IFDH Officers
Listed below are the titles, names and emails of the elected officers of IFDH.
Board of Directors (Elected Officers):
Click on board member to read biography

Wanda Fedora RDH
President
Wanda Fedora is a graduate of the Dalhousie University School of Dental Hygiene in Halifax, Canada; class of 1980. Wanda has practised clinical dental hygiene for over 40 years in private general practice and has operated a mobile dental hygiene clinic in long term care facilities on Cape Breton Island for over a decade. Her passion for the underserved in our world has led her to participate in numerous educational and dental / medical missions throughout Central and South America.
Leadership in the dental hygiene profession has been a constant part of her career from local chair to Provincial president leading to the Presidency of The Canadian Dental Hygienists’ Association and then through the past 12 years+ as a Board member of the IFDH and now the current President. Learning along the way through interaction with so many talented and dedicated dental hygienists has been a highlight in her career.
Wanda hails from Cape Breton Island, on Canada’s east coast where she lives with her husband Ed. They have two adult children; Chris and Amy, are care givers for Ed’s brother George, along with the customary dog and cat they have welcomed 13 international students into their home over a 20 year period. Her passions, other than oral health, include sewing, travel, gardening and showing people her Island, so please drop by sometime.

Jill Rethman, RDH, BA
President Elect
Jill Rethman is a graduate of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. She is a Past President of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association and is the Editor in Chief of Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. Jill is an international speaker who has presented continuing education programs for more than 20 years. Topics include periodontal updates and prevention strategies for caries and periodontal diseases. Jill is passionate about helping individuals achieve oral and overall health, and strongly believes in forging lasting relationships with others who share the same goals. She looks forward to serving IFDH and working with its global partners.

Fouzieh Eliassy RDH, BA
Vice-President
Fouzieh graduated at Jönköping University year 2000, and has worked in the public sector for 22 years. Her skills in leadership are well established and has held leadership positions on local, regional and national level. She currently holds the position head of clinic for 4 dental clinics in a large oral health care organization.Fouzieh is the vice president of the Swedish Dental Hygienist Association. She is also engaged in the European Dental Hygienists Federation, EDHF. The engagement for the dental hygienist’s position in the oral health care team is evident. Her own leadership ambitions have also led her to engage and strive to support colleagues that have similar ambitions.Fouzieh and her husband Jamal have three children. In their free time they enjoy traveling, being outdoors and spending time with family and friends.

Donna Paton, RDH
Treasurer
Donna has over 30 years clinical experience as a dental hygienist. Donna started as a dental surgery assistant and continued her education in dental hygiene where she graduated from Dundee University Hospital, Scotland in 1990.
Donna has worked in the fields of general, and mixed speciality dentistry where she has experience in pediatric, orthodontic, periodontal and prosthodontic dentistry. After moving to Ireland in 2000 and she joined the Irish Dental Hygienist Associate taking on the postion of the Editor of IDHA's Scientic Journal for 3 years , 2 years as the secretary and then a 4 year term as The iDHA President.
Donna was voted on to the board of directors as the IFDH Treasurer in Brisbane in 2019.
Donna is very dedicated to the dental hygiene profession and enjoys working together and reaching out to hygienists around the world. She enjoys being part of the IFDH Social Media Committee helping to grow the IFDH social media and raising awareness of the IFDH profile and programs around the world.
Donna loves traveling skiing, and most of all, spending time with her family and her 2 doodles.

Sharon Friedman Yaniv RDH, MHA
Secretary
Diploma of Dental Hygiene, Faculty of Dentistry and MA in Health and Business Administration, Hebrew University, Jerusalem. Work experience includes community and private clinics, and educational settings. Past President of the Israeli Dental Hygiene Association (IDHA) and current CEO of the association. Editor in chief of the IDHA Journal, Co-coordinator of IDHA conferences and continuing education studies. Member of the professions' advisory board for DH in the Israeli Ministry of Health. Sharon represented Israel as a delegate to the IFDH for the past 9 years and is the IDHA delegate in the European Dental Hygienist Federation. She volunteers in several projects raising awareness of and promoting oral health in different community settings.
Past Presidents
1986-1989 Wilma Motley (USA)*
1989-1992 Pat Johnson (Canada)
1992-1995 Ruth Nowjack Raymer (USA)
1995-1998 Inger-Lise Bryhni (Norway)
1998-2001 Til van der Sanden-Stoelinga (The Netherlands)
2001-2004 Kerstin Öhrn (Sweden)
2004-2007 Sue Aldenhoven (Australia)
2007-2010 Marjolijn Hovius (The Netherlands)
2010-2013 Maria Perno Goldie (USA)
2013-2016 JoAnn Gurenlian, RDH, PhD (USA)
2016-2019 Robyn Watson, RDH, MPA (New Zealand)
2019-2022 Corrie Jongbloed–Zoet, RDH (The Netherlands)
* deceased