazel J. Harper & Associates, LLC management consultants, founder and CEO of Hear to HEAL, Inc., and co-founder of the Deamonte Driver Dental Project, a school-based mobile dental project named in memory of the 12-year-old boy who died in 2007 from untreated tooth decay. Dr. Harper currently serves on the boards of Remote Area Medical, ADEA Gies Foundation, and Howard University Board of Visitors. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and the Links, Inc. As immediate past chair of the NDA Women’s Health Symposium Committee, Dr. Hazel Harper Johns now serves on the committee as a national advisor.
Pamela Alston, DDS, MPP, FACD congratulates Hazel Harper Johns, DDS, MPH, FACD on the tremendous honor of the designation: NDA Women’s Health Symposium Chair Emeritus
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.”
– 1 Corinthians 2:9
The success of every woman should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up. Make sure you’re very courageous: be strong, be extremely kind, and above all be humble.” – Serena Williams
That’s you—Dr. Hazel Harper Johns!
(left to right) Robert Johns, Hazel Harper Johns, Pamela Alston, Rodrick Alston.
