The Executive, a small group of eight elected members, provides clinical leadership to the oral health sector and advice to the Ministry of Health on oral health issues, with a particular emphasis on publicly-funded oral health services. Through the Chair, the Executive could also provide independent advice on oral health matters directly to the Minister of Health if necessary.
Executive membership is skills-based, rather than representative. Individually, members are regarded as leaders by their peers, are able to think strategically and to work across and between disciplines.
Moira is a Senior Research Fellow and Deputy Director of the Health Promotion and Policy Research Unit in the Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington; and member of the Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago.
A New Zealand Dental graduate, Katie is a specialist paediatric dentist and also holds a PhD in Dental Public Health. Katie has been awarded a membership of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons, a Fellowship of the International College of Dentists, and a Fellowship of the Academy of Dentistry International. She also holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Business (Governance) and is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors.
Katie was a director and trustee of Medical Assurance Society for 8 years. Having also completed an 8 year term on the New Zealand Dental Association (NZDA) Executive recently (where she served as president for her final two years), Katie has recently been reappointed as a trustee on the Braemar Hospital Charitable Trust, and has also been appointed as a director of the Braemar Hospital Board.
During the working week Katie splits her time between clinical paediatric dentistry, and as oral health advisor and approving dental officer to the 5 Midland DHBs. She enjoys providing mentorship to a range of dental practitioners, and has a particular interest in ensuring access to quality oral health services for all New Zealanders.
Lester graduated in 1988 from the University of Otago and purchased his own practice in 1995. In 2010 he took on the job of Clinical Director of Hospital Dental CDHB. Lester is passionate about dentistry and having a foot in both the private and public sectors he hopes to bring a broad understanding of dentistry and oral health to the OHCAN executive.
Jonathan is passionate about a better and fairer oral health future in Aotearoa New Zealander. He completed his primary dental qualification at Otago in 2003 and is now a Dental Public Health Specialist and Associate Professor at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago. Jonathan has teaching and teaching coordination roles in the dental public health & epidemiology in the undergraduate and postgraduate dental curricula at Otago. He has previously worked in private dental practice and taught clinically at all levels of the Otago undergraduate dental curriculum.
Jonathan conducts research as dental principal investigator with the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study. He Jonathan is current president of the New Zealand Section of the International Association for Dental Research and a past president of the Otago Branch of the New Zealand Dental Association. He is a recipient of the New Zealand Dental Association’s Award for Research (2001) and Outstanding Young Dentist Award (2011), the NZ Health Research Council’s Liley Medal (2017), the International Association for Dental Research ANZ Division Investigator Award in Preventive and Community Dentistry (2015), and was a joint recipient of the New Zealand Prime Minister’s Science Prize (2016). He has been awarded a number of research grants as principal ($1.4 M) or co-investigator ($8.2 M) and has had around 100 articles published in the scientific literature. He has editorial roles with the New Zealand Dental Journal (Scientific Editor), the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand (Associate Editor), and BMC Oral Health (Associate Editor).
Jenny graduated from the University of Sheffield with honours in 2002. She then worked in a number of services in the UK including NHS practice, at Newcastle upon Tyne dental school, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and community dental services. Qualifications were completed to become a Member of the Faculty of Dental Surgery (MFDS) and a diploma in Conscious Sedation in Dentistry (merit).
An opportunity arose to move to New Zealand arose, and this has led to 11 years happily here. After a short period in private practice, Jenny started as a community dentist for Waikato DHB. Particular interests have been developed in molar hypomineralisation, and providing care under nitrous oxide sedation and general anaesthesia. A Masters in Dental Public Health (merit) was gained in 2019. Jenny has also worked with Lakes DHB to be Clinical Director of Community Oral Health.
Pauline Koopu (Ngāti Konohi, Te Whānau A Apanui, Ngāti Kahu) is a Public Health Dentist currently working for Auckland DHB. She is a proud member of Te Ao Marama (and a past Tumuaki and exec member). Her research interests include Māori oral health, equity, inequalities and indigenous oral health. She is also mum to Anituatua, Reremoana and Hoera.
Kathy is the Clinical Director for Wellington’s Regional Community Oral Health Service-Bee Healthy Regional Dental Service. Kathy is responsible for the clinical governance and oversight of provision of high quality, equitable oral health care for Tamariki in the region from birth until school Year 8. Her interests are focused on child-centred care, supported by healthy practices in the home and community, to allow all tamariki to have the best chance of having and maintaining great oral health. In addition, she is passionate about working in partnership with experts and communities to ensure service provision is appropriate and acceptable for all and meets the obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Kathy believes this approach gives children the very best chance to have good oral health for life.
Samuel Carrington (Te Arawa, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Pikiao) is a registered oral health therapist who has experience in the public and private oral health sectors in Aotearoa, a Lecturer and Associate Dean Māori at the University of Otago’s Te Kaupeka Pūniho - Faculty of Dentistry. Samuel is currently an Executive member of Te Ao Mārama (NZ Māori Dental Association), Vice-President of the New Zealand Dental Hygienists’ Association (NZDHA) and Te Ao Mārama Representative on the New Zealand Dental and Oral Health Therapists Association (NZDOHTA) Board. Samuel is a founding member of the New Zealand Oral Health Association, winding up the current NZDHA and NZDOHTA associations. Samuel remains committed to Te Ao Mārama’s vision hei oranga niho mot e iwi Māori, good oral health for Māori, for life.
