Board of Directors
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Dr. Usa BunnagPresident and FounderDr. Usa Bunnag is a graduate of the Howard University School of Dentistry and was recognized as one of the Montgomery College 2005 Outstanding Alumni Recipients for her extraordinary work in the community. Aside from owning a dental practice, Dr. Bunnag is also the Founder and President of Smiles on Wings. Both the Governor of Maryland and the Ministry of Public Health in Thailand have recognized her philanthropic efforts since 2003. In 2017, Dr. Bunnag became the first woman and immigrant to receive the ADA's Humanitarian Award, a distinguished honor.
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Dana YoungVice PresidentDana Young has provided health research support to the Federal Government, primarily the National Institutes of Health, since 1992. She received her law degree from State University of New York at Buffalo and Bachelors degree in Health Policy from Duke University. She is a graduate of Leadership Montgomery 2007, where she first met Dr. Bunnag and learned about the mission and work of Smiles on Wings. She joined the Smiles on Wings Board of Directors in 2008.
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Dr. Nancy TilkinSecretaryDr. Tilkin is a Magna Cum Laude Graduate of the University of Maryland Dental School where she was awarded numerous honors for outstanding leadership and academic excellence. After completing a general practice residency at the Veterans Administration in Washington, D.C., Dr. Tilkin returned to the University of Maryland for her postgraduate orthodontic training. Dr. Tilkin serves as the Secretary of Smiles on Wings and is also very active in both the local community and school organizations.
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Peter KovachPublic RelationsPeter Kovach focuses on public relations and communications. He is a retired senior U.S. diplomat with a specialty in public diplomacy. In addition to his work with Smiles on Wings, he is an interfaith activist, a teacher of mindfulness meditation and philosophy of religion. He works around the edges of the 15 year old initiative to increase diplomatic interaction with religious actors, communities and values and helps craft Department of State's professional exchanges while filling in from time to time at U.S. missions abroad. His wife, Piyawan, is a Thai-American artist.
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Bill HoffmanFundraising Committee ChairBill attended the University of Colorado and Cal State Northridge. He spent 30 years of his working life as a makeup artist for motion picture and television, then as a talent agent and manager and subsequently in concert and festival promotion. In 1981 he left the entertainment business and returned to Maryland. Currently, he works as a non-attorney in the law office of Joel I. Hoffman, LLC. After volunteering with Smiles on Wings as coordinator of its 2013 Tenth Anniversary Gala, Bill joined the board in October of 2015.
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Tiffany LinStrategic Planning AdvisorTiffany Lin first joined Smiles on Wings in 2010 and formerly served as Executive Director. She received her B.S. in Bioengineering from the University of Maryland and pursued graduate studies in Dental Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Tiffany is a Management Consultant at Accenture and is also actively involved in pro-bono consulting initiatives for other DC area nonprofits.
Mariel ShillingFUNDRAISING COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRMariel joined our board in 2019. Prior to joinging the board, she worked as Smiles on Wings Director of Giving and Donor Relations. She also participated in the January 2015 Mission Trip. Outside of Smiles on Wings, Mari works as the Assitant Director of Institutional Partnerships and Admissions at Washington Center. She has also spent years working in study abroad and has lived and taught in over 5 continents. Mari is passionate about the value of education and partnership and brings those skills to her work for Smiles on Wings.
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Emeritus Board Members
Gary Hayward - Treasurer
Frances Bernstein - Grant Writer
Sue Graham - Project Advisor
Frances Bernstein - Grant Writer
Sue Graham - Project Advisor
Thailand Staff
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Jakrapong (Aek) SrimaungProgram DirectorAek is the Director of the Maelid Village Community Hospital in Maesariang. Dr. Bunnag, our President and Founder, met Aek on one of her earlier missions in 2005 while he was serving as the community health officer in a remote village of Sobmauy on the border of Thailand and Myanmar. Since that meeting, Aek and his wife, Aree, have been an integral part of Smiles on Wings. He currently oversees the scholarship and dental projects in Thailand. Aek is recognized in Thailand for his dedication to the communities he serves. He was one of the recipients of Her Majesty the Queen of Thailand Top Citizen Award.
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Pondara (Dan) SitaLead Dental AssistantDan is our lead dental assistant and has been involved with Smiles on Wings since its founding in 2003. Dan is a certified dental assistant for Maesariang Hospital. He is in charge of all the dental equipment and supplies and makes sure that both of our clinics in Takuapa and Maesariang run smoothly.
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Pachuen WongwijitBookkeeper/AccountantPachuen is in charge of all our finances in Thailand. He is a retired bank manager. Pachuen has been an integral volunteer for Smiles on Wings since 2007.
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Ratchanee (Ood) WongwijitCoordinatorOod is a retired nurse and anesthetist. She serves as our coordinator and liaison in Thailand. Like her husband, she has been part of Smiles on Wings since 2007.
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United States Staff
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Marina FilevaAdministrative AssistantMarina Fileva is recent graduate of University of Maryland, College Park. In May 2020, she earned a Bachelors of Science in Cell Biology and Genetics. Marina plans on attending dental school and volunteering for dental non-profits when she is a dentist. Marina has been contributing to Smiles on Wings since 2015.
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