OUR LEADERS
Coming together from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, our skilled team of professionals is the backbone of Duck River Dental Outreach. Their ideas help shape the direction and mission of our organization as it continues to develop. Read on to learn more about some of our incredible team members.
Jim Morrison
Chairman of the Board
Jim Morrison is one of the founding members of Duck River Dental Outreach and currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Jim is passionate and excited about the ability DRDO has in making our community a better and healthier place to live.
Jim is a native of Columbia, TN and earned his BM from Middle Tennessee State University.
Jim is an accomplished engineering professional with expertise in project management, process improvement, and purchasing.
Jim has long been an advocate for his community and has served in leadership roles with multiple youth sports organizations. Jim also completed two elected terms on the Maury County Board of Education where he served as Vice Chairman and Chairman.
Jim and his family are longtime members of St. Luke United Methodist Church. Jim takes an active role in his congregation serving as the worship leader, choir director, and serves on various committees.
Jim and his wife Cheryl have been married for 41 years. Together they have one daughter Leslie (Darold), one son Joel (Alexis), and two grandchildren Harlan and Henley.
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Dr. Dennis Gardner
Vice Chairman of the Board
I became interested in the dental profession because of my own life experiences. All though my childhood and teenage years I suffered from a severe malocclusion (bad bite). My face was very asymmetrical, and I only had contact with three upper and three lower teeth. My situation required orthodontic treatment, two major surgeries, as well as a number of minor procedures to correct. There are very few dental procedures that I cannot relate to in some way as a patient.
I am a native of Maury County, Tennessee. I graduated from Santa Fe School, Columbia State Community College, The University of Memphis and the University of Tennessee, College of Dentistry. In August of 1983 I became the first full-time practicing dentist in Spring Hill. I am a member of the Sixth District Dental Society, the Tennessee Dental Association, the American Dental Association and the Academy of General Dentistry. I currently serve on the TDA Board of Directors as Trustee of the Sixth District. I have been the recipient of the Nashville Lifestyles Magazine, Top Dentists of Middle Tennessee every year since 2013. This award is chosen by my peers for which I am very honored and grateful.
I am very active in my church, St. Luke United Methodist in Columbia, Tennessee. I am a member of Gideon’s International. My favorite hobby is playing guitar and singing with a Christian group called Our House Band, which was organized in 2015 by myself and several other members of our church. My wife, Ginger, and I have three adult children, Leslie, Stephanie and Ray, two sons-in-law, James and Patrick, one daughter-in-law, Amy, and one grandson, Levi.
Lawrence Horner
Secretary
Lawrence Horner is a retired educator having spent forty years in the Maury County School System serving as library media specialist at Whitthorne Middle School and launching the library at E.A. Cox Middle School.
He holds degrees from Columbia State Community College, Middle Tennessee State University, and George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University and has completed additional work at Trevecca College of the Nazarene.
He currently serves as Lay Leader at St. Luke United Methodist Church where he first heard of the ministry of Nashville’s Interfaith Dental. Currently, he is excited about bringing dental services to those in need in Maury and surrounding counties and serves as the board secretary for Duck River Dental Outreach.
Lawrence and his wife of thirty-seven years, Mary Ann, live in a 130 year-old house and have two children, John Park who lives in North Carolina where he is employed by Amazon and Mary Miller who is an illustrator holding a degree in fine arts.
Mary Ann Horner
Mary Ann Horner is a life-long resident of Columbia, Tennessee. Mary Ann is retired from Maury Regional Medical Center where she worked in the hospital laboratory in microbiology. Mary Ann holds a degree in biology from Tennessee Tech.
Mary Ann is a member of St. Luke United Methodist Church where she serves on the mission team and coordinates St. Luke members in serving The People’s Table, a food ministry. She also is involved in prayer shawl ministry.
Her interest in missions drew her to the ministry of Duck River Dental Outreach where she serves on the board.
Mary Ann has been married to her husband Lawrence for thirty-seven years and has two adult children, John Park and Mary Miller.
Marvin Caine
Treasurer
Marvin Caine is one of the original members of the Board of Directors. Marvin currently serves as the treasurer of the organization.
Marvin believes that DRDO will be an especially important asset for the community.
Marvin is a native of North Dakota and has a BS and MS in Chemistry from North Dakota State University.
Marvin spent 43 years in various industry positions involving research, development, and quality control.
He retired from Swarco Industries, Columbia, TN in 2012. He is a member of St Luke United Methodist Church.
Marvin and his wife June have been married for 50 years. They have one daughter Liz.
Lori Thomas
Lori Thomas is a current member of the Duck River Dental Outreach board of directors.
As a health care professional, Lori is excited about the services that Duck River Dental Outreach will provide to members of our community without dental insurance.
Lori is a native of Belvidere, a small farming community in Franklin County, TN. She attended East Tennessee State University and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center where she obtained a B.S. in Physical Therapy.
Lori moved to Columbia in 1996 and has lived in the Columbia/Mt. Pleasant area since that time.
Lori has been employed by Maury Regional Medical Center for 24 years. She has held positions as a Physical Therapist, Inpatient Physical Therapy Supervisor, and most recently, Certified Wound Specialist.
Lori and her husband Ronnie have been married for 24 years. They have 3 children: Chelsea, Ashlyn, and Danielle.
Le Anne Sanville
Le Anne Sanville is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and has resided in Spring Hill, Tennessee since 2013.
Le Anne has been in the dental field since 1985. She graduated from Milwaukee Area Technical College with her certificate in Dental Assisting. Upon graduation, she went into Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Assisting and worked in that field for 10 years.
Currently, Le Anne is the administrative assistant at St. Luke United Methodist Church and has been in that role for the past 2 ½ years. She joined the Duck River Dental Outreach board early in 2020.
Le Anne has been married to her husband, John, for 5 years and has three grown children and two stepsons. She enjoys traveling with her husband and loves to read in her spare time.
Helping in the community and bringing good oral health to all is a true blessing.
Chelsea Thomas
Chelsea Thomas was born and currently resides in Columbia, Tennessee. Chelsea first became interested in dentistry during high school. After various experiences through shadowing and volunteering, she began pursuing a career in the dental field. Chelsea graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from East Tennessee State University and completed her dental assisting training at the Advanced Dental Assisting Program of Tennessee. Chelsea is certified in nitrous oxide monitoring and has plans to complete her coronal polishing and sealant certifications in the future.
Duck River Dental Outreach gives Chelsea the opportunity to volunteer in an environment that combines the two things she loves the most: community outreach and dentistry. Through DRDO, Chelsea is providing her community with a judgement-free setting where citizens of the surrounding area may receive the dental care they deserve.