Council
Our Council is elected by members to represent the dental profession and to achieve the mission and goals of the Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch (ADAVB).
Councillors
Please contact the councillors below to discuss issues, achievements or concerns. You can also hear from and meet councillors at ADAVB Group and other events. Keep an eye out for upcoming events on our training and events page.
Dr Jonathan Teoh
President
Dr Jonathan Teoh is a public health dentist and has also worked in private practice. He graduated in 2004 and completed a Master of Public Health in 2015. Dr Teoh is a manager and senior dentist at a community health centre. He was elected to Council in 2018 and to the ADAVB executive committee in 2020. Dr Teoh completed the Health Sector Leadership Program (2013). Dr Teoh is the former vice-chair of the ADAVB Finance, Risk and Audit Committee. Dr Teoh has served on multiple ADAVB committees including Oral Health, Public Dentistry and CPD Committees. He has also been a demonstrator at the University of Melbourne, a mentor in the ADAVB mentoring program and is a regular contributor at ADAVB Group meetings.
Dr Andrew Heredia
Vice-President
Dr Andrew Heredia graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2006 and was elected to ADAVB Council in 2016. He is currently the Council representative on the ADAVB Oral Health Committee, vice-chair of the ADAVB Finance, Risk and Audit Committee and represents the ADAVB on the Guild Liaison Committee. Dr Heredia has volunteered for the ADAVB mentoring program and for oral health promotion initiatives in early learning centres. He has practised as a general dentist in both private and community dental sectors throughout Melbourne, regional Victoria and Sydney. Dr Heredia has supervised recent graduate dentists and oral health therapists in clinical practice and is involved with teaching in preclinical sessions at the University of Melbourne.
A/Prof Warren Shnider
Immediate Past President
A/Prof Warren Shnider is a registered specialist in special needs dentistry. He is Head of the Integrated Special Needs Dentistry Unit at the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne and is in specialist private practice in Hawthorn. A/Prof Shnider is also Academic Lead, Special Needs Dentistry at La Trobe University. He is a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons, is the College’s registrar in general dental practice and co-chairs the College’s Advisory Council. A/Prof Shnider is an examiner and an accreditation assessor for the Australian Dental Council and a specialist advisor for the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency. He is a member of the equivalence panel of the Dental Board of Australia. At ADAVB, A/Prof Shnider has served on the Public Dentistry Committee, the Finance, Risk and Audit Committee, as well as on Council and the Executive.
Dr Carolyn Ng
Executive Councillor
Dr Carolyn Ng was elected to ADAVB Council in 2018. She received her Bachelor of Dental Science from the University of Melbourne and her Doctorate of Clinical Dentistry in Orthodontics from the University of Sydney. Dr Ng has provided public and private general dental services in Melbourne and regional Victoria. She is currently working in private specialist orthodontic practice in Melbourne. Dr Ng has contributed to the Barwon Health Oral Health Working Party and the RACDS VIC/TAS Regional Committee, supervised undergraduate students in general practice at the Melbourne Dental School, tutored dentists undertaking the FRACDS final exams in orthodontics and mentored dentists in the ADAVB mentoring program. She has contributed to the ADAVB CPD Committee and is currently serving on the ADAVB Third Party Committee. She also currently serves as convenor for Victoria, as well as secretary on the Australasian Orthodontic Board executive committee.
Dr Conny Qian
Executive Councillor
Dr Conny Qian was elected to council in 2022, and appointed to executive council in 2023. She serves on the ADAVB Disputes and Ethics Committee, and is council representative for the Recent Graduates & Students Committee and the CPD committee. Dr Qian was chair of the ADAVB Northern Group in 2021 and 2022, and organised regular CPD and social meetings for oral health professionals and students in regional Victoria. Dr Qian practises as a general dentist in Melbourne and Bendigo, and volunteers for the ADHF Rebuilding Smiles Program and overseas on behalf of Rotary Australia.
Dr Andrew Gikas
Federal Executive Councillor
Dr Andrew Gikas was elected to Council in 2012, appointed to Executive Committee in 2014 and elected president for 2016/17. He served as secretary then chair of ADAVB Group J (Port Phillip) (2005–2011), and served on multiple committees. He is the chair of the ADAVB Disputes and Ethics Committee. Dr Gikas has volunteered with the Monash Preschool Dental Program, was member of ADAVB Health Promoting Practices Working Group and represented the ADAVB on the DHSV Health Families Healthy Smiles Reference Group. He has been active in dental sleep medicine with the Australasian Sleep Association, the Institute of Sleep and Breathing at the Austin Hospital.
Dr Stephen Liew
Federal Executive Councillor - ADA President
Dr Liew graduated from the Australian Institute of Company Directors with Order of Merit and is a recipient of the Australian Outstanding Young Dentist Award. He is currently the ADA Federal President. Dr Liew is a fellow of the International College of Dentists, the Pierre Fauchard Academy and the Academy of Dentistry International. He completed the Victorian Health Sector Leadership Program in 2011, joined the ADAVB Council in 2011 and served as president in 2015/16. Dr Liew has served on many committees at state level for the ADAVB, DHSV, Melbourne Dental School and more. He has chaired several federal ADA committees and served on panels such as the Australian Digital Health Agency, the Australian Dental Council and the FDI 2023 World Dental Congress committee. Dr Liew has volunteered as a dentist in Nepal, the Northern Territory and Gippsland.
A/Prof Neil Hewson
A/Prof Neil Hewson has been on Council since 1987, was secretary of ADAVB Group R (Peninsula) (1985), Branch President (1995/96), Honorary Secretary (1997–2008), elected an Honorary Life Member in 2001 and awarded the Dentistry Achievement Award in 2008. He has chaired and served on most ADAVB committees and currently chairs the ADAVB Constitution and Policy, and Honours and Awards committees. A/Prof Hewson has served on and chaired several ADA Inc committees, currently on two, was a Federal Councillor (1996 – 2022) was Federal President (2008–2010) and elected an ADA Inc Honorary Life Member in 2010. He was Australian Dental Congress 2011 Chairman and served on the 1993 and 2013 LOCs. A/Prof Hewson served as FDI speaker (2011–2014). He has been a clinical demonstrator and served on government committees. In 2009, A/Prof Hewson was appointed a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne and in 2016, he was admitted to an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Dental Science by the University of Melbourne.
Dr Andrew J Barnes
Dr Andrew J Barnes began on Council in 1996, and has served as honorary treasurer, vice president and president (2001-2002). He has been a member and chair of the Recent Graduates, Legislation, and Finance and Audit, Disputes and Ethics committees. Dr Barnes is deputy chair of the ADAVB Disputes and Ethics Committee. He a private practitioner with additional roles as a consultant dental adviser with the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Health. He has also served on the Department of Human Services’ Dental Intern Working Party.
Dr Mark Bowman
Dr Mark Bowman began as Group Q (Inner Melbourne) secretary in 1986, joined Council in 2004, and served as president (2007/08) and honorary secretary (2010–2014). He has served on several committees, and is currently a member of the Constitution and Policy Committee, Disputes and Ethics Committee, and chair of the Finance Risk and Audit Committee. Dr Bowman was a federal councillor (2008–2014) and a member of the Federal Policy Committee (2009–2014). He is a past president of the Australian Society of Periodontology Victorian Branch (2003-2004) and federal president ASP (2010–2012), elected ASP Honorary Life Member in 2016 . He is a consultant with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and adviser to the Department of Health. He was elected ADAVB Honorary Life Member in 2022.
Dr David Curnow
Dr David Curnow was elected to Council in 1992 and was president in 2002/03 after serving as honorary treasurer and vice president. He has served on and chaired numerous committees, and is currently a member of the Defence Advisory Committee. He is an ADAVB representative on the Guild Liaison Committee and chair of ADA Schedule and Third Party Committee. Dr Curnow was chair of the 37th Dental Congress in 2017, an external examiner at La Trobe University Dental School and member of the South East Melbourne Medicare Local eHealth Advisory Group (2013–2015). He was a mentor in the ADAVB Mentoring Program and at Ormond College. He was awarded the ADAVB Award for Distinguished Service in 2009 and the ADA Service Medallion in 2013. In 2020, Dr Curnow was elected an honorary life member.
Dr Linton Nash
Dr Linton Nash actively participates in Group meetings and is a past graduate of the ADAVB Health Sector Leadership Program. After completing his undergraduate studies at Griffith University in 2011, Dr Nash worked in private practice before studying orthodontics at the National University of Singapore, gaining his MDS and MOrthRCSEd in 2017. Dr Nash is the President's Representative on the ADAVB Recent Graduates and Students Committee.
Dr Devin Ong
Dr Devin Ong actively participates in ADAVB Group meetings and has been treasurer for Melbourne North Group since 2014. Dr Ong completed the ADAVB Health Sector Leadership Program in 2014 and is involved in orthodontic undergraduate teaching at the University of Melbourne. He also sits on the committee of charity organisation Give a Smile, and is the President's Representative on the ADAVB Recent Graduates and Students Committee.
Dr Angelo Pacella
Dr Angelo Pacella graduated from the University of Melbourne and has been a member of ADA since 1989. He is a Fellow of Pierre Fauchard Academy and International College of Continuing Dental Education of Singapore in Orthodontics in General Dental Practice. Dr Pacella was appointed to the ADAVB Executive Committee in 2017, was vice president in 2019/20 and president in 2020/21. He is currently a member on the the Finance, Risk and Audit Committee and chair of the Third Party Committee for 10 years (and continues to serve on this committee). Dr Pacella is also on the Melbourne Dental School Senior Management Committee and Post Graduate Studies Committee, and the La Trobe Dentistry and Oral Health Course Advisory Committee. Dr Pacella served on the DHSV Voucher Review Advisory Panel in 2013.
Dr Emily Pow
Dr Emily Pow graduated from La Trobe University in Bendigo in 2015. Dr Pow is currently a member on the Finance Risk and Audit Committee and was previously on the Recent Graduates and Students Committee and was the co-chair of the committee in 2018. Dr Emily was also a recent graduate representative on the CPD Committee and served on the ADAVB Sports and Social Committee. She is a 2016 graduate of the ADAVB Health Sector Leadership Program.
Dr Gitika Sanghvi
Federal Councillor
Dr Gitika Sanghvi was elected to Council in 2013, appointed to the executive committee in 2016 and elected president in 2019/20. She is currently a Federal Councillor. Dr Sanghvi is the Vic/Tas Section Chair for the Pierre Fauchard Academy and is also a fellow of the International College of Dentists and the Academy of Dentistry International. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors course and of the ADAVB Health Sector Leadership program (2012).
Dr Sanghvi was the ADC Graduate Support Ad Hoc Committee chair (2017-2018), the Recent Graduates and Students Committee chair (2010-2011) and has served on a multitude of ADAVB committees and external advisory committees. She currently is a member of the Disputes and Ethics, the Honours and Awards, the Benevolent Fund and the ADA governance review committees. Dr Sanghvi is also on the FDI 2023 World Dental Congress committee.
Dr Jeremy Sternson
Dr Jeremy Sternson has worked in both public and private practice. He is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons, and has been an examiner and committee member. Dr Sternson was a clinical demonstrator for seven years at the University of Melbourne and is an honorary fellow at the university. He is a former chair and current treasurer of the eviDent Foundation Board, and is the deputy co-chair of the eviDent Dental Practice Based Research Network Committee.
Dr Sternson is a Fellow of the Academy of Dentistry International, the Pierre Fauchard Academy and the International College of Dentists. He is vice president of the Australian Central Association of Dentists, an Australian Dental Council examiner, serves on the Omeo District Hospital board, is a former Australasian Osseointegration Society Victorian Branch Councillor and Federal Organiser. Dr Sternson is the President’s Representative on the ADAVB CPD Committee and a member of the ADAVB Sports and Social Committee.
