Meet the winners of the 2023 Outstanding CDA Awards

Jennifer Fernandes
Outstanding CDA Winner
“I have worked with Jennifer for 11 years. She comes in everyday with a smile on her face , doesn’t just do the CDA jobs , but helps is hygienists not lag behind. Where she is extraordinary, is in patient care . We had an older patient who was in long-term care and Jenn has visited her to lift her spirits. She has even offered to help pick up and drive home one of our elderly patients from a x-ray appointment because this woman has no family who lives here. All our patients know her by name. I’m not nominating just a CDA, I’m nominating an amazing human being.”
– Nicole Chien (Nominator)

Erin Sawatzky
Outstanding CDA Educator
“Erin is an amazing instructor/mentor. I can tell that she really cares for her students. Not only is she a great instructor, she makes it fun and almost easy for students to understand the material even when it gets hard. She is a great person to talk to outside of class. You can tell that she has a passion for teaching. Every class that I have had with her were all great. I love that I can always come to her when I need some personal help and that she’s just not only my instructor. She can also be a friend too. As an instructor she wants her students to pass. As a friend, she is caring and is willing to help and support however she can. She has definitely helped me a lot both ways. I am so grateful to have Erin as my instructor. I do love all my instructors but I do think she deserves this.”
-Nominators

Stephanie Saffin
Outstanding CDA Winner
“Stephanie goes above and beyond for her coworkers and patients. She is always one step ahead and never judges. She keeps an open mind and ear.”
-Jessica Vickery (Nominator)

Jodi White
Outstanding CDA Winner
“I enthusiastically nominate Jodi White for recognition and award for the Outstanding dental assistant. As her employer and colleague for the past 19 years, I have had the pleasure of working closely with Jodi and witnessing her exceptional dedication, expertise, and service in our dental office and the larger community.
Jodi has been a full-time certified dental assistant with our practice for nearly two decades, and during this time, she has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to our patients, our office, and our community. She has consistently gone above and beyond her job responsibilities to ensure that every patient receives the highest quality of care and attention. Her gentle, kind, and compassionate manner has earned her the admiration and respect of all who have had the pleasure of working with her. In addition to her remarkable patient care, Jodi has taken it upon herself to pursue comprehensive continuing education in various specialties, including implantology, prosthodontics, oral surgery, and practice management. Her continuous learning and professional development have not only benefitted her own career but also our entire team and the patients we serve.
-Jason Bartsch (Nominator)

Jackie Rietze
Outstanding CDA Winner
“It is my pleasure to nominate Jackie who has now been a CDA for 25 years. She is an avid life-long learner. She has worked in paediatric and general practice. She has taken training in Cerec technology, implants, orthodontics, endodontics and sedation assisting. Her passion for her profession creates a wonderful work environment. She sets high standards and staff and patients enjoy being around her kindness and enthusiasm. In her work as a CDA she anticipates things as they are needed and in fact keeps the entire office running smoothly and she does it all with a smile. This extraordinary CDA is well deserving of this prestigious award. The competence, experience and enthusiasm she has for her career is an asset to the profession and to all those who get to work with her and those who enjoy being a patient in the practice.”
-James Kubdalata (Nominator)