Steve Kess, vice president of professional relations for Henry Schein Inc, has been named chairman of the ADA Give Kids a Smile (GKAS) National Advisory Board. Kess, who served on the ADA Foundation Board for many years, has been a leader of Henry Schein’s support of GKAS as exclusive distributor of professional products since the program’s inception 5 years ago.
"Give Kids a Smile is the perfect example of how effective voluntary public-private partnerships can be in benefiting underserved populations and drawing attention to important health care issues," said James B. Bramson, DDS, executive director of the ADA. "Our members have embraced the opportunity to give back to children in need in their own communities. With the support of Sullivan-Schein Dental, Henry Schein’s US Dental group, Colgate-Palmolive, and Dexis LLC—our two other primary corporate sponsors—we have been able to build upon this professional commitment to add to the scope and impact of Give Kids a Smile."
The appointment of Kess as the first nondental chairman for an ADA board is a reflection of his direct involvement in building GKAS from a pilot program into a national initiative.
