Named in honor of our founder, Mrs. Virginia “Gini” Brown, the Gini Awards recognize orthodontic providers, volunteers and individuals who have gone above and beyond to inspire hope, raise self-esteem and help change the lives of children across North America.
An awards ceremony and reception will be held on Saturday, October 19, 2019, at The Carriage Club in Kansas City, MO.
In recognition of their outstanding service to children’s oral health, the following individuals and organizations were selected as honorees for the prestigious Gini Awards
9th Annual Gini Award Honorees
Distinguished Service Award
Susan Oswalt Gibbons
Ms. Susan Oswalt Gibbons has been a dedicated ambassador for SCL for the past 16 years. Susan served on the Board of Directors for eight years, as well as sharing her expertise and becoming a key marketing consultant for the SCL staff. She continues her support to SCL’s mission and will always be an important member of the SCL family.
Orthodontic Providers – Excellence in Service to Smiles Change Lives Participants
Dedicated Provider Since 2015
Dr. Robert Meister in Santa Margarita has been an SCL provider since 2015 and was pivotal in getting SCL endorsed by the California Association of Orthodontists along with Dr. Susan Zand. This has led to the recruitment of over 40 doctors in the state and hundreds of SCL kids getting into treatment. We thank Dr. Meister for his ongoing support and enthusiasm in bracing kids for a better future.
Dedicated Provider Since 2017
Dr. David Muench in Vestal, New York has been an SCL provider since 2017 and is one of the first SCL providers to initiate an SCL screening day. These are days when an orthodontic provider agrees to review many children for possible treatment in one day. These events have blossomed to helping hundreds of children nationwide. We thank Dr. Muench for his ongoing support and enthusiasm for enhancing the lives of the children in his community.
Dedicated Provider Since 2015
Dr. Jeremy Smith in Rogers, AR has been an SCL provider since 2015. Dr. Smith and his staff are so wonderful to work with and has constantly kept the wait times down in Northwest Arkansas.. To date Dr. Smith’s office has treated 35 SCL Kids! We thank Dr. Smith for his outstanding efforts to help kids in his surrounding communities.
Dedicated Provider Since 2015
“Since we introduced SCL program to CAO (California Association of Orthodontists) a few years ago, it’s been very rewarding to see so many orthodontists participate. And as a result we’ve been able to increase access greatly to individuals in our state who couldn’t afford the treatment needed otherwise.”
Outstanding Orthodontic Team
Dr. Tejjy Thomas’ staff at Center City Orthodontics is being honored for their participation and commitment to helping children in the greater Philadelphia area receive access to braces. We can always count on the team of Center City Orthodontics to be responsive to our staff and welcome SCL participants and their families with kindness.
Volunteer
Ms. Hannah Ragsdale 
Hannah came to us via the UMKC Pre-Dental Society in October of 2017 and we knew right away she was going to be a vital member of our volunteer team. For nearly two years she has donated over 150 hours of service. Hannah supported our staff in many various projects, from Marketing to data management, to helping with flower arrangements for last year’s Gini Awards. Her main focus was assisting SCL’s Director of Marketing, Melanie Johnston.
Hannah ended her sophomore year at UMKC in May of 2019, but will be graduating in early December 2019 with a Biology (BS) degree. She has submitted her application to UMKC School of Dentistry this year as well, and will hear back from them mid-July. Fingers crossed!
Volunteering weekly during the school year, Hannah always brings an excellent work ethic and enthusiasm for our mission. We are grateful for her dedication and passion in giving back to her community, and supporting SCL in bracing kids for a better future!
Business Partner
Burleson Seminars is a practice management company that is owned and operated by Dr. Dustin Burleson who is also an SCL Provider and a previous Gini Award Winner for his orthodontic practice. He and his team refer their private clients to join SCL as Providers, encourages them to take as many kids as possible, and offers us booth space at all of his events.
Sponsor
Dentalfone offers dental websites and marketing for dentists. Several years ago, they developed a mobile app exclusive to our providers allowing them direct access to information and forms they need.
9th Annual Gini Award Sponsors
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Brown
Ms. Lisa Shepard
