Ricki Braswell Named CEO of The Pankey Institute for Advanced Dental Education
Key Biscayne, Fla.— The Board of Directors of the L.D. Pankey Dental Foundation, Inc., announces that Ricki Braswell, Certified Association Executive (CAE), has been hired to serve as The Pankey Institute’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Braswell will assume her role on April 4, 2011.
Braswell has spent her career successfully leading not-for-profit organizations. For the past ten years, she has worked in the dental profession, serving as the Co-Executive Director of the National Association of Dental Laboratories (NADL), the National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology (NBC) and the Foundation for Dental Laboratory Technology.
During her tenure with the NADL, Braswell led the organization through tremendous financial growth, nearly doubling their 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, Dental Products Report named her 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 Foundation,” says Dr. Nancy Ward, Chair of the Pankey Board of Directors. “We look forward to Ricki’s leadership within the Pankey organization as she and Jim Kessler, Chairman of the Department of Education, direct the Institute to meet the needs of Dentistry today.”
“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,” says Dr. James C. Kessler. “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.”
Founded in 1970, The Pankey Institute (www.pankey.org) is a nonprofit educational organization in Key Biscayne, Florida, dedicated to helping dental professionals master advanced technical skills, improve behavioral skills, and nurture a positive philosophy towards life and practice. It was the first institute of its kind and remains among the most prestigious in the world, attracting dentists from 44 nations. Over 21,000 dentists, dental laboratory technicians, and specialists have attended its courses and now serve millions of patients worldwide.