Three Long Term Volunteer Leaders Nominated for Gabryl Award

August 2015

Three Long Term Volunteer Leaders Nominated for Gabryl Award

NADP is pleased to announce the nomination of three long-term volunteers for the 2015 Gabryl Award:

• Darrin Hall, Director of Client Management, The Ignition Group (formerly with CIGNA Dental)
• Forrest Flint, Vice-President of Strategy and Innovations, Delta Dental of Minnesota
• Amy Marko, V.P., Insurance Operations, Dedicated Dental/InterDent

The Gabryl Award is NADP’s highest honor, which recognizes long-term volunteer service with a significant contribution to the advancement of NADP and our mission. The Gabryl Award is often referred to as NADP’s “lifetime achievement award.”

The nominees will be honored in the Opening Session of CONVERGE 2015. The recipient will be announced during the general session Wednesday morning.

Volunteer groups citied the following accomplishments in support of these nominations:

Darrin Hall was nominated by the Research Commission for his leadership as commission chair at a time when th dental benefits industry was being challenged by initial changes resulting from the Affordable Care Act. Under his leadership and guidance, NADP’s research has been able to anticipate and adapt to the changes in the dental benefits market. NADP’s Statistical Reports are now more comprehensive and provide more depth and granularity that is responsive to the ACA dominated marketplace. Darrin played a critical role in preparing the Research Commission, and ultimately, NADP to respond to the more intense data needs of the dental benefits industry.

Darrin’s volunteer service includes 9 years of service on the Research Commission, first as a volunteer from 2004-2006, then as vice chair in 2007. He became chair in 2008, serving in that role through 2013. In 2014 he joined the STI Operations Workgroup. He also served on the Government Relations Commission in 2011. In 2008, Darrin received the Star Award recognizing his instrumental contributions to the Research Commission in expanding and perfecting NADP’s research portfolio and service.

Darrin has more than 20 years of experience in the dental health insurance industry. His career began at Oral Health Services, a stand-alone dental plan (primarily DHMO) that formed in Florida and eventually expanded to Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Arkansas. After more than nine years at OHS where he became assistant vice president of marketing, Darrin joined CIGNA Dental in 2001 as director of business analysis. In April of 2013, he moved to The Ignition Group as a product architect for NetMinder where he is employed today. Darrin was educated at the University of Miami.

Forrest Flint was nominated by the Government Relations Commission for his tireless efforts on a variety of industryrelated issues on behalf of the industry. He has participated on multiple NADP volunteer workgroups, including Education, Alternative Revenue, Government Relations and the Nominating Committee. Forrest utilized his leadership and conciliatory skills as NADP Board Chairman with 6 years of service on the Board. He was a team player as he participated on the Health Care Reform Task Force (now the Commission on Advocacy Policy) during the formation and passage of the Affordable Care Act, supporting NADP in navigating Congress and receiving critical input from members. In 2012 he also received the NADP Star Award for membership recruitment.

Forrest is currently the vice president of Dental Plans for Delta Dental of Minnesota, a position he assumed earlier this year. After taking early retirement as vice-president for HealthPartners Dental Plan in 2013, he returned to Park Dental, a multi-location dental group practice which he helped found. At HealthPartners Forrest was responsible for the overall performance of the dental benefits area of the organization. His prior professional experience includes service as vice president of business development for American Dental Partners and executive director for Park Dental.

Amy Marko was nominated by the Education Commission for her long term leadership in developing educationalprogramming for NADP from all the various roles that she has held in the industry. One of her more recent contributions, development of the session at 2013 CONVERGE on Dental Service Organizations, led to the creation of the current common dental credentialing form project underway by the STI Operations Workgroup.

Volunteer History and Awards: While Amy Marko has served NADP in many volunteer roles, her home is the Education Commission which she joined in 1996 becoming vice-chair in 1998 & 1999. In 1998 she chaired the Subgroup on Alternative Educational Initiatives that was responsible for developing the Provider Relations seminars held in California and D.C. She was elected to serve on the Board beginning in 1999 and served through 2004. While on the Board and through 2005 she continued as a member of the Education Commission.

She served on the Research Commission from 2008-2012, the Communications Committee in 2011-2012 and on the Operations Workgroup and Education Commission from 2012 to present.

In 2014, the Operations Workgroup awarded her a Star Award for her work bringing DSOs into discussions on working better with dental plans in particular on work toward credentialing solutions.

When Amy joined a company that was not a member of NADP in 2004, Kaiser, she brought that company into NADP membership.