Wisconsin Dental Association swears in Manitowoc dentist Dr. Chris Hansen as president

WEST ALLIS, Wis. – Dr. Chris Hansen, a retired dentist who lives in Manitowoc and practiced in Two Rivers, was sworn in as president of the 3,100-member Wisconsin Dental Association (WDA) at the organization’s 153^rd House of Delegates, which was held in Middleton on Nov. 3 and 4. He will serve as president until November 2024.

Dr. Hansen has been an active member of the WDA for 40 years. He served on Wisconsin Dental Political Action Committee (WIDPAC) for over 11 years, including as chair from 2013-19. He has been a member of the WDA Legislative Advocacy Committee from 2009-21 and served as the ADA 9^th District American Dental Political Action Committee representative from 2017-19. Dr. Hansen represented the Northeast Region on the WDA Board of Trustees from 2015-21, served as a delegate to the ADA House of Delegates from 2015-20, and was president of the Manitowoc Calumet County Dental Society from 1996-98. He is a Marquette University School of Dentistry (MUSoD) graduate and a fellow of the Pierre Fauchard Academy, the International College of Dentists (ICD) and American College of Dentists (ACD). Dr. Hansen is an active volunteer in his community and charitable dental programs such as the WDA Foundation’s Donated Dental Services and Mission of Mercy clinic.

Other 2023-24 leaders sworn in at the WDA House include:

• President-Elect Dr. Tom Reid, a general dentist in Madison. Dr. Reid most recently served as WDA vice president. Prior to that, he represented the Southwest Region on the WDA Board of Trustees from 2015-22. He has served on the WDA Insurance and Services Corporation Board since 2018, and was a member of the WDA Membership Development Committee from 2015-19. Dr. Reid held several leadership roles in the Greater Dane Dental Society, including president from 2013-14. He served as a delegate to the ADA House of Delegates from 2017-21 and was a WDA Leadership Academy participant in 2015. He is a MUSoD graduate and fellow of the Pierre Fauchard Academy, the ICD and ACD.
• Vice President Dr. Rachel Steele, a general dentist in Black River Falls. Dr. Steele has been an active WDA member since 2004. Her service includes two terms on the WDA Board of Trustees representing the southwest region. Dr. Steele has also served in several leadership roles for her local dental society and represented her region as a WDA Delegate. In addition, she served as the WDA Board of Trustees liaison to the WDA Communications Committee from 2019-2023. Dr. Steele is a member of ICD and the Pierre Fauchard Academy.
• Immediate Past-President Dr. Christopher Johnson, a general dentist from Eau Claire. Dr. Johnson recently his concluded his 2022-23 term as WDA president. Prior to that, he served as the WDA Region 1-Northwest Trustee from 2014-20, WDA vice president and president-elect from 2020-21 and 2021-22, respectively. He has been an American Dental Association (ADA) 9^th District Delegate since 2015 and also served as president of the Eau Claire County Dental Society and the Northwest District Dental Society. He has been a member of the WDA Legislative, Membership Development, Long Range Planning, Executive, Finance and WIDPAC committees, and has been an active volunteer in the WDA Foundation’s Donated Dental Services and Mission of Mercy clinic.
• Speaker of the House Dr. Monica Hebl, a general dentist in Milwaukee. Dr. Hebl is a graduate of MUSoD and has been widely involved at all levels of organized dentistry. She has served as Speaker of the WDA House of Delegates since 2015, and also as president in 2008 and on numerous committees. She has represented the ADA as a delegate from 1999-2014 and 2016-19, and holds fellowship in the ICD, ACD and Pierre Fauchard Academy.
• At-large Trustee Dr. Andy Smith, a general dentist in Milwaukee. Dr. Smith has been an active WDA member since 2009. He has served as an at-large member of the WDA Board of Trustees since 2020. Prior to his election to the Board, Dr. Smith served in leadership roles for the Waukesha County Dental Society and Greater Milwaukee Dental Association. He also represented his region as a WDA Delegate in 2018. Dr. Smith served as chair for the 2023 Mission of Mercy, which was held in Green Bay in June. He is a member of ICD, ACD and the Pierre Fauchard Academy.

WDA Trustees recently re-elected to the Board include:

• Dr. Eric Childs, a general dentist in Manitowoc, representing Region 2 – Northeast.
• Dr. Kelly West, an endodontist in Grafton, representing Region 4 – Southeast.
• Dr. Tamim Sifri, a general dentist in Madison, representing Region 5 – Southwest.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.