Meet The Officers
Current CODHA Officers

Courtney Justice
President

Valerie Cuzella RDH, BAS
Immediate Past President

Janiece Ervin
Vice President
BIO COMING SOON

Danielle Suzuki, RDH
Secretary
Born and raised in Colorado, Danielle has held a passion for healthcare from a young age. In her teens she volunteered at Avista Hospital to socialize and have meals with patients. From that point she knew healthcare is where her passions were. Danielle went on to become a dental assistant and worked for the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine while finishing her prerequisites to get into hygiene school. Danielle graduated from Concorde Career College in 2020, with an Associate’s of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene. While in hygiene school she was her class president for the Student Chapter of the American Dental Hygiene Association, as President Danielle was invited to attend a leadership conference with ADHA and CODHA. This opportunity led to a passion for advocating for her profession. During hygiene school, she worked at a private dental office as a hygiene assistant and was excited to be offered a full-time position as a hygienist when she finished school. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter while exploring all of the great activities Colorado has to offer.

Sarah Summers, RDH
Treasurer
Sarah Summers was born and raised in Houston, Texas and takes pride in living BIG! When Sarah was in high school she moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming with her family and says Wyoming allowed her to become her true self. She attended the University of Wyoming and aspired to become an Orthodontist, a childhood passion since the age of 9. After graduating with a degree in Zoology/Physiology and applying to many dental schools numerous times with no such luck, Sarah realized that a career in dental hygiene was a great alternative! In 2009, after completing her Associates in Dental Hygiene from Colorado Northwestern Community College Sarah moved to Grand Junction and worked in private practice for 7 years. “The best thing about working in private practice are the relationships made with patients.” The desire to help others has always been the driving force for Sarah and her dental career. The fire was lit with her first dental mission trip to Guatemala where she found herself seeing 120 patients a day. “People came from miles away and would stand in line all day just to have a tooth pulled.” On her second mission trip to the tiny island of Mayrau, only accessible by boat, Sarah spent 4 days tending to the dental hygiene needs of the island people. She was the island favorite and the people begged to have their teeth cleaned! The rawness of the mission trips and the fire to help people in desperate need of dental hygiene care gave Sarah the ability to feel comfortable in any dental setting. Back in the United States Sarah’s grandmother “Mimi” was faced with long-term, slow progressing dementia. Sarah realized that her grandmother was not able to brush her teeth and she was bed-bound. Her grandmother’s special need for a bedside dental hygienist was all of the motivation Sarah needed to establish Front Door Dental, Western Colorado’s first mobile dental hygiene service! Front Door Dental was created to help those not easily mobile get access to the preventative dental care they deserve! “Having your teeth cleaned is a necessity and a luxury, nothing feels better than clean teeth!” Sarah is on a mission to provide dental hygiene services to ALL persons with a “special need” so that they too can live a comfortable life, free of dental disease.


Heather Schenkel
Colorado Springs Component Trustee
BIO COMING SOON


Boulder Component Trustee
Bio coming soon.


Tabitha Converse, RDH, BSDH
Metro Denver Component Trustee
I graduated in 1998 from Sheridan College with an Associate’s degree, completed Bachelor’s degree from the University of Wyoming in 1998. I was an active and involved member of ADHA/WDHA early in my career, then took a break while working and raising my boys. I’m looking forward to getting involved again!


Jindy Page, RDH, BS, MPH
Northern Colorado Component Trustee


Robyn Maestas RDH BAS
Southern Colorado Component Trustee




Hollee Mundell
Western Slope Component Trustee


Jennifer Hosburgh RDH OMT
Council on Membership Services
I started in the dental field in the USAF as a dental technician in 1989. Loving the hygiene part of my job I decided to become a dental hygienist when my service was up. I received my dental hygiene degree in 2000 from Brevard Community College in Cocoa, Florida.
Membership has always been important to me. Our instructions encourage our class to “Work 1 day to pay for your membership fee and the membership will work 365 days for you”. I moved to Colorado in 2014 with my husband and our 2 adult boys. I soon became chair of the Boulder county component and a few years after moving to CO to help keep hygienists connected and have a group to be a part of. In 2021 I volunteered to be Chair of Membership services. I now work part time as a hygienist dentist in Longmont and have started my own business as an orofacial myofunctional therapist. I stay active on the board to have a vote, be a voice for others and to help be a small part of what supports my license 365 days a year where I can not. It has been an amazing career choice for me and offered me more than I could have imagined. I have been blessed to have an amazingly supportive husband and family who encouraged me while supporting the ADHA at the state and local level.
When I’m not a hygienist I do enjoy the outdoors with my Border Collie and husband.


Ginger Pughes, RDH, BAS
Student Liaison


Valerie Hoffman, RDH, BAS
Historian


Liz Flores RDH, BS, MPH
Council on Education Services, Chair


Dani Ford BSDH
Council on Regulation and Practice, Chair
Dani has been a RDH for over 11 years, working exclusively in the community health sector. She is passionate about advocating for hygienists to work to their fullest scope of practice, breaking down barriers to provider access to care for all and ensuring the integrity of the profession is preserved.




Speaker of the House of Delegates
BIO COMING SOON


Kari Brennan, RDH
Chair of Nominating Committee
Kari graduated from Colorado Northwestern Community College in 2006 with an Associate of Applied Science Degree, emphasizing in Dental Hygiene. Kari practiced in private practice and community health for about 10 years before opening her own Direct Access Dental Hygiene practice in Meeker, Colorado. Currently, she is in her 7th year of business! Kari is married with two children. Kari loves riding horses and competing in rodeo events, helping her family operate their family cattle ranch and doing activities with her kids.


Alyssa Aberle RDH BSDH MBA
Executive Director
Alyssa Aberle is a 2009 graduate of the University of Colorado’s dental hygiene program. Alyssa has spent her dental hygiene career working with several local nonprofit organizations including Kids In Need of Dentistry, Salud Family Health Centers, Colorado Orthodontic Foundation, and STRIDE Community Health Center (formerly MCPN). Through her work within these organizations, she had the desire to gain knowledge on business operations and management to complement her clinical background. In 2013, Alyssa graduated with a Masters in Business Administration from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder.
While completing her Masters degree, Alyssa remained active in the Colorado Dental Hygienists’ Association. Alyssa served on the CODHA Board of Trustees as Vice President, President-Elect, President, and Immediate Past President. During her year as Past President, she was hired by the CODHA as Executive Administrator. She has been able to play a role in various aspects of our professional association and has a passion for advocacy and advancing the profession of dental hygiene.
To nominate yourself, or someone else, for a CODHA position, visit www.practicefuel.rocks/codha/nominations.