ADA Names Communications and Marketing Leadership

The ADA announced promotions in its communications, marketing, and innovation segments to help expand the association’s influence.

The American Dental Association (ADA) announced that Leslee Williams was promoted to vice president of public and professional communications.

In the role, Williams will lead a team of experts in science, dental practice, health policy, and government affairs to research, analyze and develop insights to create and measure communications strategies positioning oral health as essential to overall health and the ADA as the nation’s leading, trusted oral health resource.

During her 22-year tenure with the ADA, Williams served in several roles, most recently as the senior director of communications. She led teams focused on implementing and measuring multi-year, omnichannel campaigns that resulted in a double-digit increase in positive/neutral media sentiment over a five-year period.

“The ADA and its members have faced unprecedented challenges in recent years, and Leslee is a respected communicator whose excellence, vision, and execution were key in helping dentists and their teams navigate the COVID-19 crisis,” said Raymond Cohlmia, DDS, executive director of ADA. “Working together with ADA leadership and expert staff, Leslee set the bar high for ADA to communicate early and as often to the dental profession and the public. Beyond crisis communications, she leads ADA reputation management and thought leadership, media, and public affairs, executive communications, and outreach to the public, empowering people to live healthier lives by learning how to protect their oral health and reduce their risk of oral disease.”

The ADA also announced that Pamela Von Lehmden was promoted to vice president, integrated marketing and brand experience.

In the new role, Von Lehmden will be overseeing a portfolio of integrated marketing and brand experience functions to accelerate the ADA’s Direct to Dentist (D2D) Customer Group and the overall ADA brand presence focused on delivering member growth, greater awareness, and engagement in ADA member values and value offerings.

Von Lehmden served as senior director of integrated marketing, brand strategy, and innovation, providing strategic development and execution of the ADA brand and vision. Additionally, she assumed oversight of the ADA Studios, where under her leadership, her team released the Dental Sound Bites Podcast – currently ranking among the top 25% of podcasts globally by Buzzsprout.

The ADA additionally announced that Stephanie Moritz was promoted to chief customer innovation officer. Moritz will lead the D2D Customer Group by creating value streams for all dentists across all practice modes, including students, early/middle/late career dentists, employee dentists, the dental team, and the dental industry.

Moritz will lead near-term customer innovation, optimizing existing value and creating new value, including experiences, products, services, programming, content, and programs for all dentists. She will also help the ADA to rapidly respond to unexpected events and the shifting of customer needs, value/values, and demographics by making delivery, products, and programs flexible to evolve with the changing landscape and new opportunities.

“It’s my privilege to share the promotion of Stephanie to chief customer innovation officer,” stated Raymond Cohlmia, DDS, executive director of ADA. “From the time she joined the ADA, Stephanie has been a catalyst for change and growth. She has demonstrated and exhibited a keen understanding of member needs, executing critical and analytical thinking, and successfully growing member engagement. I truly look forward to what’s to come in this new role.”