A Gift of Smiles’ board of directors consists of local leaders with a wide range of experience who share our mission. They are comprised of individuals from the dental, medical, legal, financial, legislative and advocacy sectors of our community.

Many of our board members have experienced firsthand both the challenges and the triumphs associated with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Their personal stake in A Gift Of Smiles mission provides our volunteers and staff with wisdom, inspiration, and guidance.

DWIGHT ASHBY, DDS

Founder/President

Dr.  Ashby has been practicing as a pediatric dentist in the Harrisburg area for over thirty years. Born and raised in Indiana, he graduated from Purdue University. He received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at the Indiana University School of Dentistry and continued his  specialty training in Pediatric Dentistry at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

His specialty training in handicapped dentistry allows him to perform comprehensive dental treatment for A Gift Of Smiles patients which he provides free of charge through the foundation. When not treating patients, Dr. Ashby enjoys mountain biking, skiing, woodworking and hanging out with his four grown sons and his wife, Janet.

JANET ASHBY, MSN, CRNP

Secretary

Janet’s commitment to special needs children and their families can be traced back to her early career as a NICU nurse in her native Indiana and continues today as a nurse practitioner for The Women’s Healthcare Group, York, PA.  She obtained her BS in Nursing from Purdue University and her MSN, CRNP from the University of Maryland.

Janet has been chairman of the annual A Gift Of Smiles fundraising gala since the first gala in 2015. With her dedication to the foundation and fund raising skills, Janet and her committee have raised over $495,000, providing funding for the dental treatment of our patients. She and Dwight share their love of travel, biking, skiing and being the parents of four sons.

CHARLES HENRY, CPA

Treasurer

As a certified public accountant, Chuck has been working in the accounting and tax fields for over 30 years, and is currently employed at Gift CPAs as an accounting manager.  He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Knights of Columbus. His accounting expertise  has been invaluable to A Gift Of Smiles.

A Pittsburgh native (and avid Steelers and Penguins fan), Chuck received a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Accounting from Clarion University. When his children were younger, Chuck held several sports coaching positions and also served on several boards helping promote sports in Mechanicsburg and the surrounding area.  In his spare time Chuck enjoys playing golf and volleyball with his friends. Chuck and his wife Doreen have lived in Mechanicsburg for over 20 years and have two adult children.

LISA BUTLER

Lisa is employed by The Arc of Pennsylvania. This organization promotes the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and actively supports their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetime. She currently is the regional manager of The Arc of Pennsylvania’s “Include Me” school age program. It is designed to promote and expand inclusive practices for disabled students in grade K-12 and the schools they attend.

In addition to being a board member of A Gift Of Smiles, Lisa is also a committee member with PA’s Developmental Disabilities Council and parent mentor with Parent to Parent. A retired Staff Sargeant of the United States Air Force, Lisa and her husband of twenty-two years, Alan are parents to eighteen year old Sophia and twelve year old Deven.

ALBERT HECK, MD

Dr. Heck has practiced as a board certified neurologist in Central Pennsylvania for over 29 years. Born in Baltimore, he is a graduate of William and Mary, later attending the University of Tennessee Center for Health Sciences in Memphis for medical school. After a year’s medical internship at the Methodist Hospital in Memphis, he completed a residency in neurology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. He remained there for an additional two year fellowship and then began his neurology practice in Harrisburg.

Outside of the office, Dr. Heck teaches martial arts and pursues yoga and meditation. When not in the dojang, you can find him fishing, bird watching and enjoying life with his wife,Naomi, and their two grown children. He considers it a privilege to be of service to others in the community, including his colleagues in healthcare. A Gift Of Smiles foundation is fortunate to have him serve as a vital member of our board.

MICHAEL JARMAN ,ESQ.

Mr. Jarman spent the vast majority of his thirty five year professional career as a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania business, tax and securities lawyer with the firm of McNees Wallace & Nurick, LLC. Mike received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University and his law degree from Duke University School of Law.

In 2002, Mike joined with a group of parents and founded a program that became known as The Vista School, specializing in the education and behavioral health care of children with autism spectrum disorder.The Vista School opened its doors in 2002 to four students and now is a fully subsidized program for 115 students located in Hershey, PA.

He retired from private practice in 2014 and later took a position as Chief Strategic Officer and General Counsel of The Vista Foundation, from which he retired in July of 2018. Mike is currently pursuing a Masters of Systematic Theology degree at Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD.