SMILE MAKER was initiated in 2019 by these three individuals:

 Dr. Wallace Smith is a retired dentist residing in Sarasota Florida. More than a decade ago, Wally Smith and his wife Pam helped develop a program to provide comprehensive dental treatment to underprivileged students in the elementary and middle schools in Dare County, North Carolina. The program, Miles of Smiles, is still ongoing. In 1970, Wally was commissioned into the Public Health Service and assigned to the Coast Guard where he was responsible for managing 73 Public Health (Coast Guard) dentists throughout the U.S. In 1982 he established the Dental General Practice Residency Program for the Coast Guard with New York University Dental School. He had a distinguished career in the Coast Guard and the Public Health Service and rose to rank of Captain and top dentist. Dr. Smith will serve as Dental Consultant to TWF and AHEC for this initiative. Dr. Wally Smith aspires to share dental talents and treasure to those in need, particularly underprivileged children.

 Dr. Clarice M. Yentsch, previously a resident of Key Largo, now a resident of Sarasota, is Past President of The Waypoint Foundation. Clarice graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with degrees in Natural Science and Botany and a Masters of Teaching. She received her PhD in Biological Oceanography at Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale Florida. She spent two decades as a research oceanographer at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, West Boothbay Harbor, Maine, and two decades as an educational and museum professional with the Educational Development Center, Newton/Boston, the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, the Natural History Museum of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, and the Mel Fisher Maritime Historical Society and Museum in Key West Florida. Dr. Clarice M. Yentsch has a strong commitment to health and well-being of children and young adults.

 Michael Cunningham, a resident of Monroe County for the last 25 years, is CEO of the Keys Area Health Education Center, Inc. During his 20-year tenure at AHEC the agency has grown financially, programatically, and in staff size by a factor of four. Major accomplishments of the agency are its Primary Care Centers, Oral/Mental Health programs, Tobacco Cessation programs, Opioid Training program, and its Healthy Aging program. Prior to working with AHEC Michael spent 4 years with the Dept of Children and Families and two years establishing a primary care health center for the Rural Health Network. His community service currently includes serving as Board President for Fishermen’s Hospital. Other agencies he currently works with or has served in the past include Florida Health Organization (President), Guidance Care Center (Board Member), the Healthy Start Coalition (Past President), Good Health Clinic (Past President), Marathon Health Center Advisory Committee (Chair), and School Health Advisory Committee (Chair). Michael resides in Ramrod Key with his wife, Jo-anne, and two children, Ainsley and Eagan. On weekends he can be found with his children at hockey games.