Pankey Institute CEO

KEY BISCAYNE, Florida--The Board of Directors of the L.D. Pankey Dental Foundation has announced that Ricki Braswell, CAE, has been hired to serve as the Pankey Institute's new CEO.

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Braswell will assume her role on April 4, 2011.

Braswell has spent her career successfully leading not-for-profit organizations. For the past 10 years, she has worked in the dental profession, serving as the co-executive Director of the National Association of Dental Laboratories, the National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology, and the Foundation for Dental Laboratory Technology.

During her tenure with the NADL, Braswell led the organization through financial growth, nearly doubling the organization's revenue. She was instrumental in developing a scholarship program and a disaster relief program, revitalizing the association's national trade magazine, and helping to launch the Foundation for Dental Laboratory Technology. In 2010, she was named one of the top 25 women in dentistry.

"Ricki's ability to grow an organization and her experience in the dental profession makes her a natural fit for the future of the Pankey Institute," said Dr. Nancy Ward, chair of the Pankey Board of Directors. "We look forward to Ricki's leadership as she and Jim Kessler, chairman of the Department of Education, direct the Institute to meet the needs of dentistry today."

Added Dr. Kessler, "I look forward to working with Ricki as we carry out the mission of making the Pankey Institute a premier learning community for dentists, dental laboratory technicians, and interdisciplinary specialist teams. We are committed to closing the gap between what is known and what is practiced and to inspire a new generation of dental professionals to consider the pursuit of life-long learning as a cornerstone of their careers."

For more information, go to www.pankey.org.

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