Exemplary Women, Empowering Speakers Highlight Lucy Hobbs Celebration

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• June 19, 2014
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The release below was featured in The Northeast PA Business Journal!

PITTSTON, PA – June 19, 2014 – Barely taking a break for breath during a courageous share session at The Lucy Hobbs Project 2^nd Annual Celebration Honoring Exemplary Women in the Dental Community in Orlando, keynote speaker Liz Murray reaffirmed the underlying message of the event to her audience: Never underestimate your role as a mentor.

The author of New York Times bestseller Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard, credited her adviser, the tenth in a string of teachers she approached for help, with empowering her to return to high school in the Bronx after a lifetime of chronic truancy. Then a homeless teen, Murray responded to a steady stream of challenges presented by her teacher to overcome paralysis by analysis and take immediate action to reach her goals and connect with those in her community.

Are you willing to do your part? asked Murray of the more than 150 in attendance June 6 at The Lucy Hobbs Project 2^nd Annual Celebration. Her query resonated in the Osceola Ballroom at the Omni Championsgate, following the presentation of awards to seven women whose ongoing contributions to the dental industry illustrated an overwhelming yes.

Those who bear witness daily to the professional dedication of the honorees welcomed them to the stage, including colleagues, staff, friends and mentors.

The highlight of the celebration, to me, is always the award winners. Hearing their acceptance speeches, experiencing the powerful nature of their words is uniquely inspiring, said Julie Radzyminski, Benco Dental Director of Business Innovation.

She referenced this years Lucy Hobbs Award recipients: Joan Austin (1931-2013); Karen Gear, DDS, Vineyard Haven, Mass.;
Mary Hartigan, DDS, Jacksonville, Florida; Maria Maranga, DDS, Aquebogue, NY; Terryl A. Propper, DDS, MS, Brentwood, Tenn.; Katti Webb Simpson, IPDH, Dover-Foxcroft, Maine; and Kaaren G. Vargas, DDS, PhD., North Liberty, Iowa.

The awards, named for the woman who, in 1866, became the first American female to earn a degree in dentistry, recognize professionals whose achievements mirror those established by Lucy Hobbs. Dr. Hobbs was denied access to education based on her gender, but persevered to learn dentistry through apprenticeship, and eventually graduated from the Ohio College of Dental Surgery.

These seven honorees — pioneers for change — help lead the charge for women in dentistry and embody the project goals.Complete profiles of the honorees are featured in the summer edition of Incisal Edge, a lifestyle magazine for dental professionals, which can be accessed at this link: https://viewer.zmags.com/publication/636592a9.
Coverage of The Lucy Hobbs Project 2^nd Annual Celebration Honoring Exemplary Women in the Dental Community will appear in the fall edition of Incisal Edge, set to publish in September. For details, visit: https://www.benco.com/incisaledge/

Powered by Benco Dental, The Lucy Hobbs Project is a national, long-term program which empowers women in dentistry to drive change and deliver results through three pillars: networking, innovation and giving back. Free to join, the project aims to bring women together from all facets of the dental industry for networking opportunities, education programs and charitable events.

Representing the American Association of Women Dentists, Jennifer J. Cornell, DDS, accepted a $10,000 donation from The Lucy Hobbs Project to Smiles For Success, an organization that provides free dental work to women re-entering the workforce after surviving a personal setback.

Throughout the day, attendees were treated to professional headshots and three Continuing Education opportunities, courtesy of Benco Dental and event sponsors: KaVo Kerr Group, Crest, OralB, Heraeus Kulzer, OnPharma, Hu-Friedy, Microflex and Sunstar Americas Inc. Presentations in the areas of finance, trends in dentistry, and social media, were directed by Teresa Gast, CPA, Eric S. Solomon, DDS, MA, and Crystal Washington, respectively.

Hired by companies including Google, Microsoft and GE when they want their teams to take action online, author and internationally – acclaimed expert Crystal Washington tailored a discussion on social media specifically to the dental professionals in attendance. For those who participated in Orlando and want to continue the discussion, or professionals who were unable to attend, The Lucy Hobbs Project will offer a Virtual Innovation Meeting July 11 at 11 a.m.: Social Media Part II during which Washington will outline the cultures of the largest social networks and the best way to use them; discuss how age and other demographics affect your social media strategy and explain how those in the dental industry can best use her expert tips for increasing engagement.

Upcoming regional events in the marketplace include: