Meet the Dental Team – Lacey, WA
Meet Our Friendly & Compassionate Team
Our team is what truly makes our practice special. They strive to create a welcoming and warm environment for patients to be treated in. They want to flip the script on the traditional cold, clinical feeling that patients get whenever they visit the dentist and instead aim to create a family-friendly feeling that eases any nerves or anxieties patients may have. By providing personalized and attentive care, they’re able to truly connect with patients and help determine their unique needs better. Learn more about some of the friendly faces you’ll see around our practice by reading below.
Monica, Office Manager
Monica is our practice’s amazing Office Manager. Since earning her associate degree from Centralia Community College, she’s worked in dentistry for nearly thirty years. Her long tenure has only made her happier to work with a terrific dental team and provide positive patient outcomes.
Away from the office, Monica devotes much of her time to her family. In particular, she looks after her husband, two daughters, a son, and a German shorthaired pointer named Oakley. That often means serving as “a taxi and cheerleader” for her three kids as they play school sports. Still, she’s done many cool things over the years – she played a small role in “10 Things I Hate About You” and was once a kickboxer.
Lanette, Accounts Receivable
Originally born in South Dakota, Lanette moved to Washington as a toddler. She received her dental assistant training from Puget Sound Institute of Technology and started working as an assistant in 1983, eventually transitioning to the front office in 2002. She joined our practice in September of 2015 and is very happy to be part of a team that’s made up of fun professionals who are passionate about providing quality dentistry! She has one grown son and now lives in Lacey with a long-lost love from 30 years ago. Her hobbies include fishing, camping, target shooting, and cooking.
Fun Fact about Lanette: She can say the alphabet backwards faster than most people can say it in order!
McKenzie, Treatment Coordinator
McKenzie has been working in dentistry for more than six years now. She studied at Clover Park Technical College and is trained as a Registered Dental Assistant. What she likes most about her position is being able to form wonderful connections with the patients.
McKenzie is very close with her family, so she loves spending her time outside the dental office with them, especially if it involves camping at the ocean. Other hobbies of hers include hiking and skiing. In fact, she thinks she can ski better than she can walk!
Teri, Insurance Coordinator
As a native of Lacey, WA, Teri has been working at our practice for well over a decade and counting. She began her career in the dental field by earning her Associate of Technical Arts and Dental Assistant Certificate from South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia, WA. She’s worked at our practice since graduating college, has been Dental Assisting National Board certified, and made her way to Patient Care Coordinator. Now, she enjoys interacting with patients, making connections, and helping people navigate and make the most of their dental benefits.
If she isn’t at the office, Teri is likely at home hanging out with her husband, their two wonderful boys, and her three dogs. She enjoys watching sports like football, hockey, baseball, and MMA. She loves to watch and support her boys while they play baseball or soccer, is active on their baseball league board, and is a member of their school’s PTA. She likes watching movies, journaling, and reading her favorite books. One interesting thing about her: she can wiggle her ears!
Charene, Scheduling Coordinator
Originally from Pahoa, Hawaii, Charene loves being able to make our patients smile. She applied for a front desk reception job at a dental office without any experience and has been learning as much as possible ever since. You can find her at the office making sure that patients are scheduled for their appointments properly so that the practice runs smoothly.
Charene lives with her wife Chevette and they have a pet dog named Maluhia. Other than spending time with her family and loved ones, she also enjoys cooking, baking, and crafting. Being near water is also a favorite of hers since she was born and raised in Hawaii, and she also loves traveling and going on road trips—she’s driven across the U.S. twice now from West to East and back. She’s also a licensed esthetician!
Kasey, Dental Hygienist
A native of Lacey, WA, Kasey earned her Bachelor of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene from Pierce College. After three years of assisting while in dental school, she is now a dental hygienist! For her, the best part of her job is building relationships with her patients and making people smile.
In her free time, Kasey loves soaking up as much sun as the Washington weather permits, preferably by the water. She enjoys going to the coast, being out on local lakes, and finding new waterfalls to chase after. Some of her other hobbies include baking, cooking, and spending time with loved ones. Here’s a fun fact about her: she has wanted to be a dental hygienist since she was 12 years old!
Ashley, Dental Hygienist
Ashley loves coming into work each day to build relationships with patients and help them feel better about their smile. In fact, those are the two aspects of her job that she loves most! Before joining our team, she attended Pierce College in Lakewood. Outside the office, she’s a mom to two boys that are her whole world. As for her hobbies, she enjoys riding ATVs, camping, hiking, and being outdoors.
Fun fact about Ashley: cleaning is her stress reliever!
Photo and Bio coming soon!
Donna, Dental Hygienist
Donna has been working in dentistry for an amazing 35+ years so far, and she’s always ready to help our patients feel welcomed, comfortable, well taken care of! She studied at the Fort Steilacoom Dental Hygiene School and has additional training in BLS, First Aid, and suicide prevention.
Away from work, Donna has two children and one grandchild, as well as several family members who live in Germany. On the weekends, one of her biggest hobbies is riding her horse in dressage, show jumping, and cross-country jumping events. She also has two Boston Terriers who go EVERYWHERE with her.
Susie, Dental Hygienist
Susie studied dental hygiene at both Savannah Technical College and Augusta University. She also has valuable experience in pediatric dentistry. Today, she’s been working in this field for over five years. She has a true passion for the field and strives to help her patients meet their health-related goals while also building trust with them that will last!
At home, Susie and her husband William have three dogs: Max (a Pomeranian), Ruger (a German Shepherd), and Yuki (a miniature Shi Tzu). Outside of working hours, you can typically find her working out, binge watching TV, baking, tackling home projects (with William’s help), and traveling.
Andrea, Dental Hygienist
Born and raised in Olympia, WA, Andrea attended Peirce College to obtain her Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene and then worked as a dental hygienist at Yelm Dental before joining our team. With several years of experience under her belt, her favorite thing about her job is helping patients achieve their oral health goals while improving their smiles. Away from the office, Andrea lives with her husband, their son, and their two dogs. Other than helping to enhance the quality of life of others, she also enjoys going to the beach, biking, crafts, camping, and attending soccer events with family.
One fun fact about her: she’s flown a plane!
Erika, Dental Assistant/Sterilization Technician
Having worked in dentistry for several years now, Erika is an excellent member of the team. Her training from the Olympia Dental Assistant School lets her assist with various treatments! In particular, she loves that her work lets her learn new things daily and see patients get better and brighter smiles.
When Erika isn’t busy at the dental office, she enjoys hanging out with her family, going on long walks and hikes, trying new things, traveling, and learning all about different cultures.
Shelby, Certified Dental Assistant
Shelby looks forward to coming to our office each day because she truly loves the people she serves and works with. She completed her dental training at Clover Park Technical College and has previous experience in pediatric dentistry.
Originally from Tumwater, Shelby and her husband were married in 2018 and had their daughter in 2022 and son in 2024. Their family is completed by their dog, Ollie. When she isn’t at the office or hanging out at home, she likes to stay active by skiing, golfing, and hiking.
Jaylin, Dental Assistant
Jaylin was born and raised right here in Lacey, WA! She attended the dental assisting program at South Puget Sound Community College and became a certified dental assistant after taking a national board exam. Now, she’s proud to use her education and training to help patients have a smile they are proud of. Outside the office, she enjoys spending time with her spouse and their really energetic dog, reading, hiking, and traveling. In fact, she’s been to Mexico, Hawaii, and the Dominican Republic.
Fun fact about Jaylin: 27 is her lucky number! Her, her dad, and her aunt have birthdays on the 27th, she got married on the 27th, and her number in dental assisting school was 27.
Josie, Registered Dental Assistant
Although Josie grew up in a military family, she would like to say her hometown is Washington. With well over two decades of experience, she loves providing dental care in her community, meeting new and interesting people, and getting to work with a great team. She studied at Clover Park Technical College to become a registered dental assistant, and while she’s worked in endo and oral surgery offices, her favorite is general dentistry.
Josie is married to her wonderful husband and they have two amazing teenage boys. They enjoy going to Mariners games as well as traveling throughout Washington State for their sons’ baseball tournaments. She also does family game nights twice a month, playing board games and one video game. In her free time, she loves going to the movies with her husband, practicing the piano, baking, hiking, working out, and traveling when possible.
Natasha, Sterilization Tech
Natasha is originally from Oakland, California! She joined our team and the world of dentistry in 2022, and she absolutely loves learning new things every day. When she isn’t at our office, you’ll most likely find her with her husband, their two children, and their two dogs. She also enjoys using her free time to hike and cook.
Fun fact about Natasha: she’s a quick learner, and she loves to keep moving!
Natalie, Sterilization Technician
Natalie is a proud native of Lacey, WA. One of the things she loves about her job at our practice is getting to work alongside so many kind and hardworking people. When it comes to her hobbies, she loves music (particularly playing the guitar), hiking, photography, and spending time outside. She regularly does volunteer construction work with Jehovah’s Witnesses.