President

Jessica August, MSDH, RDH, CDA, FADHA

Jessica August serves as the 100th President of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA), where she leads efforts to advance the dental hygiene profession through advocacy, innovation, and collaboration. A passionate educator, administrator, and longtime ADHA volunteer, Jessica has served the Association at the local, state, and national levels. She is committed to expanding opportunities for dental hygienists, promoting evidence-based practice, and increasing access to high-quality preventive oral healthcare.

Jessica is the Assistant Dean of Allied Dental Education Programs at Yakima Valley College in Washington, where she provides administrative leadership for allied dental education programs while fostering innovation, continuous improvement, and student success. Throughout her career, she has held faculty and administrative roles in dental hygiene and allied health education, promoting educational excellence, workforce development, and interprofessional collaboration.

With nearly two decades of experience spanning clinical practice, higher education, and academic leadership, Jessica has championed the essential role dental hygienists play in prevention, early disease detection, patient education, public health, and integrated healthcare delivery. She is an accomplished author whose work includes peer-reviewed publications, textbook chapters, and professional articles. As a national speaker, she presents on leadership, dental hygiene education, workforce development, and the future of oral healthcare.

Jessica earned a Master of Science in Dental Hygiene from the University of Bridgeport, Fones School of Dental Hygiene, and a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene. She is a Fellow of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (FADHA), an honor recognizing her sustained contributions to the profession and the Association.

As ADHA President, Jessica believes the future of dental hygiene depends on collaborative leadership, meaningful partnerships, and a shared commitment to excellence. She is dedicated to empowering dental hygienists, cultivating future leaders, strengthening the profession, and expanding access to oral healthcare.