Meet Our Harrisonburg Dental Team
At Harrisonburg Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, our doctors are proud to have the ongoing support of such a capable and dedicated team that always puts the patient’s needs first! They’ll enjoy getting to know you and helping you feel at ease as you move from the front desk to the treatment chair, and we ensure that everyone undergoes a solid amount of continuing education each year in order to bolster their skills even further. To learn more about our hygienists, assistants, and more, keep reading:
Cassie, Reception/ Front Office
Cassie comes
to us all the way from West Portsmouth, OH, and she’ll likely be one of the first friendly faces
you’ll see when you come to visit us! While she is relatively new to dentistry, she actually has 13 years
of experience in the medical field. As part of our front desk team, she says her favorite part about her job is
helping and getting to know our wonderful patients. Away from the office, she likes to spend her time traveling,
snorkeling, reading, crafting, woodworking, and taking her beloved Wheaten Terrier, Buddy, to the dog park.
Melba, Front Office/Insurance Coordinator
Melba first
joined our office nine years ago, and she has 11 years of overall experience in the field. She earned her
Associates in Accounting from the National Business of College, graduating with High Honors. Additionally, she
is certified in CPR and First Aid, X-rays and CareCredit. Melba is currently a member of the American
Association of Dental Office Managers (AADOM). Just being able to give patients a great smile means the world to
her!
Originally from Broadway, Melba has a fiancé named Jeremie, a daughter named Brooklyn (who also works here!), and she also has 2 grandchildren, Ashlynn and Rhyatt. Outside of work, her hobbies include taking care of the animals on the farm (chickens, cows, goats, and pigs), being with family and friends, swimming, and fishing. Melba loves to go to the beach.
Something interesting about Melba: she has a big heart and enjoys helping anyone that she can.
Craig, Dental Hygienist
Craig has seven years of
experience in dentistry, having spent the last five as part of our team. In the past, he attended both
Bridgewater College and Virginia Commonwealth University, earning his Bachelor of Arts in Dental Hygiene from
the latter. He loves the people he works with!
Craig originally hails from Bridgewater, and he is married with three children named Winter, Autumn and Titus. His interests include soccer, hiking, camping, backpacking, and playing music.
Something interesting about Craig: he once spent several weeks in the rainforests of Costa Rica doing ecological research.
Brandy, Dental Hygienist
Brandy has been working as a
dental hygienist since 2013, and she loves getting to know her patients well and helping them regain their best
smiles. She studied at Blue Ridge Community College and earned her Associates in Dental Hygiene from Virginia
Western Community College’s joint venture program at Danville Community College. She is certified in CPR
and local anesthesia.
Originally from right here in Harrisonburg, Brandy and her husband Billy have a daughter named Chloe and a son named Cooper. In her free time, she enjoys being with family, camping, shopping, and swimming.
Something interesting about Brandy: Her family is her world and ice cream is her weakness!
Heidi, Dental Hygienist
Heidi is from
Grottoes, and she attended the Dental Hygiene program at Lord Fairfax Community College. She also has advanced
training in first aid, CPR, local anesthesia, and periodontal laser therapy. Today, what she enjoys most about
her job is being able to assist her patients with their needs so they have the ability to feel better with a
healthy, radiant smile!
Outside of work, Heidi is very close with her family, and they often enjoy getting together to cook a meal or ride bikes around the park. As for personal hobbies, you can usually find her doing activities outdoors, traveling, or playing with Bruno, her Labradoodle.
Something interesting about Heidi: she can lick her elbow!
Katherine, Hygiene & Sterilization Assistant
Katherine deeply enjoys
getting to work alongside such a skilled and motivated team every day while helping our patients get their
smiles back. She completed her training at the Valley Career and Technical Center and earned her X-ray
certificate at VCU. Away from the office, she likes to spend most of her free time with family, ideally playing
with her niece and nephews. On the weekends, you’ll often find her cooking, baking, playing pickleball, or
beating everyone at board games.
Ciende, Dental Assistant
Ciende is from here
in Harrisonburg, and she’s been a member of our team for 14 years with 18 years spent in the dental field
as a whole. She’s also certified in X-rays and has advanced training in CEREC and mini dental implants.
She loves seeing transformations happen in patients' lives once their smiles are improved.
Ciende is the busy mom of two very active children, and her interests outside of work include spending time with her family, going to the beach, and doing mud runs!
Maria, Dental Assistant
Maria received her
dental education from the Massanutten Technical Center. She also has additional training in dental radiation.
She is originally from Mexico and speaks fluent Spanish, which goes a long way towards helping our Hispanic
patients feel right at home.
Maria has a small family who tend to be quiet until you get to know them. When she has free time, she enjoys cooking, hiking, and athletic activities. She has a big, outgoing personality!
Something interesting about Maria: She loves being outdoors but is terrified of all types of bugs.
Diana, Dental Assistant
Since joining our team. Diana
has thoroughly enjoyed helping people feel more confident with their smiles. Previously, she attended
Massanutten Technical Center, which is where she earned her dental assistant certificate. She also took a course
at Lord Fairfax Community College and earned her dental radiation certification. Now, she has more than three
years of experience in the dental field!
Diana has a mom, dad, older brother, and younger sister. Some of her favorite ways to spend her free time are going to car shows with her brother and skiing with her family.
Something interesting about Diana: she went cliff-jumping in Los Angeles!
Sharon, Office Administrator
Originally from
Mount Solon, Sharon has been working in dentistry for three and a half years so far. She earned her Bachelor of
Science in Computer Science from Virginia Tech and is currently a member of the AADOM (American Association of
Dental Office Managers). She loves working with such friendly and caring people!
Sharon and her husband Dale have two grown children. When she isn’t at the office, she enjoys reading, helping her husband on the farm, gardening, and cooking.
Something interesting about Sharon: she grew up on a dairy farm and now lives on a beef and poultry farm.
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