Dr. Kelly Donovan is a dental hygiene educator, speaker, writer, mentor, and consultant. She is passionate about oral health and supporting the academic and professional development of dental hygiene students and faculty. Kelly began her journey in education as a graduate of Cypress College Dental Hygiene Program in 1994. Inspired by her love of teaching and oral health, she became a dental hygiene educator in 2007. Never forgetting the difficulties of being a dental hygiene school student and inspired to be a change agent within dental hygiene instruction, she developed a clinical remediation program to enhance student success in clinical instrumentation and board preparation. A life-long learner, Kelly has continued her education, earning a Master’s in Adult Education from the University of Phoenix in 2004 and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, Administration, and Policy from Pepperdine University in 2017. Her dissertation entitled Preparation and Instructional Competency Needs of the New Dental Hygiene Educator: A Phenomenological Study explored the lived experiences and perceptions of dental hygiene educators transitioning from clinical practice into the educational system to understand how to better support new dental hygiene educators in developing instructional competency. Kelly is active in her community, earning the California Dental Hygiene Kern County Outstanding Component Member Award (2013) to promote student involvement in the California Dental Hygiene Association. A Sustainer with The Association of Junior Leagues International, Kelly works to empower women and children, training women to be change agents and transform communities. Kelly enjoys cycling, tennis, and cooking. A native Californian, she enjoys spending time at the beach. Her favorite pastime is spending time with her teenage son, Braeden, and her Golden Retriever, Paris.

Erika Spring is a clinical dental hygienist by heart and has served her profession in various roles over the last 30 years. Currently a full-time faculty member at Coastal Carolina Community College, as well as Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT) trainer for EMS North America. Erika provides both didactic and hands-on training courses on behalf of SDA/EMS and Spring Innovative Coaching and Consulting. In 2020, she has further adapted and implemented the GBT curriculum to be the first dental hygiene program in the US to adopt this cutting edge technology. Leadership and innovation go hand in hand- her quest for quality patient care, practice performance and practitioner satisfaction stems from surrounding herself with leaders in the dental industry and establishing her WIN WIN WIN philosophy. Erika is an alumni of Coastal Carolina Community College, receiving her undergraduate degree and setting the stage for a passionate career in clinical dental hygiene. It was not long before Erika pursued higher education, receiving a Bachelors’ degree in Dental Hygiene and concluding with a Masters’ Degree in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University. With an interest in helping dental teams and students dig beyond their clinical skills, she became a certified DISC Behavioral Consultant. Her love for education, innovation and her natural leadership abilities have allowed her to take transformative approaches in her career through clinical patient care, as a full-time educator, and through Spring Innovative, her cultivating consulting platform. Erika’s mission is to educate tomorrow’s hygienists through today’s innovations, and reshape the future of dentistry.

Claire is an entrepreneur, author, educator, researcher, and international speaker. She is the founder of StudentRDH dental hygiene exam prep solutions, ProfessorRDH educators platform, DentalToaster CE platform, and host of the podcast RDHBites. Claire is the 2019 Ontario Memory Champion. With her expert knowledge in education, she created the WakeUp Memory™ system, which teaches how to use the brain and remember anything. To her audience’s testimony: “Learning is now addictive.” She is the Esther Wilkins Alumni Award recipient, recognized for her work to support the young dental hygiene professionals. Lastly, Claire is on the editorial board of RDH magazine and on the advisory board to dental hygiene schools. Claire has a Bachelor of Science in dental hygiene from Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene and a Master’s degree in administration from Boston University.