We Serve Dentists
and Their
Communities

Dr. Tarek Aly

Founder of OrthoDent
Clinical Director of Affiliations

Tarek practiced Dentistry and Periodontal surgery for years while simultaneously working in Management and Marketing. He graduated from the Faculty of Dentistry, Alexandria University in Egypt. He has a graduate certificate in Periodontics & Oral Medicine from the same university and a diploma in Sales & Marketing from the American University in Cairo. He has an MBA from Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas.

Tarek also has a CVA certification from the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts and is a Business Broker working on his CBI Certification.

His expertise includes Mergers & Acquisitions, Business Valuation, Human Resource Management, Business Operations, Dental Organizations Management, and Dental Support Organizations platform development and management.

He has written three publications and currently working on a book addressing Management of the Dental Practice and DSOs. He is currently the Chief Operations Officer/Co-Founder of OrthoDent Management LLC. Tarek is also a public speaker and competes in Toastmasters International.

Dr. John Ambrose

Founder and Clinical Director of Ambrose

Dr. John H. Ambrose is a native of Forsyth, Georgia, but has resided in Juliette with his wife Dr. Valerie Ambrose since 2010. They have two sons Jack and Evan, and one daughter, Ally. Dr. Ambrose and his family attend Ingleside Baptist Church and are very involved in the Middle Georgia community. Dr. Ambrose spends his free time with his family, and he is an avid golfer, hunter, and fisherman.

Dr. Ambrose is a member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Southeastern Society of Pediatric Dentistry, American Dental Association, Georgia Dental Association, and Central District Dental Society. He is also a Shriner and a Mason where he supports the Shriner’s Children’s Hospitals.

Dr. Valerie Ambrose

Founder and Clinical Director of Ambrose

Dr. Valerie Woods Ambrose is originally from Rome, Georgia. Dr. Ambrose enjoys spending time with her husband, Dr. John Ambrose, and children; two sons Jack and Evan, and one daughter, Ally. Dr. Ambrose and her family attend Ingleside Baptist Church and are very involved in the Middle Georgia community.

Dr. Ambrose is a member of the American Dental Association as well as the Georgia Dental Association. She is also a member of the Central District Dental Society.

Dr. Aatif Ansari

Founder and Clinical Director of Same Day Dental

Dr. Ansari received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the Indiana School of Dentistry in 2015. He completed his preceptorship in Hospital Dentistry at the UCLA School of Dentistry in 2013. His medical interests and expertise include hospital-based dentistry, and the management of medically compromised patients in both the dental clinic and hospital setting.

While earning his Bachelor of Dental Surgery at the Army Medical College in Pakistan, Dr. Ansari received a National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) scholarship. During that time, he earned the American Heart Association’s Appreciation Award for saving a fellow student’s life via CPR. He is also a member of the American Dental Association, the Indianapolis District Dental Society, the Indiana Dental Association, and the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council.

When he is not at work, Dr. Ansari enjoys photography, hiking, traveling, gastronomy and cricket.

“I am a firm believer in patient-doctor communication, education, and patient-centered care. My aim is to promote oral health equality.”

Dr. Nieku Manshadi

Founder and Clinical Director of OrthoDent

Dr. Nieku Manshadi is a board-certified pediatric dentist who views treating children as a privilege and an opportunity to make dental visits fun and comfortable for patients and their families.

Dr. Manshadi graduated with a Doctorate of Dental Surgery from the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry and completed a two-year pediatric dental residency at Boston University School of Dental Medicine.

He is a diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and a member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

He is an advocate of expanding access to high-quality dental care for the underserved and has spent time abroad providing dental care during service missions to Ecuador and the Philippines. His career mission continues to focus on communities with limited access to specialty dental care.

Dr. Kyle Raymond

Founder and Clinical Chair of OrthoDent

Dr. Kyle Raymond is a pediatric dentist who has delivered the highest quality of dental care to the people of his community since 2000. He is a graduate of the prestigious University of Texas at San Antonio and completed a specialized residency in pediatric dentistry from Nova Southeastern University.

An esteemed member of the dental community, Dr. Raymond is a member of many leading dental organizations, including the American Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Texas Dental Association, and the Capital Area Dental Society.

Dr. Dustin Roden-Johnson

Founder and Clinical Director of CDP Smiles

Dr. Roden-Johnson is an orthodontist and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1998. He then went on to receive his degree in dental surgery in Houston. After graduating from dental school in the top 5% of his class, he was accepted into the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston-Dental Branch, where he acquired a master’s degree in oral biology and a specialty certificate in orthodontics.

While in training, he was published twice in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. He has lectured several times in the past years to many different audiences about the science of orthodontics in Central Texas. He is currently the CFO and Clinical Director of Orthodontics for OrthoDent.

Dr. Dhaval Thakkar

Founder and Clinical Director of Gloss Dental

Dr. Thakkar received his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Chicago, Illinois in 2005. He then moved to Boston to attend Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. During his senior year of dental school, he was honored to serve the veterans at the VA hospital in Togus, Maine.

He graduated from dental school in 2009 and had an opportunity to help the underserved population in the south of Chicago for two years. He finally deiced to move to Texas in 2011 because he fell in love with the warm weather and warm-hearted people of Texas.

He genuinely believes every patient should be treated as one of his family members. He is passionate about dentistry and loves helping his patients improve their smiles and quality of life. Dr. Thakkar is a member of the American Dental Association (ADA) and the Texas Dental Association.

He enjoys spending time with his wife, Kelly, and son, Yash when he is away from doing dentistry.

Jackie Brown

Chief Human Resources Officer

Having earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from West Texas A&M University, Jackie went on to study for an MBA at Texas Woman’s University. She joined the CDP team in 2019 as the Director of Dentist Recruiting.

Today, as Chief Human Resources Officer, Jackie is dedicated to providing leadership and clarity, building relationships, and removing roadblocks for supported doctors and staff as she helps them connect to a bigger purpose. For her, it’s about more than just the work — it’s about the people.

She’s hugely passionate about CDP’s culture and the 9 Pillars. Jackie loves bringing together people who are humble, compassionate, honest, and who are striving towards their goals. She recognizes the importance of focusing on the culture and engagement of staff and is proud to be part of an organization driven to provide superior performance.

Jackie is part of a Christian family; she’s been married for 30 years and has two children and a son-in-law with her first granddaughter on the way. She loves giving back, so she constantly seeks ways to serve others. She also loves to spend her time glamping with her family and sees this as an ideal opportunity to reconnect with both herself and her loved ones.

Tiffany Green

Director of Clinical Recruiting

A graduate from Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business’ Operations Management and Marketing departments and the University of Texas at Arlington’s MBA and MS Program’s Operations Management and Human Resources departments.

For over 12 years, Tiffany has been a leader within the Human Resource space by creating impact from talent management and system implementation to employee relations and training & development.

Today, Tiffany is the Director of Clinical Recruiting at CDP. She manages the full doctor and hygienist recruiting life cycle. She leads and supports the development of CDP's new recruiting platform to create strategic brand awareness.

Tiffany lives in Texas with her family; her husband and three children. She enjoys spontaneous adventures with her family, natural wellness, living life with gratitude, and a good cup of coffee. Tiffany is excited to connect doctors and hygienists with opportunities to make real tangible changes in people's lives, while fulfilling her passion to make the whole world smile!

Crystal Romero

Director of Human Resources

Crystal Romero serves as the Director of Human Resources at Community Dental Partners, where she collaboratively engages with individuals across all levels of the organization. With a profound passion for her role as an HR professional, Crystal consistently strives to enhance support for CDP. This includes refining processes in onboarding, employee relations, recruiting strategies, and performance development.

Believing that employees are the cornerstone of any successful business, one of Crystal's foundational values is the commitment to nurturing an environment that encourages growth and development. This approach empowers employees to discover their full potential. Her extensive management and HR background spans various industries, including the financial and non-profit sectors. Among her achievements is the launch of a practice's brand-new location. Since joining CDP in 2018, Crystal has acquired hands-on experience in engaging and fostering the growth of dental employees.

Crystal's credentials further underline her proficiency; she is a certified Professional in HR. But beyond her certification, she harbors a deep love for learning and personal growth. This love translates into a lifelong commitment to developing her craft, constantly seeking new knowledge, techniques, and methodologies to keep herself at the forefront of her field.

Outside of her professional life, Crystal cherishes her time with her husband and four children. Whether volunteering in her community or enthusiastically supporting her children's sports teams, she actively contributes to and enjoys her family life.

Alyssa Schuler

Clinical Recruiter

Alyssa Schuler has a history in the dental industry of over seven years. She started as a dental hygienist, where she found her passion for promoting oral health and love for forging relationships with patients.

She earned her associate's degree in Dental Hygiene in South Carolina. She then earned a bachelor's degree in Integrative Healthcare Studies from Ohio University.

Alyssa desired to keep growing, learning, and taking on new challenges, which led her to CDP. She saw her role as a clinical recruiter as the best way to reach the most patients. Being an intricate part of finding the best culturally and patient-focused doctors to give quality access to care on a much larger scale is important to her.

Blakely Haney

Clinical Recruiting Specialist

Blakely is a proud graduate of Texas A&M University, where she majored in Communications and Business Administration and was also a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. She has spent her post-graduate years working in industry-leading companies such as Southwest Airlines, The Container Store, Kendra Scott, and Community Dental Partners.

Blakely has supported CDP through numerous roles and departments but has found her place within Clinical Recruiting and Human Resources. She is detail-oriented and extremely passionate about organization and creating order from chaos. She is dedicated to helping create a seamless and efficient onboarding process for our amazing doctors.

Blakely is happily married to her husband, Blake, and welcomed their first child in 2023. She has found her purpose in being a wife and mother and is happiest spending time amongst her family. She loves to travel with her husband and is a glorified foodie specializing in finding the best sweet treats!

Michelle Hepworth

Clinical Recruiting Specialist

Natasha Stutlien

Clinical Recruiting Marketing Specialist

A two-time graduate of American Military University, Natasha obtained degrees in Business Administration and Communications. She also holds Job Placement Specialist and Job Skills Training certifications from the University of North Texas.

Natasha joined CDP in January 2021. Her Clinical Recruiting Marketing Specialist responsibilities include website management, social media advertising, mass email communication, connecting with talented doctors through data-driven insights, and differentiating the CDP brand through genuine human experiences.

As a professional in the digital realm, Natasha has spearheaded numerous marketing campaigns that have enhanced brand visibility and engagement. With over six years of experience, she has a proven ability to create and execute successful marketing strategies while optimizing website performance to drive measurable results. Her top priority is understanding job-seeker behaviors and utilizing data-driven insights to develop innovative marketing initiatives that resonate with CDP's target audience.

Natasha lives in Aledo, Texas, with her husband, Michael. Michael is a 20-year United States Air Force veteran and works at Northrop Grumman. Together, they share two adult children, Tyler and Adleigh. Some of the duty stations they served were Virginia, Turkey, Hawaii, Washington D.C., Delaware, Illinois, and Okinawa, Japan.

JD Stacey

Chief Growth Officer

Having graduated with a master's degree in Clinical Social work from the University of Georgia, CDP's Chief Growth Officer, JD Stacey, spent years pursuing his first love: marriage and family therapy.

After working in hospital administration, where he developed an ongoing passion for organizational behavior, he later found himself in partnership with Emmet Scott, consulting and helping business owners and entrepreneurs rebuild after the 2007-2008 market crash.

When Emmet and Dr. Chad Evans, DDS, started discussing the possibilities for CDP, JD was keen to help them realize their vision. As one of CDP’s co-founders, he drew on his many years of experience as a counselor to help create an organizational company culture where everyone, from employees to patients, could thrive.

Today, JD is responsible for organizing and managing the company’s growth, from deciding where to establish CDP’s newest supported locations to bringing in new partners. He believes there’s no greater capital than investing in people, and some of his proudest moments center on his work to help CDP’s partners learn, grow, and achieve their goals in work and life.

Brett Evans

Executive Director of Integrations

Brett Evans graduated from Brigham Young University in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and was thrilled to win the position of Marketing Project Manager at CDP shortly afterward.

Brett has since moved up the CDP ranks and has recently secured the position of Director of Strategic Planning. He is passionate about his role as he knows he is a part of a bigger mission: helping the organization realize its goal of ensuring everyone has access to quality dental care, particularly those in underserved communities. In fact, one of Brett’s CDP highlights so far was a humanitarian trip to Honduras.

One of Brett’s favorite quotes is, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” He is thoroughly enjoying his new role, which allows him to lead a team of project managers to plan, prioritize, and execute strategic CDP initiatives.

A family man with four kids (all boys!), Brett recently celebrated ten years of marriage with his wife, Kensi. He’s an avid sports fan and also enjoys reading leadership and business books in his spare time. Having spent two years living in Santiago, Chile as part of a church missionary program, he’s fluent in Spanish and loves to travel and learn about other cultures.

Dr. Craig Copeland

Chief Dental Officer

A graduate of Brigham Young University’s Business Finance department and the University of Florida’s College of Dentistry, Dr. Craig Copeland, DMD first joined CDP in 2010, after Co-Founder, Dr. Chad Evans invited him to an interview.

He instantly fell in love with CDP’s mission to elevate dentistry, make excellent dental care accessible, and provide unique and unforgettable experiences for underserved communities. The organization’s culture aligned with his beliefs, and he knew that CDP would offer him the ideal environment to grow.

Today, Dr. Copeland is the Chief Dental Officer of CDP and focuses on helping CDP’s doctors exceed in their careers through mentorship, training, and strengthening CDP’s support systems.

Dr. Copeland lives in Texas with his family, his wife and four children. He’s an avid sports fan; supporting his children in activities such as basketball, gymnastics, and soccer keeps him busy. He also likes to travel to new places with his family whenever possible.

Dr. Tyler Carlson

Clinical Executive Committee

As an undergraduate student at Brigham Young University, Dr. Tyler Carlson was asked to help out at an event providing free dental care for underprivileged children. He was so moved by his experience that he decided to pursue a career in dentistry and attended A.T. Still University Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health.

Having been with the CDP for five years, Dr. Carlson is now a CDP Doctor Owner with branches in Boerne and Corpus Christi, Texas, and is the Head of CDP’s Clinical Executive Committee where he has the privilege of monitoring new graduates, supporting our existing doctors, and organizing the Ultimate Dentist Professional Group.

Dr. Carlson’s passion for dentistry itself remains strong and clinical work takes up much of his day as he works with patients, helping them achieve their dental goals or planning cases and working with other doctors to ensure he’s able to do what’s best for the individual patient

Dr. Carlson is happily married and has four daughters. He loves the outdoors and enjoys snowboarding, swimming, hiking, and camping — when time allows!

Dr. Mark Jensen

Clinical Executive Committee

Dr. Mark Jensen is passionate about creating a unique dental experience that breaks the dental norm.

Having graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor's degree in biology, he later graduated from dental school at Arizona's Midwestern University.

He loves creating smiles and relieving those in pain, especially children.

When he is not working, he is at home or active outdoors with his loving wife, Kelly, and their three amazing children.

Dr. Lincoln Hepworth

Clinical Executive Committee

Dr. Hepworth enjoys leaving an impact on his patients with thoughtful care that brings smiles to their faces.

He attended Brigham Young University for undergrad before going to dental school at Midwestern University in Arizona.

When Dr. Hepworth is not at the office, he is spending time with his wife and kids, golfing, watching sports, grilling/smoking/cooking food, and learning about new cultures.