Our Team

Linda has devoted over 30 years advocating for low-income veterans and seniors. She worked at the University of Nevada, Reno for 10 years in a Senior Outreach Program where she discovered 60 low-income veterans living in subsidized housing in dire need of dental care. Linda soon discovered that the vast majority of our veterans (90%) do not qualify for dental care at the VA because the qualifications are so restrictive. This seriously unmet need for dental care became the driving force for Adopt a Vet Dental Program (AAVD) which Linda and her husband, Wayne, founded in April 2010.

AAVD recruits dental professionals to provide critical dental care for low-income veterans in Northern and Central Nevada. To our knowledge, there is no other program like ours in the United States that harnesses the goodwill and skills of dental professionals to help low-income veterans. AAVD received the Newman’s Own and Fisher House Award in 2014 for our innovative approach to providing dental care to low-income veterans who cannot qualify for dental care at the VA or afford to see a dentist.

This program is dedicated in memory of J.C., a veteran, who could not find affordable dental care for his decayed and abscessed teeth. He died when the infection went to his heart – he was only in his 40’s.

Deme is a retired US Navy Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman, who honorably completed 24 years of service before retiring in December 2012. During his distinguished career, Deme served aboard the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk and the U.S.S. Essex, in addition to various shore commands across the United States and Japan.

Deme was deployed multiple times to the Middle East, serving as an individual augmentee embedded in teams supporting combat operations. While both he and his brother were deployed in Afghanistan, his brother tragically lost his life to an improvised explosive device (IED). In honor of his brother’s sacrifice, Deme has devoted himself to assisting Veterans in any capacity he can.

Throughout his career, Deme has held a variety of leadership roles, including Department Head of Patient Relations, Chief of the Main Operating Room, Senior Enlisted Advisor for the Directorate of Professional Education, Chief of the Dental Prosthetic Laboratory, and Exam Writer for the Hospital Corpsman Rating at Naval Medical Center Southwest in San Diego, California. Since 1993, he has volunteered with San Diego’s Veteran Stand Down, and later served as its volunteer coordinator, helping thousands of Veterans annually. His extensive leadership experience and deep commitment to Veterans bring invaluable knowledge to the Adopt a Vet Dental Program.

Deme holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Criminal Justice from the University of Texas, and a Science degree from Vincennes University. He is married to Jamie Gonzalez, and they are proud parents of six children: four sons—Damian, Caleb, Logan, and Levi—and two daughters, Noelle and Ari.

Heather is the Executive Director for the Adopt a Vet Dental Program. She has been with the Adopt a Vet Dental Organization since 2017. She started out as a volunteer, was a contracted dental assistant for the program, and then was hired on as the Dental Clinic Manager. In 2020, Heather was promoted to Assistant Executive Director and in 2024 was promoted to the Executive Director position.

Before joining AAVD, Heather was a contracted dental assistant for the Navy on Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and credits her experience working within the military setting as the foundation for her continued career in the dental field. During her time serving the military men and women at Camp Lejeune, she found the need to be part of a greater cause and believes that veterans deserve great, extensive care for the service they provide to our country. Upon moving to northern Nevada in 2016 Heather took a job at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center where she was in charge of running the dental clinic. After that, she also spent some time working alongside a local oral surgeon, furthering her experience in the field.

Working with Veterans holds a special place in Heather’s heart. Her grandfather was a Marine stationed at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station in the 1950s, where he worked on the aircraft rescue and firefighting squad. He was very proud to be a Marine and held on to all his memories of his time in service until the day he passed in July 2013.

When Heather’s not serving our Veterans, she spends time with her husband and two daughters. They spend as much time outdoors as possible, enjoying Northern Nevada.

Chelsea serves as the Assistant Executive Director at Adopt a Vet Dental, where she is dedicated to enhancing the lives of Veterans through essential, life-saving dental services. With expertise in grant procurement, leadership, project management, and fundraising, she is passionate about making a meaningful impact.

Before joining Adopt a Vet Dental in 2024, Chelsea was the Children’s Ministry Director at Fervent, where she developed training programs for volunteers and ensured a safe and nurturing environment for children. 

Her previous experience at Target included various leadership roles, where she successfully managed large teams and achieved significant sales milestones, including over $60 million in sales in 2023. Her strategic problem-solving abilities and commitment to exceptional customer service enabled her to consistently maintain high performance metrics, even in challenging situations.

Additionally, Chelsea worked as a Non-Profit Specialist for The Carrying On Project, where she supported Veterans and their families. Her background in project management and community outreach equips her to effectively drive initiatives at Adopt a Vet Dental.

Working with Veterans is particularly meaningful to Chelsea, as her grandfather served over 25 years in the Marine Corps and is a Vietnam Veteran. Her husband has also dedicated more than 18 years to the Air Force and continues to serve.

Outside of her professional commitments, Chelsea enjoys spending time with her husband and their ten children. They actively participate in various ministries at their local church and cherish family activities together.

Sonya is AAVD’s Dental Program Manager where she works to help place and monitor the care of our veterans and recruit new dentists willing to participate in our program. As a passionate advocate for our veterans, she also helps bring little known industry practices into the open so that AAVD’s Veterans get the best care possible.

Over her twenty-year career, Sonya has worn many hats. She was driven to work in dentistry because it offers patients a new lease on their wellbeing. She began her career working as a Dental Assistant for an orthodontist but with an education in finance and engineering she quickly found herself creating a successful office environment ripe for growth. This combination of passion for caring for people and analytics would help her grow her career into specializing in developing successful growth strategies for practices needing revitalization. She would go on and grow the first practice she worked with in to having seven locations nine years later. The second practice she worked with would go on to grow into a regional dental practice spanning 13 locations by the time she left. Now with AAVD she is helping to develop a stable foundation for future growth.

In coming to AAVD, Sonya brings a passion for service that was inspired by her family’s history of service. She grew up listening to the stories of her uncles being in World War II and Vietnam and her older brother serving in the Air Force. In working with AAVD, she is grateful to be able to give back and enjoys seeing the difference our Veterans experience when going through our program.

Outside of work, her tireless nature shines and she aims high. With her caring heart, she volunteers with Compassion Dental to help to revitalize their program and giving back to the Washoe County Sheriff deputies who her late husband worked with until his retirement in 2015. In what remains of her free time she is often out spending time with her boys and future daughters in law or up in the air getting the flight hours she needs for her pilot’s license.

Eduardo is a strategically minded professional with 7 years of experience in the Public Relations arena. With the AAVD Team he is responsible developing and implementing their communications strategy.

His work history has focused on increasing awareness of veteran benefits and services through his work in the United States Senate and until recently at the Nevada Department of Veteran Services. While in the Senate, he was also the lead for Hispanic Outreach in Northern Nevada for his office where he helped craft relationships with many businesses, community groups, and resource channels. As a result of his work, he was recognized in the Nevada Latin Chamber’s Influencers Magazine in December 2018.

Eduardo is a graduate of Fordham University where he received his Masters in Strategic Marketing & Communications.

Now that he again has free time, he enjoys being up in the mountains with his wife Dani and their two Shibas and traveling around the country trying to hit all 50 states.

Grace is the Business Development Manager for Adopt a Vet Dental Program and is thankful to be able to combine her passion for dental care with her love for giving back to the community. She is enthusiastic about reciprocating the service to our Veterans having seen the toll service takes on many of her friends and family members. 

She began her career working in the dental field in 2002 as a Recall Specialist. By 2005, she became the Office Manager for a dental office, helping manage the practice’s scheduling, billing, and treatment planning. She later moved to California to pursue her college degree in Criminal Justice but felt called to return to the dental industry. She was one of the first hires for Absolute Dental (Artistic Orthodontics) in Las Vegas. Whether it was mentoring new hires, or marketing, she was constantly networking with prospective patients, she created results for the organization.  Over her 13 years with Absolute Dental, her grit, perseverance, and knack for building lasting relationships would help grow the practice from only having two locations to nearly three dozen across the state.  

In her spare time, she often travels with her family and fur babies looking for the most pristine beaches. She is also a “Foodie” and love to find unique eateries around the world. So if you know of a good place to eat at make sure to let her know if you ever come across her. 

Cecilia is the dental clinic manager at Adopt A Vet Dental, where she continues to give back to the community. She is a dedicated dental professional with nearly 25 years of experience in dental assisting, primarily based in Reno, Nevada. She has a passion for teaching and mentoring future dental assistants, guiding them toward success in their careers. Her journey into non-profit work began with Compassion Dental before transitioning to her current role.

A Northern Nevada Native, Cecilia’s leadership skills were nurtured during her time in the high school JROTC program, where she thrived in organizing and leading. In addition to her clinical work, she also instructs students at Sierra Mountain Education, helping shape the next generation of dental professionals.

Outside of her professional life, Cecilia enjoys spending quality time with her daughter and family, as well as cultivating her garden. Her combination of hands-on dental expertise and her love for teaching make her a valuable figure in the dental community.

Caleb Gonzalez is a dedicated professional with extensive experience in safety and medical training, recordkeeping, business contracting, and administrative support. With a strong focus on ensuring compliance and fostering a safe work environment in medical facilities in Texas and in New Mexico, he has successfully coordinated numerous training sessions aimed at enhancing workplace safety and emergency preparedness in medical facilities to include mine safety with hazardous materials.

In addition to training, Caleb has a proven track record in meticulous recordkeeping, ensuring that all documentation meets regulatory standards and supports organizational efficiency. His expertise in business contracting includes negotiating agreements and managing vendor relationships to optimize operational effectiveness while serving as the Executive Assistant at Engineering Safety, Inc.

With a solid foundation in administrative functions, Caleb excels in coordinating projects, managing schedules, and providing comprehensive support to teams. His multifaceted skill set and commitment to excellence make him an asset to the Adopt a Vet Dental Program and its growth as the Southern Nevada Regional Manager.

Caleb’s attachment to the military and its veterans comes from his father’s service in the military and his uncle’s ultimate sacrifice for this country. Sgt. Jamie Gonzalez Jr. was killed when his vehicle ran over an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan that took his life. He feels an overwhelming obligation to give back to the Veterans of this country for what they were willing to give. 

Caleb graduated as a dental assistant from Nevada Career Institute and is a certified Yellow Belt in Lean Six Sigma.

Grachy is a northern Nevada native who grew up in a family emphasizing service. Her family includes members of the Air Force, Marine Corps, law enforcement, and emergency medical services. Grachy met her fiancé in high school while participating in Robert McQueen High School’s JROTC program, where she also helped paint two murals in the JROTC hall.

Grachy’s first introduction to nonprofit work was raising funds for the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation and Veterans’ Guest House through her position as finance officer for McQueen’s Lancer Battalion. Afterward, she joined the Compassion Dental staff before joining the Adopt A Vet Dental Program.

Grachy is graduate of the ATS Northern Nevada Dental Assisting School and is also pursuing a history degree at Truckee Meadows Community College.

In her free time, Grachy enjoys playing video games like Fallout and Street Fighter. She also enjoys recreating animation cells and comic book panels in her sketchbooks.