Dr. Brett Durbin (DDS 2014) has been named the 2024 Missouri Dental Association (MDA) Outstanding New Dental Leader Award winner. This award recognizes an MDA member in dental practice 10 years or fewer who has demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities, professional and ethical conduct, and volunteer activities in their community and organized dentistry.
Dr. Durbin A Springfield, MO native and practitioner, has been a notable new dentist leader since his graduation from the UMKC School of Dentistry in 2014. He has served in numerous roles at the state level, including trustee to the MDA Board, delegate to the MDA House, MDA Legislative and Regulatory Committee member and past president of the Greater Springfield Dental Society, past member of the Missouri Academy of General Dentistry Board and the Academy of General Dentistry New Dentist Committee, a fellow of the American College of Dentists, the Pierre Fauchard Academy and the International College of Dentists.
“Being a member of our wonderful profession and giving back to it in every way possible – whether through leadership, advocacy, outreach, education or participation in our rich community – is a sincere passion for me and I am thankful to be part of organized dentistry,” he said.
Dr. Jacqueline Miller, DDS, MS, MPH, (DDS ’91) has been named the 2024 Missouri Dental Association (MDA) Dentist of the Year Award winner. The Dentist of the Year Award recognizes a member dentist who has demonstrated outstanding service to the Association, to the profession of dentistry, and/or to the community in the past year.
Dr. Miller, a retired St. Louis area Orthodontist, served as State Dental Director in the Office of Dental Health (ODH) for the state of Missouri from August 1, 2022, to July 31, 2024. She accomplished a great deal on behalf of the oral health of the public as well as the profession during her time in the role. She actively engaged with Missouri dentists, and with organized dentistry, and was part of a key group to create the curriculum and training processes for the Oral Preventive Assistant pilot program, a type of expanded function dental auxiliary to help provide increased access to dental care. She provided orthodontic care in the communities of Washington, Union and Sullivan for 30 years.
Dr. Miller is a founding member of the Washington Overseas Medical and Dental Mission which has been taking place since 1992. She has been Vice President for 32 years, packing and coordinating 32 dental mission trips, and participating in country on 26 dental and construction mission trips as of 2024 and authored numerous grants funded through community organizations to fund this work.
In addition to completing her MPH degree in 2022, in 1991 she graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry and in 1993, completed her Master of Science and Certificate in Orthodontics from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry.
