FADE Board of Directors
The role of the FADE Board of Directors is to assist in guiding and aligning the Foundation with its mission, purpose and goals. The Executive Committee and the Director-members equal some the best dental assisting educators our community has to offer in regards to years of education, teaching experience and talent. Our Board of Directors are dedicated to ensuring the FADE continues to be a relevant, active and recognized advocate for education and professional advancement of dental assisting.
Debbie Reynon, CDA, RDA, BS
President
Debbie graduated from Hartnell College in 1976 earning her Associates of Arts Degree in Business and graduated from Monterey Peninsula College in 1977 earning her Associates of Science Degree in Dental Assisting. After obtaining both her CDA and her RDA, Debbie worked clinically and as a front office administrator for general dentistry and in pediatrics for over 21 years while focusing on her teacher credentialing through the Regional Occupation Program (Career and Technical Education). Debbie has been the program coordinator of the Santa Cruz County ROP Dental Assisting Program for the past 21 years and recently earned her Bachelors of Science Degree in Career and Technical Education from Sacramento State University.
Debbie serves on the Cabrillo College Dental Hygiene Advisory Board as collaborative representative of the Dental Assisting Program and has served as Past-President of the California Association of Dental Assisting teachers (CADAT).
Jenny Michel, RDA, BS
Director Member - Education Council Co-Chair
Lorraine Gagliardi, CDA, RDA, RDH, Ed.D
Director Member - Public Policy and Government Relations Chair
Kathy O'Brien, RDA
Director Member - Education Council Co-Chair
Donna Klein, RDA, BS
Executive Director
Ms. LaDonna Drury-Klein has been engaged in the dental profession at nearly every level since she began her journey in 1979. She completed her dental assisting education and her national dental assisting board examinations just as California established the RDA license. During her 18 years as a chairside clinician, she earned degrees in biological sciences and business management before completing her teacher credentialing in higher education from UC Berkeley Extension. Over the next 20 years, Ms. Klein worked for three community college-based vocational programs teaching dental sciences, began a very successful consulting firm for dental office compliance, and served as Assistant Vice President of Education for the California Dental Association, during which time she consulted and worked very closely on legislation to bring the dental assisting duties into statute.
Ms. Klein served as a two-time appointee to the Dental Board of California for Governor Gray Davis and is often called upon to assist in developing regulatory and statutory language for dental assisting-related oversight. In 2005, LaDonna was elected to serve as the first Executive Director of the California Association of Dental Assisting Teachers, where she served as a member and volunteer leader for nearly 26 years.
In 2011, LaDonna established the Foundation for Allied Dental Education as a non-profit, public benefit entity serving to support the educational and professional development needs of all allied dental healthcare personnel.
In 2016, LaDonna and Gerald Klein founded the FADE Institute, a dedicated facility focused solely on the advancement of dental assisting education. She is currently the Executive Director of the Foundation for Allied Dental Education and is the Chief Operating Officer of the FADE Institute.