Farmingdale’s Gagnon named MDA vice president

MANCHESTER — Dr. Shanna Gagnon, a dentist who practices in Farmingdale, is the new vice president of the Maine Dental Association Board of Directors.
Gagnon was voted into the position by MDA members at the organization’s annual business meeting, which was held virtually on June 10.

For the first time in the MDA’s history, which spans more than 150 years, all three executive positions on the board of directors are held by women. In addition to Gagnon, Dr. Heather Keeling, who practices in Portland, is president, and Dr. Norma Desjardins, who practices in Presque Isle, is president-elect.
“I am excited to be working with Dr. Keeling and Dr. Desjardins – two women who are passionate about dentistry. We all bring different experiences to the table, and I think that will provide us with a well-balanced leadership team,” Gagnon said. “Having served as the Kennebec Valley representative for the past 13 years, I think I can help to provide some historical perspective as vice president.”
Gagnon earned a DMD at the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine in 2004. She joined her father, Dr. Donald Gagnon, in private practice immediately after dental school. She recently hired a new associate, Dr. Jessica Sikora, in an effort to help her with patient care since the retirement of her father in 2012. She has served as the Kennebec Valley Dental Society representative for the Maine Dental Association Board of Directors since 2008. She and her husband live in West Gardiner with their three daughters, Julianna, Lexi and Vivienne.
Incorporated in 1867, the Maine Dental Association is a professional membership organization of licensed dentists. The MDA works to support members in achieving excellence in dentistry, and to be leaders in oral health in Maine. For more information about the MDA, go to www.medental.org.