Welcome, Wilma
The Honourable Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health, appointed Wilma Slenders to our Council for a three-year term that began on October 9, 2024. She will serve as a Public Member of Council, representing Albertans and supporting governance and accountability. We extend a warm welcome and are pleased to introduce you to Wilma.
Wilma Slenders, PhD, CDI.D is the president of Transcend Management Advisors and co-founder/owner of Kaleidoscope Holdings. She holds an MSM from Boston University and a PhD in Leadership from Capella University. Wilma is an accomplished entrepreneur/business owner, trusted advisor, and board director. She has served as Board Chair, Board member, Executive Director, and volunteer with numerous not-for-profit organizations in the arts, sports, strategy, and regulatory sectors. Community service is a tenet of her value system. In her spare time, she enjoys outdoor pursuits, spends time in nature, and loves to travel to new destinations.
With strong leadership and board experience, and a background in business, Wilma will bring valuable knowledge and skills to her role on our Council.
Farewell, Tongjie
After more than six years, we say a fond farewell and big thank-you to Tongjie (TJ) Zhang. Though his term expired earlier this year, we were glad to have him continue to serve until Wilma was appointed. TJ was the first Public Council Member to take on an officer role, serving a year as Treasurer and a year as Vice Chair of Finance. He has been a huge asset to our Council, offering guidance and sharing his vast knowledge to advance our efforts to protect the public interest and regulate the dental assisting profession.Â
Public Members
For many years, our College has benefitted from having public members on our Council. Though they are appointed by the Alberta Government to bring public perspective to all discussions and decisions, our experience has been that they bring far more than that to the Council table. They have generously contributed their knowledge and experience to enhance our ability to govern our College and make us more effective regulators.
Public members are recruited, selected and appointed by the Alberta Government to meet the Health Professions Act requirement that 50% of the voting members of college councils, hearing tribunals and complaint review committees be public members. We currently have three public members appointed to our Council and await two more appointments.