Oral Health Champion Awards
Oral Health Champion Awardees are selected by the Board, upon recommendation of the Conference Committee, based on significant state-level work on oral health policy and contributing to improving Missouri's oral health or contributing to making oral health and oral health policy a priority for policy-makers and the Missouri public.
Dr. John Dane is Missouri’s State Dental Director. This position is co-located at the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and MO HealthNet Division of the Missouri Department of Social Services. He previously was Dental Director for Truman Medical Center Lakewood, Kansas City, MO, for the Independence, MO, school-based dental program, and for the Missouri Elks Mobile Dental Program. He was an associate professor for the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Dentistry from 1977 to 2002. For almost 10 years, Dr. Dane was the chief dental consultant for Swope Ridge Geriatric Center in Kansas City, and he has been a staff member at John Knox Village Care Center in Lee’s Summit, MO. He has taught continuing education courses and has co-authored works on community health and specialty care programs for both the American Dental Association and the Missouri Dental Association (MDA). In 2014 Dr. Dane received MDA’s Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his long history of exemplary service and dedication to the dental profession and to organized dentistry. In addition to the American Dental Association, the Missouri Dental Association, and the Greater Kansas City Dental Association, Dr. Dane is a member of the American Society for Geriatric Dentistry and the Academy of Dentistry for the Persons with Disabilities. He is a graduate of the UMKC School of Dentistry.
Bruce H. Collignon DDS earned his degree at UMKC School of Dentistry. He retired from General Practice in 2018 after 43 years in House Springs, Missouri. Drs. Suter and Dane have encouraged modifications in quiet retirement by pushing Bruce to action in community fluoridation efforts.
Kelley Vollmar has served in public health for over 20 years and currently holds the role of Director at Jefferson County Health Department. Kelley lives in DeSoto, Missouri with her husband Joe and their eight children. Kelley is the Chair of the Missouri Association of Local Public Health Agencies (MOALPHA) and serves as a member of the #HealthierMO - Transforming the Future of Public Health in Missouri Advisory Council and Hillsboro Rotary, and as a Board Member of the Missouri Institute for Community Health (MICH), Missouri Center for Public Health Excellence (MOCPHE), Missouri Coalition for Oral Health, Jefferson County Health Network, Jefferson County Public Safety Commission, Jefferson County Community Partnership, and Get Healthy DeSoto. Kelley believes that, “public health leadership requires the ability to see the potential within a community, the passion to pursue that change and the patience to achieve community transformation.”
Patricia Bowman is a citizen advocate of the team advocating the continuation of fluoride in the water system to the Festus/Herculaneum Water Board. Patricia graduated from Webster University with a BA in history political science. After graduation she worked in the medical/legal field. Her last position before retiring was as a Claim Manager in Washington University School of Medicine's Risk Management Department. Patricia is a past president of the Kimmswick Historical Society. Patricia and her husband enjoy swing dancing and have traveled to dance conventions all over the country. Since retiring she has more time to pursue my hobbies of quilting, reading and "lunching" with friends.
Laura Hagood has a Bachelor of Science in physiology from Murray State - Murray, KY, and a Masters in Business Administration from William Woods University - Fulton, MO. Laura is passionate about public health and has devoted 24 years to the field in a variety of roles.