Do you know the inspiring story of Benefactor, Alice Hinchcliffe Williams, RDH, MS, and her legacy?

Alice was a dental hygiene educator in Roanoke and a practitioner in Lynchburg, Virginia.  Following graduation from Eastman School of Dental Hygiene in Rochester, NY, Alice worked as a school dental hygienist serving 20 schools in Liverpool, NY.  Her leadership skills as President of the Dental Hygienists’ Association of the State of New York became an asset of the Virginia Dental Hygienists’ Association in her service as Trustee.  With her Masters degree in Science Education from UVA, she then moved on to become the founder and director of the Dental Hygiene Program at Virginia Western Community College in 1975. Her passion for scholarship and lifelong learning for dental hygienists is exemplified with her long-standing, generous and visionary support of the VDHA’s continuing education speaker’s fund.

As the benefactor of the Virginia Dental Hygienists’ Association Foundation (VDHAF) in 1994, Alice endowed the perpetual fund, establishing it to provide lifelong learning experiences for current and future generations of dental hygienists throughout Virginia. The members of the VDHA responded to the gift by raising matching funds that is today administered through the Alice Hinchcliffe Williams Continuing Education Fund. When you make your tax-deductible donation to  VDHA’s  Foundation, you are fully supporting the continuance of Alice’s legacy and the foundation’s performance of charitable, educational, research and scientific activities.

Marge Green, RDH, MS, co-founding director and treasurer of the VDHA Foundation, says, “Alice was a very special colleague and friend who warmed the hearts of all who knew her.  Her long-standing support has enriched the professional development of students and practitioners and the advancement of the dental hygiene profession.  The qualities that made her a wonderful person contributed to her many leadership accomplishments and passion for lifelong learning and scholarly activity in our profession. Her legacy lives on in our many accomplished VDHA leaders, grant and scholarship recipients who have benefited from her generosity and vision.”  After her retirement from education in 1980, Alice went on to serve her community through Altrusa, the Order of the Eastern Star, her church, and as president of the Adult Care Center of Central Virginia. In 1988, the YWCA recognized her with the Academy of Women Award for Human Services. 

In addition to funding professional development programs with leading oral health and leadership subject matter experts, the VDHA Foundation has also provided:

• ·       VDHA’s Annual Scientific Session and Networking Social events
• ·       Speaker Sponsorship grants for Component continuing education programs
• ·       Rally Day program materials and support of transportation enabling component, student and faculty participation
• ·       Leadership development opportunities for dental hygiene students, such as participation in the VDHA’s annual House of Delegates and            Professional Development Workshop
• ·       Support of VDHA membership recruitment and retention efforts
• ·       Ongoing fundraising in support of VDHA’s educational and career development goals
• ·       Support for the Institute of Oral Health of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association
• ·       Graduate Student Scholarship
• ·       Educational and Community Service grants