Meet the Team

Sarah Wovcha, JD, MPH

Board Treasurer

Sarah Wovcha is the Executive Director of Children’s Dental Services in Minneapolis, Minnesota’s largest provider of school- and Head Start-based dental care, serving over 37,000 children and families annually. She holds a law degree from the University of Minnesota and a master’s degree from the Harvard School of Public Health. Ms. Wovcha is passionate about serving Hope Dental because it is truly and uniquely a dental safety net provider for everyone!

Terri Henneman

Board Secretary

Terri is a retired nurse who previously worked in hospital settings and in employee health testing. The impact of dental health on overall physical health and overcoming disparities in health care fuel her interest in helping Hope Dental Clinic succeed. Terri is a community volunteer who especially enjoys development and fund raising. She has worked on the Capital Campaign for the International Institute of Minnesota, fundraising galas for the Ordway Center for Performing Arts, and chairs the Development Committee for Hope Dental Clinic. Terri has a BA in Nursing from Gustavus Adolphus College.

Terri and her husband Mark have three children, a son in law, and two grandsons. Terri and Mark live in St Paul and enjoy spending time with family at their cabin in Wisconsin and condo in Florida. Terri enjoys reading, biking, long walks, and working on her golf game.

David S. Gesko, DDS, FACD

As the Senior Vice President and Dental Director for HealthPartners, an integrated, not-for-profit, consumer-governed health system based in Minnesota David is passionate about integrating medical and dental care and applying growing evidence-based research to care delivery.

He is and has been a leader for many years in support of licensing and integrating dental therapy into dental practice.

He has been on the advisory panel for the Institute for Oral Health and is a past Chair of the Institute for Oral and Systemic Health sponsored by Marshfield Clinic in Marshfield, Wisconsin. He is currently a Board member of the Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality. All these groups are working to build national consensus on guidelines for measurement and prevention of disease management in oral health care and to facilitate implementation of those guidelines into the care, policy, and financing systems.

Dr. Gesko has served for seven years on the Minnesota Board of Dentistry appointment by former Governor Mark Dayton. During his tenure on the Board, Dr. Gesko has held all the officer roles including President. Currently, Dr. Gesko is an active consultant with the Minnesota Board of Dentistry.

Dr. Gesko and his wife Leslie have two grown (married) children. Their daughter Tracey has two children and lives in southwest Washington State. Their son Sam was recently married and is a third-year dental student in Phoenix, Arizona. Sam and his wife Kieran recently had their first child, and one more “Sam Gesko” is with us!

Kelly Gray, PHR

Kelly is the Director of Talent for Robins Kaplan LLP, an AM Law 200 litigation firm based in Minneapolis. In this role, Kelly oversees the Human Resources, compliance, talent acquisition, and diversity initiatives at the firm. Kelly brings 12 years of Human Resources experience to the Hope Board of Directors and has worked in a variety of industries including non-profit, manufacturing, and professional services. Kelly has served on Hope's Board since 2020 and is currently the Chair of the Governance Committee. Kelly has a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Human Resources from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and maintains her professional in human resources (PHR) certification.

Russ Loomis

Russ is a retired Dental Products Division Account Executive. He worked at 3M for 44 years, most in the dental area.

He holds a degree in Economics from The University of Minnesota. Having lived in St. Louis and Chicago for a few years, most of his life has been spent in St. Paul. He serves on the Hope Dental Board and the Development Committee. Russ is passionate about Hope Dental’s tremendous service provided to the community. Hope serves so many less fortunate patients, children through the elderly.

T. Cher Moua

T. Cher Moua spent the first 14 years of his life in Laos during the US Conflict in Indochina. He and his family immigrated to the US in 1979, after the fall of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. T. Cher completed his Seminary education at Bethel University (Formerly Bethel Seminary) in St. Paul in 1994.

T. Cher served as Senior Pastor and Church Planter both in Hmong Indigenous and Cross-cultural contexts for over 37 years in Michigan and Minnesota. He has also been serving on different non-profit organizations and higher education institutions Boards in the Twin Cities. In addition, T. Cher has continued to serve as Pastoral Counseling and Perspectives on the World Christian Movement for over 10 years. T. Cher is currently serving as a member of the Leadership Team with Cru’s Immigrants, Internationals, and Refugees (IIR).

T. Cher and Mai Yia, his wife, have five adult children and their spouses and seventeen grandchildren from three different ethnic backgrounds. He is the author of Crossing the River: One Man’s Journey From Darkness To Light, and Marriage & Family Healing and Wholeness: A Hmong Multicultural Pastoral Counseling Perspective (Published 2024).

T. Cher’s purpose and passion as a man, husband, father, grandfather, and Christ-follower are to be faithful to the call of God in his life and a good steward of the gifts and talents God has granted him to influence others with the good news of Jesus Christ for the sake of the kingdom of God.

In his spare time, T. Cher enjoys time with Mai Yia, his wife in their backyard garden and other recreational activities around the house and outside away from home.

Jan Hallstrom

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Jan joined Hope Dental because she resonated with the mission to serve those most in need. Disparities in healthcare access and advocacy for children have been important focuses in her professional and personal life. Being part of the team at Hope allows her to engage in impacting both imperatives every day. She embraces a patient centered focus and incorporation of equity as a core value and objective across all aspects of the organization.

Jan’s goal was to join a mission driven organization where she could invest her experience and passion in building a strong foundation to thrive and fully realize their vision.

As a seasoned executive in healthcare and non-profit leadership, she brings a wealth of expertise and business acumen to support the effective operations and long-term sustainability of the clinic. She has an MBA from the Carlson School and an MHA from Public Health, both at the University of Minnesota.

She is currently a board member at the Twin Cities American Red Cross where she also volunteers as a national disaster relief responder and a leadership development coach and presenter. Her advocacy for children and youth has been woven throughout her career and personal efforts. As a guardian ad litem and foster parent, she has experienced firsthand the disparities in dental care access and limited resources for the underserved. This perspective and appreciation of Hope’s impact on the community drives her as the Executive Director of Hope to meet the ever-increasing demand for Hope’s dental services, and fill the gap for expanded outreach, education, and advocacy.

Erica Mazhary RDH, MDH

Clinic & Education Manager

Erica graduated from University of Michigan in 2001 and completed her Master of Dental Hygiene/Business Management degree from University of Minnesota in 2011. She has managed clinics for nine years. She also was a professional educator and faculty member for both Argosy University and Herzing University.

Erica likes hiking, archery, reading, gardening, and working out. She enjoys spending time with her husband and five daughters in her spare time.

Natalie Gomez, DDS

Dental Director

Dr. Natalie completed her undergraduate studies at Saint Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, and earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. She went on to complete a General Practice Residency at the Minneapolis VA Hospital. Dr. Natalie currently holds a part-time position at the VA Hospital, where she provides comprehensive dental care to Veterans and participates in the Homeless Veterans Dental Program.

Dr. Natalie has pursued extensive continuing education in oral sleep medicine, dental implant surgery, orofacial pain and trigger point therapy, aesthetic and cosmetic dentistry, and holds certification in Invisalign therapy.

When not in the office, Dr. Natalie dedicates her time to her husband and two children. The family enjoys traveling, exploring exceptional restaurants, and frequently attending ice hockey games to cheer on their son.

Marycruz Sanchez Cortes

Receptionist/Scheduler/Interpreter

Marycruz Sanchez Cortes was born in Mexico City and came to the United States at the age of 7. She graduated as an Esthetician from Saint Paul College in 2019, but later in her career, she realized that she could help others differently. Her career path has completely taken a turn from where she started, but she wouldn't change a single thing because she is now helping people by translating. Especially after seeing firsthand what her parents went through while she was growing up when it came to booking/attending appointments in a country where they didn't speak/ understand the language. She now enjoys helping people who don't understand English by translating at Hope Dental Clinic and watching them leave with a smile!

Skylor Gosso

Clinical Lead & Volunteer Coordinator

Skylor was born and raised in Stillwater, and pursued dental right after graduating from Stillwater area high school. She got a limited license in dental radiography during covid. In her last 2 years out of high school, she has clinically assisted, and worked in a dental lab.

Skylor enjoys spreading joy through the community with random acts of kindness, she also enjoys painting, music, archery, writing, and spending time with her 4 sisters. “ I am here to help in any way I can!”.

Dimitrii Kuzmin

Dental Assistant

Dimitrii joins our assisting staff as a general dentist from Russia, having graduated from the Faculty of Dentistry of St. Petersburg Pediatric University in 2016. He has four years of experience working as a dentist in a Russian state clinic and is in the process of certifying his degree to be a dentist in the United States.

A medical professional to the bone, Dimitrii is excited to bring his knowledge and friendly smile to the Hope Dental Clinic team.

Kathy Metcalf

Grants & Donor Relations

Kathy joins Hope Dental with a combined background in volunteer management, program development, public speaking, and grant writing, spanning over two decades. With a passion for helping others have access to healthcare, she strongly believes that dental care is a key component of an individual’s wellness journey and is excited about her supporting role on the team.

She most recently worked for a nonprofit hospice agency in Western Wisconsin as the foundation and volunteer manager, and leader of the end-of-life doula program. Kathy also continues to serve the veteran population and is an ambassador and facilitator for the Opus Peace Institute.

When not busy with work, you can find Kathy on her yoga mat, alpine skiing, traveling, or spending time at her cabin in Spooner. She is also a mother of four adults, “Oma” to a granddaughter, and fur mom to her ferocious, 6-lb poodle named Rihanna.

Sebastian Rojas Perez

Scheduler/Admin Coordinator/Interpreter

Sebastian was born and raised in Venezuela. He moved to the United States at the age of 17 for college. He studied and graduated from the University of South Florida in August 2020 with a degree in World Languages and Culture. He enjoys helping as many people as he can by translating at Hope Dental Clinic, as well as being a receptionist.

Sebastian recently moved to the Twin Cities and is looking forward to meeting new people. He enjoys Japanese anime and reading in his free time.

Juan Rodriguez Jr. LDA

Dental Assistant/Spanish Interpreter

Juan was born in Minnesota, Graduated from Normandale Community College with Associate of Arts in Liberal Education (graduated in 2019). Juan also attended Dakota County Technical College for dental assistant (graduated in 2019) and graduated from St Thomas (2023) Majoring in Biology. Juan is the 2022-2023 St. Thomas Pre-Dental Club President, and awarded the St. Paul District Dental Society "Outstanding Dental Assistant, 2023."

Juan is passionate about assisting his community and educating people on the importance of oral health care. He enjoys volunteering with Teamsmile, Common Hope, Mission Outpost, Hope Dental, Give Kids a Smile, and Mission of Mercy.

Juan enjoys spending his free time doing outdoor activities such as kayaking, fishing, biking, running, swimming, snowboarding, and more.

Salida Sak, LDH

Dental Hygienist

I was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota. I graduated from Century College in 2017 as a Dental Assistant and later graduated from Herzing University in 2021 as a Dental Hygienist. I enjoy getting to know my patients. When people are happy, they smile. I want to be a reason they love their smile. I enjoy reading, being outdoors or on the lake, trying new foods, karaoking, and spending time with my family.