President: Dr Anna Dawson
Dr Dawson has been a member of the executive committee since July 2012. She graduated BDS from Otago University in 1999 and has worked in special care and hospital based services in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom.
She works for Auckland Regional Hospital and Specialist Dentistry, Auckland District Health Board with special interests in paediatrics, intellectually disabled adults and patients undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer. She is currently completing a Master of Health Leadership part-time through the University of Auckland.
VP / President Elect: Dr Ellen Clark
Ellen Clark began her career as the first Dental House Officer at Whangarei Base Hospital following graduation with her BDS in 2008. She has worked for the Northland District Health Board (NDHB), now Te Whatu Ora for the last 13 years as a Community Dentist and was the Clinical Director from 2015-2021. She gained my public health specialist degree from Otago University in 2017. She purchased a private practice in Mangawhai Heads early in 2019, which she still owns and operates. Her research encompasses a wide range of oral conditions, most notably in the fields of dental caries. Her particular interest is in improving oral health outcomes and reducing health inequalities. She has attended multiple cultural literacy courses over the past 13 years and has been studying Te Reo Māori at night school since 2021. She has been a member of the NZDA board (now advisory council) from 2018 and was elected to the NZDA executive (now board) in 2020.
Immediate Past President: Dr Tule Fanakava Misa
Secretary / Treasurer: Dr Phil Marshall
Dr Marshall is Clinical Director of Dental Services for Mid Central DHB.
Dr Marshall has been associated with the NZSHCD since 1994 and has held the position of Secretary/Treasurer for the last nine years.
Graduating BDS from Otago University in 1980, in 1998 Dr Marshall completed a post graduate diploma in Public Health from Otago University, Wellington School of Medicine.
Dr Marshall is also the Dental Advisor to the Wairarapa DHB and currently holds the position as Vice President of the New Zealand School & Community Oral Health Services Society (NZSCOHSS).
South Island Reps:
Dr Donna Kennedy
Donna is a Dental Public Health Specialist and the head of the Hospital Oral Health Service, Te Whatu Ora, Nelson Marlborough. She provides dental care for medically compromised individuals requiring specialised care, particularly those with oral & oro-pharyngeal cancer. Donna’s research into the role of dental clinicians in the diagnosis of oral cancer in NZ, has been used to improve clinicians’ knowledge and aid early diagnosis. She is currently conducting research for the Ministry of Health into the knowledge of medical practitioners about the signs and symptoms of oral and oro-pharyngeal cancer. She is a member of the New Zealand Oral Health Advisory Group, providing support and advice on the provision of dental care to adolescents. Donna has a particular interest in improving access to and outcomes from oral health services within Aotearoa.
Dr Graeme Ting – MSc, MDS, FRACDS(SND), DABSCD, AICGG
Specialist — Special Care Dentistry
Graeme obtained his postgraduate degree in Hospital Dentistry from the University of Otago. He was one of the inaugural Fellows of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons in Special Needs Dentistry and the first New Zealander to become a Diplomate of the American Board of Special Care Dentistry, with recognised proficiency in Hospital Dentistry. Graeme was the inaugural President of the Australia and New Zealand Academy of Special Needs Dentistry. He has worked for the Auckland District Health Board, King’s College Hospital, and Faculty of Dentistry – University of Otago, alongside the Southern
District Health Board.
Graeme has an interest in dentistry for people with disabilities and complex medical conditions: in particular, those with cancer of the head and neck, those with bleeding disorders, and older people with multimorbidity, including dementia. In 2023, Graeme became an alumnus of the Australasian Institute of Clinical Governance, obtaining a certificate in Clinical Governance for Patient Safety and Quality Care. He currently works for the New Zealand Dental Association as Director (Clinical Governance).
North Island Reps:
Dr Andrew Sutherland
Andrew graduated from the University of Otago with a BDS in 1989. He has worked in Palmerston North Hospital for over 20yrs working with special needs patients.
Recently he decided he needed a change and took the plunge into private practice. It has its challenges for him.
He is still very passionate about public health/special needs dentistry and has found it satisfying passing on his experience to his private practice colleagues. He is married with two adult sons, enjoys travel, mountain biking, skiing and reading. He has only suffered broken bones twice in the last 10yrs.
Dr Penny Malden
Dr Penny Malden joined the executive committee in 2018. She graduated BDS from Otago University in 1995 and works as a Senior Dentist at Capital and Coast District Health Board where she has had many years’ experience in hospital dentistry. Penny is a specialist in Public Health Dentistry, completing her MComDent in 2006. She has had previous experience working with the Ministry of Health’s Oral Health team and at Regional Public Health based at Hutt Valley DHB.
Dr Hadleigh Clark BSc, BDS, MBChB, DClinDent (OralMed), MRACDS (OralMed)
Specialist – Oral Medicine
Hadleigh undertook physiology and dental training in Dunedin at the University of Otago. Following dental house officer and private practice jobs in Auckland, he qualified and registered in medicine, working initially at Auckland City Hospital as a medical house officer. He then worked at Westmead Hospital / Westmead Centre for Oral Health, Sydney as an oral medicine registrar, completing his doctor of clinical dentistry in 2015.
Hadleigh is a consultant at Te Toka Tumai Auckland, Te Whatu Ora and has particular interests in immunologically-mediated oral mucosal disease, salivary disease and chronic neuropathic facial pains. He speaks regularly to both dental and medical groups, being keen on interdisciplinary education and collaboration. Amongst his other affiliations, Hadleigh is an examiner for the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons.