Board of Directors

Mr. Jay L. Landers, Secretary

As Executive Director of the Illinois State Dental Society Foundation, Jay L. Landers serves as the Secretary to the ISDS Foundation. The Secretary maintains all of the meeting and financial records of the Foundation. He was named ISDSF Executive Director in June, 2011. A native of Louisville, Kentucky and alumnus of Murray State University with Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Mass Communications and Speech, Mr. Landers has over 30 years of nonprofit management and fundraising experience throughout his career. As Executive Director, he is responsible for the overall administration and operation of the Foundation. He represents the ISDSF and its policies to outside interests and serves as the official spokesperson for the Foundation. Mr. Landers resides in Springfield.

Dr. Bradley W. Barnes, Director

Bradley W. Barnes, DDS, is a general dentist in Normal, Illinois. He is a 1985 graduate of the University of Iowa College of Dentistry. Dr. Barnes has been active in organized dentistry throughout his career and he is currently an officer of the Illinois State Dental Society. He served as Co-Chair of the ISDS Foundation’s recent Mission of Mercy. He has also served on several ISDS committees, including the Public Relations Committee, PANDA, (Prevent Abuse and Neglect through Dental Awareness), General Chair for Annual Sessions, and Trustee on the Illinois State Dental Society Board of Trustees. Dr. Barnes has been on several mission trips to places in Africa and Haiti. He is active in his church and community, through the Boy Scouts of America and Jeremiah Sportsmen. He and his wife, Becky, reside in Bloomington with their two children.

Mr. Jerry Ragle, CDT, Director

Mr. Ragle owns and operates Ragle Dental Laboratory, Inc. of Champaign, IL, which was established in 1979 and employs a staff of 24. Mr. Ragle is active in state and national organizations, including the Illinois Dental Laboratory Association (IDLA). He has held every office including interim executive director for the association. Mr. Ragle serves on the Coordination Board of the Cal Lab Group, is a past trustee of National Association of Dental Laboratories (NADL), and is on the Communications Advisory Board for the Journal of Dental Technology (JDT). He has Mastership recognition in the American Academy of Implant Prosthodontics (AAIP) and holds certification in Ceramics and Crown and Bridge with the National Board of Certification (NBC). Mr. Ragle also served on the ISDS committee that updated the Guidelines for Dentist/Dental Laboratory Relations, which was adopted by the ADA and NADL. He is a member of the Continuing Education Committee, Dental Student Research Committee, and the Fundraising Committee. Ragle Dental Laboratory, Inc. is a Benefactor to the ISDS Foundation.

Robert A. Rechner retired as Executive Director of the Illinois State Dental Society at the end of 2009.  He enjoyed a fulfilling career at ISDS since 1978, where he served as assistant executive director for a year before becoming executive director.  As executive director, he also served as secretary/treasurer to the ISDS Foundation.  During his tenure at ISDS, Mr. Rechner was named an honorary member of both ISDS and the American Dental Association.  In addition to honorary memberships in the Illinois Academy of General Dentistry and Illinois Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, Mr. Rechner was bestowed honorary fellowships in the prestigious American College of Dentists and the International College of Dentists. 

Dr. D. Milton Salzer, Director

D. Milton Salzer, DDS, is a general practitioner in Northbrook and a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Dentistry. He is a Fellow in the International College of Dentists and American College of Dentists. Dr. Salzer is active in the Alpha Omega International Dental Fraternity, most recently serving as chair of the Insurance Committee. He is currently serving on the Achievement Medal Committee and is a member of the board of trustees of the Illinois Alumni Chapter. At ISDS, Dr. Salzer is editor of Illinois Dental News. He has served as a member of the Dental Health Education Committee and the Public Relations Committee. On a community level, Dr. Salzer is active with Congregation B’nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim in Glenview. He and his wife, Susan, have two grown children.

Dr. Debra Schwenk is assistant Dean for Clinical Affairs at Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SIUSDM, her alma mater, where she has taught full-time since 1998 and part-time for ten years prior to that. In her role as assistant dean for Clinical Affairs, she manages all aspects of the clinic. Previous to her full-time teaching commitment, she owned her own general practice in Alton, Illinois. She also received a Master’s in Public Administration from SIUE in 2003. She is a member of numerous dental organizations besides the ADA and the ISDS, including the American Dental Education Association, the American College of Dentistry and the International College of Dentistry. Other honors she has received include the Women of Distinction Award for community service through the YWCA and the Vernice E. Walter Outstanding Student in Gerontology Award. Dr. Schwenk pursues her dedication for community service through membership in the Alton Wood River Zonta Club, an international women’s service club. She is a Foundation Benefactor and serves as a member of the Relief Committee and the Scholarship Committee.

Dr. Joseph Unger is a Past President of the Illinois State Dental Society in 2008-2009. He is a 1985 graduate of Loyola University College of Dental Surgery. He maintains a private practice on the southwest side of Chicago. Dr. Unger is a member of the Englewood Branch of the CDS where he became active upon graduation and ascended to its presidency in 1995. He has been active in the Chicago Dental Society and was Program Chair for the 2001 Midwinter Meeting. Dr. Unger has served the ISDS as the first chair of the Young Dentist Committee from 1988-1992, as a member of the SELECT Committee 1990-1992, the Member Services Committee 1996-2001 and as its chair in 2001. He is currently a member of the Governmental Affairs Committee. He has been a member of the ISDS House of Delegates and ISDS Board of Trustees from 2001-2004. Dr. Unger is the 1990 recipient of the William J. Greek Memorial Leadership Award. He is a Fellow of the American College of Dentists and the International College of Dentists. He is an examiner for the Central Regional Dental Testing Service (CRDTS).

Paul Vena has been a Dental Technician since 1990. Currently, he is with Kobler Enterprises in Arlington Heights. He is one of the founding board members of the Chicagoland Dental Technician Study Group providing over 80 continuing education courses since 2002. Mr. Vena has been on the board of directors of the Illinois Dental Lab Association since 2004, and is now serving a third term as president through 2012. He is an active member of the National Association of Dental labs and has attended the annual Visions meeting since 1998. Mr. Vena also served on the advisory board in 2007 for the Cad-Cam Congress at McCormick Place in Chicago. He is on the ISDSF Bylaws and Relief Committees.

Dr. Williams is past president of the Illinois State Dental Society in 2003-2004. He is a 1979 graduate of the University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry. Dr. Williams is a general dentist in private practice in Moline. He is a past president of the Rock Island District Dental Society and serves as a spokesperson designate for this area. He is a delegate in the ISDS House of Delegates and has served as both delegate and alternate to the American Dental Association House of Delegates. Dr. Williams is a Fellow in the International College of Dentists, the American College of Dentists and the Pierre Fauchard Academy. In his community he has served on the local medical center dental staff and on the Board of Directors for the John Deere Classic golf tournament. He also has served on the Board of Directors of the Public School Foundation, Blackhawk College Advisory Board, the Arrowhead Ranch (for wayward boys), and the Rock Island County Board of Health. Dr. Williams serves on the ISDSF Awards, Continuing Education and Scholarships Committees.

Dr. Bitter completed his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and received his D.M.D. degree from Washington University in St. Louis, School of Dental Medicine. Following that he completed a Dental General Practice Residency and Anesthesia Fellowship in Chicago at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center, and completed his Periodontal Specialty training at Northwestern University Dental School. At Northwestern he was an Assistant Professor and served as Director of the Undergraduate Periodontal Clinic. Dr. Bitter has served as President of the North Suburban Branch of the Chicago Dental Society, Director from the North Suburban Branch to the Chicago Dental Society Board of Directors, and General Chairman of the Chicago Dental Society’s annual Midwinter Meeting. Dr. Bitter is a Fellow of the American and international College of Dentists; and he is a member of the American Academy of Periodontology. He has published articles and has lectured on periodontal cosmetics and implant treatment at the annual meetings of the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, and the Chicago Dental Society. Currently, Dr. Bitter is serving as President of the Illinois State Dental Society through the Fall, 2012. He maintains a private practice limited to Periodontics in Skokie.

As Executive Director of the Illinois State Dental Society, Gregory A. Johnson serves as an Ex-Officio Member of the ISDS Foundation Board of Directors. Mr. Johnson was named ISDS Executive Director on January 1, 2010, and for the 20 years prior served as Director of Professional Services for ISDS. Greg has overseen the Committees on Access to Care, Dental Insurance, Dental Benefits, Members Services, and Mediation and Peer Review. He was instrument in launching the ISDSF’s first Mission of Mercy. As Executive Director he is responsible for the overall administration and operation of the Society and serves as an appointed officer to the Board of Trustees. He represents ISDS and its policies to outside interests and serves as the official spokesperson for the association. Mr. Johnson is a 1982 graduate of SIU-Edwardsville and resides in Rochester.