Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/646776
The National Dental Association (NDA) has named LaVette C. Henderson as deputy executive director. Henderson, a NDA team member since 1997, has worked in a variety of capacities for the organization including financial manager and director of meetings and conventions. The NDA seeks to promote and raise oral healthcare awareness in our communities, and ensure equity in access to care. Bringing more than 20 years of experience in association management and leadership, Henderson identifies as her immediate goals to work diligently with and on the behalf of the NDA membership to enhance and improve the state of minority oral healthcare in our communities, to develop strategies to enrich the quality of services provided by the asso- ciation, and to continue to build healthy relationships between the NDA family of organizations and the oral healthcare community. Henderson has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management (Magna Cum Laude) from Colorado Technical University and an Associate Degree in Accounting from Prince Georges Community College. Henderson was a certified medical technician in the DC Air National Guard where she obtained the rank of Sergeant, and activated during Desert Shield-Desert Storm. Her professional affiliations include the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners (NCBMP). LaVette currently serves on the MGM Resorts International Diversity Advisory Board, and is a former board member of NCBMP and the City of Baltimore Customer Advisory Board. Henderson understands that the role of today's membership organization is to provide value via services, benefits, and education to its members' professional experience. A major part of her platform is to save members money in their practices, provide innovative educational opportunities and keep members informed with accurate and up-to-date oral health news. While her daily responsibility will be operations, her focus is to improve the NDA procedures and ensure that they uphold the association's vision, goal and the mission. N E W S M A K E R S B M & T ••• January/February 2016 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 6 Hilton Worldwide recently announced that Michael Hooper has been appointed general manager of (b)Hilton Miami Airport situated on a private 12.5-acre tropical peninsula surrounded by a 100-acre fresh water lake in Miami, Florida. Hooper will run operations, effective immediately, for the 508-room hotel centrally located hotel just minutes from Downtown Miami, Coconut Grove, South Beach and Art Deco District area and Miami International Airport. Hooper began his 30-year hospitality career as a front desk agent in Chicago at The Drake Hotel. Most recently, he served as hotel manager of the 1,544-room Hilton Chicago where he was responsible for all operating departments in the hotel. Prior, he served as the director of full service hotels with First Hospitality Group, responsible for Hilton Chicago Indian Lakes, Holiday Inn Itasca and the Wit, a DoubleTree by Hilton hotel. From 2009 to 2012, he was the general man- ager at Hilton Indian Lakes Resort. Hooper has also held several leadership roles at various properties including: Cable Beach Resorts, British Colonial Hilton Nassau, London Gatwick Airport Hilton and London Kensington Hilton. He has worked with Hilton Hotels for 27 years. While in London, Hooper was recognized as General Manager of the Year in 1997 for Hilton Hotels in the U.K. and Hotelier of the year in 2004 in the Bahamas Hotel Association. Hooper holds a diploma in Hospitality and Tourism Management from the British Columbia Institute of Technology in Vancouver, British Columbia. LAVETTE HENDERSON NAMED DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL DENTAL ASSOCIATION MICHAEL HOOPER APPOINTED GENERAL MANAGER OF HILTON MIAMI AIRPORT