CONTACT: Carol S. Weber, APR, Director of Public Relations
PHONE: 414-431-9625 or 800-364-7646
E-MAIL: cweber@wda.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
McFarland General Dentist Dr. Gordon Lofgren Honored for Lifetime Achievements
MILWAUKEE, Nov. 17, 2005 – McFarland resident and dentist Dr. Gordon Lofgren, the 2005 Wisconsin Dental Association (WDA) Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, was one of 10 individuals presented with a Pyramid of Pride by the 2,900 member statewide dental organization on Nov. 11 during a special banquet at the Milwaukee Marriott West in Waukesha.
Lofgren’s award is the WDA’s highest honor and recognizes individuals who have given time, energy and expertise to organized dentistry throughout their careers.
Lofgren began his general dental practice in the small Dane County community in 1961 where he still practices full time. He has been an active member of organized dentistry for more than 44 years at the local, state and national levels. Lofgren is a longtime member of the Wisconsin Dental Foundation Board of Directors. He was also a volunteer on the Paradental Advisory Committee to the Vocational Technical Adult Education System (predecessor to the Wisconsin Technical College System) and the Marquette University School of Dentistry Advisory Committee.
His volunteerism extends beyond dentistry. Lofgren serves on the Board of Regents for Concordia University in Mequon and, as a charter member of the McFarland Lions Club, has been a director for 43 years. Lofgren is a past-president of the Madison Education Association of the Deaf and former member of Partners for Prevention, a community-based partnership working to prevent substance abuse among youth.
The Community Outreach Award honors individuals or groups for providing exceptional public service that reflects great credit on the dental profession. This year’s recipients are Dr. Heidi Eggers-Ulve, a pediatric dentist who resides and practices in Green Bay, and Waukesha resident Anna Marie Miller, a dental assistant in Dr. Dennis Abere’s office.
Eggers-Ulve has been active with the local Head Start program for nine years. She is a member of its Health Advisory Committee and annually provides 300 three to five-year-olds with free dental exams and follow-up care. She also volunteers for the Wisconsin Dental Foundation’s Donated Dental Services program and at a community clinic. Eggers-Ulve and her staff often visit local classrooms with preventive dental messages and free toothbrushes.
In addition to her full-time job and many church activities, Miller, the mother of three, has volunteered 40 – 50 hours a year for the past seven years at United Way’s St. Joseph’s Dental Clinic. At the dental clinic, Miller helps screen patients, takes X-rays, assists with dental exams, directs patients to available resources and gathers donated supplies and equipment.
Thomas Hayes, Newspaper In Education supervisor for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, is this year’s Media Awareness Award recipient for his commitment to informing and educating the public about the importance of oral health. Hayes is the driving force behind the paper’s annual Health Education for Youth (H.E.Y.) tabloid supplement that includes a full page of oral health information. Introduced in 2004, the H.E.Y. section is distributed statewide to some 200,000 fourth through seventh graders and daily newspaper readers.
Dr. Michael Donohoo, a Wauwatosa resident with a general dentistry practice in Milwaukee, is this year’s Media Relations Award recipient. Despite a heavy patient and volunteer schedule, Donohoo has been interviewed and quoted by newspaper, magazine, radio and television reporters across the state. His efforts have helped increase awareness of WDA positions on dental-related public policy issues.
The New Dentist Leadership Award was presented to Dr. Kate Gilson, a Waukesha general dentist and resident. Since graduation from dental school, Gilson has served as Waukesha County Dental Society’s editor and secretary. She is a member of the WDA Membership Committee, vice chairperson of the New Dentist Committee and participates in the Mentor Program. Gilson also currently serves as Ninth District representative to the American Dental Association (ADA) New Dentist Committee.
Traditionally, the Outstanding Service Award goes to a dentist who has made recent, exceptional contributions to the advancement of the profession. However, this year’s award was bestowed on Shorewood resident and retiring WDA Executive Director Dennis McGuire in recognition of his 20 years of leadership to organized dentistry.
The Political Action Award recognizes Milwaukee general dentist and Brookfield resident Dr. Monica Hebl for her four years as Legislative Committee chairperson, ongoing efforts to educate fellow dentists about the importance of participating in the political and legislative process and her recent service on the Governor’s Task Force to Improve Access to Oral Health.
Two President’s Awards of Honor were presented to Eau Claire resident and general dentist Dr. Lonnette Breneman and Manitowoc resident and general dentist Dr. John (Jack) Sadowski.
Breneman created an Emergency Action Plan for dental office teams to use in preparing for potential disasters. Sadowski, a WDA past-president, was recognized for his efforts in the early 1990s to launch and create television and radio spot campaigns. Today paid media messages are an integral part of WDA public relations efforts.
Established in 1870, the WDA is headquartered in Milwaukee. With more than 2,900 members statewide, the WDA represents the vast majority of practicing dentists in Wisconsin. Members are committed to promoting professional excellence and quality oral health care. The WDA is one of 53 state-territorial dental societies of the ADA – the largest and oldest national dental association in the world. For more information, call 800-364-7646 or 414-276-4520 or visit www.wda.org.