ADHA Announces Recipient of 2007 Discus Dental/ADHA Distinguished Service Award – Hope Garza, RDH, BS

Chicago, July 20, 2007—The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) has named Hope Garza, RDH, BS, of Houston, Texas, as a recipient of the 2007 Discus Dental/ADHA Distinguished Service Award. She was honored during the opening ceremonies at ADHA’s 84th annual session in New Orleans, La., on June 22nd.

The award is presented to ADHA members who have provided exemplary service to ADHA, its constituents, and its components. Each winner has a minimum of 10 years of ADHA active membership and association leadership, has advanced the art and science of dental hygiene through service to the association, and was nominated by their constituent.

Garza graduated from Texas Woman's University’s Denton, Texas campus in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene. For the past 32 years, she has been working in a general practice setting; she is currently working with L. Russell Hollenbeck, DDS, in West Houston.

A past president of the Texas Dental Hygienists’ Association (TDHA) from 1998-1999, Garza is currently serving as Member Services Council Chair for the TDHA. On the national level, she has just completed four years as the District IX Trustee representing Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico on the ADHA Board of Trustees. She was recently elected as ADHA Treasurer at this year’s Annual Session.

ADHA is the largest national organization representing the professional interests of more than 120,000 dental hygienists across the country. Dental hygienists are preventive oral health professionals, licensed in dental hygiene, who provide educational, clinical and therapeutic services that support total health through the promotion of optimal oral health. For more information about ADHA, dental hygiene or the link between oral health and general health, visit ADHA at http://www.adha.org.

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