Dr. Conan Davis is a respected leader in dental public health and health policy, currently serving as the legislative liaison and President-elect of the Alabama Rural Health Association, where he is also a Board Member. A Fellow of the American College of Dentists and the International College of Dentists, he has been a long-standing member of the American Dental Association.
Dr. Davis recently retired as Assistant Dean for Community Collaborations and Public Health at the UAB School of Dentistry, where he continues to contribute as a part-time volunteer Adjunct Associate Professor. During his tenure, he was a Scholar at the Lister Hill Center for Health Policy, a Delegate to the Alabama Albert Schweitzer Fellowship Consortium, and a member of the State Health Improvement Task Force.
Previously, he served for eight years as Chief Dental Officer for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), shaping national dental health policy and serving as a liaison to dental providers and advocates. Earlier in his career, he was a AAAS Congressional Fellow on Capitol Hill, where he contributed to key legislation, including the Bioterrorism Defense Act of 2002 and the Children’s Dental Health Improvement Act of 2002, which led to the first Senate hearing on dental health.

Dr. Davis began his career in private practice in Mobile, AL, later serving 12 years as the State Dental Director for the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH). During this time, he also held roles as Deputy Director for Family Health Services, State Medicaid Dental Director, and member of Governor Fob James’ Welfare Reform Commission and Domestic Violence Task Force. His career reflects a lifelong commitment to public health, policy, and expanding access to care.

 

 

 

Dr. Stuart Lockwood is a board-certified public health dentist with an extensive career dedicated to improving oral health at both state and national levels. A graduate of Auburn University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Dentistry, he began his career in general dentistry after completing a General Practice Residency at Huntsville Hospital. He later transitioned into public health, earning a Master of Public Health in Health Care Policy and Organization from UAB.
Dr. Lockwood further advanced his expertise through a prestigious three-year National Institutes of Health (NIH) Fellowship in Oral Epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. He then served as a dental officer and oral epidemiologist in the Division of Oral Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) before returning to Alabama, where he retired as the State Dental Director for the Alabama Department of Public Health.

Committed to education and advocacy, Dr. Lockwood is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the UAB School of Dentistry and a Board Member of the Alabama Rural Health Association. He recently completed a four-year term on the Alabama State Committee for Public Health (State Board of Health) and, since April 2023, has served as the dental consultant for the Alabama Medicaid Agency. His career reflects a lifelong dedication to improving oral health access, policy, and education.

 

 

 

Dr. Lew Mitchell is a highly respected general dentist with over 45 years of experience in private practice in Gadsden, Alabama. A graduate of the University of Alabama School of Dentistry (1973), he has dedicated his career to both clinical practice and dental education. For over 11 years (2011-2022), he served as an Adjunct Associate Professor at UAB School of Dentistry, mentoring students in clinical settings.

Dr. Mitchell has been an influential leader in organized dentistry, holding positions such as First Vice President of the American Dental Association (2017-2018) and President of the Alabama Dental Association (1992-1993). He has played a key role in ethics education for over 25 years, co-organizing an annual seminar for junior and senior dental students since 1997. Additionally, he has served on the Alabama Board of Dental Scholarships and Loans for nearly 20 years (since 2006), supporting dentists working in underserved areas.
A Fellow of the International College of Dentists (since 1992) and recipient of numerous awards, including the Distinguished Alumnus Award from UAB (1999), Dr. Mitchell continues to advocate for the dental profession and mentor future healthcare providers.