2023 SDCDS Nominating Committee Candidate Statements and Information
Candidate time slot signup: click here
Faith-Roselle Barreyro
Candidate For: Board of Directors, Delegate to the CDA House of Delegates
Candidate Statement:
I’ve always loved being part of something greater than just in my dental office. I enjoy giving back to the community. I truly value being a member of SDCDS and have greatly benefit from it. I believe organized dentistry is vital for us as dentists. It’s our way of taking care of our own mentally and physically. I love the camaraderie of being part of the dental society. I would like to assist in anyway I can. I appreciate all the board of directors have done for us behind the scenes. I would like to learn more about how I can be part of the bigger picture.
Skills & Experience:
I’m a great listener and I uphold any responsibility given to me. I am a team player and will put in the time to make sure we are successful as a team. I’ve been part of the Retention and Recruitment committee for over a year now. I’ve held many leadership positions in my life.
CV: https://sdcds.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Resume-Faith-Barreyro-April-2023-Faith-Barreyro.pdf
Heta Bhansali
Candidate For: Board of Directors
Candidate Statement:
I’ve loved being a member of San Diego dental society for the past 10 years. It has helped me grow personally and professionally. I want the society to be able to reach more dentists practicing in San Diego and continue to support them so that I can give back to the community that has given me so much.
Skills & Experience:
I am a very detail-oriented person that enjoys planning and communicating for a great purpose. I’ve also worked with the planning committee for the dental foundation’s annual gala and participated in dozens of events that the dental society has put on that has given me a great appreciation for what it is we do in the community and our role in it. I feel like my experience and skill set can be used to help foster a community that helps other dentists just like it did for me.
CV: https://sdcds.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Heta_Bhansali_resume_2023-Heta-Bhansali.pdf
Jose C. Castillo
Candidate For: Board of Directors, Secretary
Candidate Statement:
I would like to serve as the 2024 Secretary for the San Diego County Dental Society so that I can continue advancing the Society’s purpose of: “providing resources to help member dentists succeed and enhance professionalism.” I wholeheartedly believe in the Society’s purpose, and I plan to focus on promoting it in 3 ways: 1) By offering my leadership and orthodontics specialty training experience, 2) By offering my diverse intellectual, cultural, new/younger member background, and soft skills; 3) By serving as a model Executive Committee member so that other colleagues can see themselves in me.
I plan to continue to focus on camaraderie, collegiality, and mentorship. It is through my position as a model Board Member and future Executive Member that I will strive to make colleagues feel comfortable in asking about and serving the SDCDS.
Skills & Experience:
I have extensive leadership experience, especially through the Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists and Hispanic Dental Association, both of which have trained me to deal with issues of governance, policy making, and leading in meetings, while also working in collaboration for a greater cause. I am a new/younger member, a dentist of color, a Latino, a Spanish-speaker, and a fronterizo (person who grew up binationally near the border). These experiences provide me with a unique sociocultural perspective for a dental society that represents members in the US-Mexico border region.
My experiences include currently serving as a Representative to the California Association of Orthodontists (CAO) and Board Member for the Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists (PCSO), which represents all the Western United States and Western Provinces of Canada. As Board Member and New and Younger Member Director-at-Large with the PCSO, I represented the Resident, and New and Younger Member voices to the PCSO Board. Additionally, I have served a second consecutive year as a PCSO Delegate at our annual American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) House of Delegates meeting. I was also involved in discussing and approving the AAO’s 2023-2027 Strategic Plan.
In the past, I have been heavily involved with the Hispanic Dental Association (HDA), where I served as a Trustee on the National Board and helped organize HDA regional meetings. I am currently an active member.
Currently, I am a Volunteer Orthodontist with the UCSD Pre-Dental Society at their Student-Run Free Dental Clinic in Lemon Grove. I have lectured on orthodontics at the UCSD, USD, and SDSU pre-dental programs. Furthermore, I am an Orthodontics Advisor to the San Diego Advanced Study Group, part of the Seattle Study Club network, and have lectured on temporary anchorage devices/mini-implants and Phase I orthodontic treatment.
Moreover, I am serving as the 2023 Co-President for the San Diego Academy of Orthodontists where I organize quarterly 1-2 day continuing education meetings and social events for our local San Diego County orthodontic study group. This year, we have successfully applied for and received CE provider status from the Dental Board of California.
In the past, the Secretary position has required skills such as stellar attention to detail, having a keen eye over the meeting minutes, and being able to faithfully convey the happenings at the Foundation’s Board meetings to the Society’s Board. I believe I have those skill sets, the time commitment, and other soft skills to be a strong candidate for the Secretary position. I am a very easy going and thoughtful person, soft skills which make me approachable and a positive face representing our Society. I am good at networking and advocating for our colleagues, qualities which reflect well on the Board. In summary, I believe my qualifications and skills will complement the SDCDS Executive Committee and Board, and I am aware of the commitment this position and future upstream positions require.
CV: https://sdcds.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Jose-Castillo-CV-revised-final-Dr.-Jose-Castillo.pdf
Robert Frey
Candidate For: Board of Directors
Candidate Statement:
Would like to provide input on what younger dentists are facing and what is relevant to what is going on in our younger constituents.
Skills & Experience:
Served on Board of Directors and CDA House of Delegates the previous years before. Was active in CDA during dental school.
CV: https://sdcds.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FREY_Resume-Rob-Frey.pdf
Robert Gandola
Candidate For: Delegate to the CDA House of Delegates
Candidate Statement:
I enjoy helping to guide the actions and direction of the CDA Through the House of delegates. I have been a part of this for a long time and have many connections with the current leadership and other components. I am well versed with the process and capable of making resolutions and amendments quickly as required by the nature of this meeting. Experience and knowledge are essential traits needed by delegates in this position.
Skills & Experience:
I have served in most aspects of leadership locally and at the state and national levels. I have been a delegate of the ADA and CDA for many years. I have served as the chair and a member of the nominating committee and know how it works. I can write and propose changes to resolutions as I have done so in the past.
CV: https://sdcds.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CV-2023-R-Gand.pdf
Misako Hirota
Candidate For: Delegate to the CDA House of Delegates
Candidate Statement:
Want to continue serving my local component and influence direction of CDA
Skills & Experience:
Previous HOD delegate, ADA delegate
CV: https://sdcds.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/cv-Misako-Hirota.pdf
Diana Heineken
Candidate For: Board of Directors
Candidate Statement:
I just completed my first term on BOD and I felt like I have just scratched the surface. To be candid, being a first time BOD, it takes time to really understand and grasp the topics of discussion – thus, I felt like I was not able to be as vocal with my ideas/opinions as I’d like to be. Mainly spent the time just observing, learning, and listening. I feel passionate about organized dentistry and I love being a part of something bigger.
I feel amped up and excited for the future of SDCDS- especially with the new strategic planning process with Pat Libby and I look forward to having the chance to continue to give back and contribute to the society.
Skills & Experience:
I have had always been an avid volunteer since I was in dental school. I was president of ASDA at my school and was awarded National Delegate of the Year for ASDA. I was CDA voting Delegate for 4 years as a student and was also Chair of the student delegation. I have been a guest on the reference committee at CDA in 2017.
Since becoming a dentist in 2018, I have been on the Membership Council and Leadership Development Program at CDA. I was a guest to the Board of Trustees meeting for CDA representing New Dentists appointed by Dr. Del Brunner back in 2019. I am also a CDA Delegate for our component since 2020.
At the local level, I have been on the Recruitment and Retention Committee since 2019. I frequently attend New Dentist events and try to stay active with members. I recently joined the Editorial Board and am taking on the responsibility of the CDA Benefits section. I am a regular volunteer with the local UCSD-run clinics providing dental work at Veterans Village and now Lemon Grove.
CV: https://sdcds.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Diana_Heineken_VisualCV_Resume-1-Diana-Heineken.pdf
Virginia Mattson
Candidate For: Delegate to the CDA House of Delegates
Candidate Statement:
I would like to further deepen my understanding, involvement, experience and service with Dentistry and all that I can offer to help better promote the profession .
Skills & Experience:
Leadership, service, volunteerism
CV: https://sdcds.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CV-2023-Dr.-Mattson-Virginia-Mattson.pdf
Ghazal Navab
Candidate For: Board of Directors, Delegate to the CDA House of Delegates
Candidate Statement:
Since I was a pre-dental student at UCSD, I was involved in organized dentistry through the UCSD-Pre dental society and had the opportunity to attend ADA and CDA meetings and learn about organized dentistry from early stages of my dental career. Once I started dental school, I continued the journey and became more directly involved in organized dentistry by holding various positions throughout my dental school years. I joined the SDCDS as soon as I moved back to San Diego in Summer of 2018 and have been an active member ever since. Having previously served on R&R as Co-Chair and CE committee member for a few years, I understand the needs of our members and the services we can provide to them.
Since I have been a board member for the last two years while helping LDC and Gala committees this year, I can be more beneficial in bridging the gap between the various hierarchies of the SDCDS. The last two years on the board went by fast, and I believe that this position definitely requires many more years of commitments in order to fully understand and utilize its functions and improve SDCDS as a whole. With that being said, I’m looking forward to serve another term in order to be more deeply engaged with the SDCDS while serving in other committees at the same time.
Skills & Experience:
SDCDS – Board of Directors & Delegate to CDA House 2021 – Present
Volunteer Faculty UCSD Student-Run Dental Clinic-Veterans Village 2018 – Present
SDCDS – Committee member of Continuing Education Committee 2018 – Present
San Diego AGD – Treasurer 2019 – 2023
SDCDS – Co-Chair Retention Recruitment and Retention 2018 – 2021
CV: https://sdcds.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CV-2023-Dr.-Mattson-Virginia-Mattson.pdf
Lindsay Pfeffer
Candidate For: Delegate to the CDA House of Delegates, Secretary
Candidate Statement:
Secretary: Fresh eyes and yet still have a good foundation after serving years on multiple committees on the dental society and longtime delegate and board member. I have aged out of my time on the dental board but I have been a part of 2 strategic plans, knowing where we’ve been, where we need to go and what we still don’t know. Serving on multiple committees has left me with a keener sense of the behind the scenes workings of what we are doing and where we are missing the mark or simply don’t have the manpower or answers.
For delegate we need committed members who are going to do the homework and be dedicated to do the work, as really important position statements or even CDA structure have come down to 1 vote for a decision that will be representing all dentists in California.
For Foundation: the society and the foundation is an important sisterhood that can not be forgotten or overshadowed through time, they are symbiotic in their needs and each is dependent on each other. Membership is of utmost important to make sure this is not lost through time, as they are mutually beneficial to each other. I have done a lot of work with the Foundation without being a formal member therefor would be honored to serve on Foundation should Secretary not be available. I think it’s coordination and mutual knowledge of eachother’s purpose needs to be better connected for the greater good of both of these organizations.
Skills & Experience:
History of serving on the board for 8 years and Delegate for many years. Several years on Retention and Recruitment, Communications and Gala Committee. Long term commitment with the Foundation and County with Free clinics, Stand Down, First 5, GKAS. Also served as CDA volunteer and CDA Host for many years. Volunteered in free clinics for UCSD for many years as well as county efforts and promises to kids for OH in foster youth. Have been part of two strategic plans for dental society and am a devoted member, being a Delegate in Sacramento 1 week after my first born and attending an emergency board meeting 1 hour after my c-section when Covid 1st happened and we were shut down. Currently have an associate to help balance my children, work and my dental society commitment.
CV: https://sdcds.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Dr.-Pfeffer-Resume-Dr.-Lindsay-Pfeffer.pdf