Tami Anderson, BASM, Assistant Director of Clinical Operations
Tami Anderson was born in Anchorage, Alaska, and grew up in Selah, Washington. After working for several years as a Certified Medical Assistant in a hematology-oncology practice, she decided to go back to college. Her two sons, who were young at the time, were her motivation and reason for wanting to further her education and earn a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Business Management. As a single mom, working full time she was able to complete this program at Yakima Valley College taking evening classes. After earning her degree, she started a new role as the Clinical Administrative Coordinator in the Physician Assistant Educational Program at Heritage University.
Since 2018, Tami has been with Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences, starting as the Regional Site Administrative Assistant – ACF and Student Credentialing for the PNWU-COM Department of Clinical Education. For the past four years, Tami served as the Assistant Director of Academic Technology in the Student Assessment Office. All these experiences led her to the School of Dental Medicine in 2024 as the Assistant Director for Clinical Operations where she continues to learn and grow and looks forward to welcoming students in the fall.
In her free time, Tami enjoys spending time with her family and friends and traveling. A “bucket list” item that she shares with her spouse and sons is to visit as many sports venues (football, basketball, baseball, and soccer) across the U.S. as they possibly can.
LeRoy Horton, DDS, MS, DICOI, Associate Professor of Dentistry, Director of Periodontal Education
Dr. LeRoy Horton is a transplant to the United States from a small suburb of Athens, Greece called Glyfada. Coming with as a trio of him, his younger brother, and their mother, they made a way of life common to many having lived the immigrant experience. Hard work and togetherness coupled with anxiety and uncertainty. As the years passed, the promise of the American dream became increasingly real.
Through the support of his mother Georgia, LeRoy and his brother Panayotis graduated high school and college. Although ten years apart, both brothers graduated from Pacific Lutheran University with a degree in biology as they lived in Tacoma, Washington. LeRoy developed a passion for dentistry and was accepted to the University of Washington School of Dentistry, obtaining his DDS degree in 2007. Having tailored his time at UWSOD to extra surgical training, his niche in private practice followed suit.
The next 14 years were filled with adventures of owning two practices, continued training, a board certification in implantology, lecturing, volunteering, and much more. Life was not all work, however, as LeRoy entered dental school married with one child, and came out with three. All three kept LeRoy and his wife Jill extremely busy with athletics and music. Their oldest, Janell, played D1 volleyball at UNCC and has her master’s degree in organizational leadership. Jordyn, the middle child, followed both parents’ alma mater and is finishing her degree in Biology at Pacific Lutheran University. She will be entering medical school after this year. The youngest, LeRoy IV, is a Junior Olympic gold medalist in the 200m and is currently at Harvard studying mechanical engineering and astrophysics.
In 2021, LeRoy sold his offices and returned to school to pursue advanced training. This decision was born partly out of his passion for knowledge and partly from the tragic loss of his brother. He was accepted into the prestigious Advanced Education in Periodontics program at Oregon Health Sciences University where he earned a certificate in Periodontics and a masters in Periodontal Science. His time there was filled with clinical learning, literature review, teaching, and performing research.
Upon returning to Tacoma, the second chapter of his career began. He has been selected to be the director of Periodontics and Implants for Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences School of Dental Medicine. Within this position, LeRoy enjoys creating lectures, designing hands-on learning experiences, continuing research, and working with an amazing team of colleagues to redefine dental education for the entering inaugural class.
Below are some of Dr. LeRoy Horton’s career highlights:
- DDS University of Washington
- MS in Periodontics Oregon Health Sciences University
- Board Certification International Congress of Implant Dentistry
- Implant Advisory Board of Washington Academy of General Dentistry
- Academy of General Dentistry nationally recognized instructor and lecturer
- President Elect of Seattle King County Dental Society 2024-2025 (presidential term 2025-2026)
- Director of Periodontics and Implants PNWU School of Dental Medicine
- Continued clinical practice and research in the greater Seattle area
Monica Sanchez, BA, Executive Assistant to the Dean
Monica Sanchez was raised in Yakima and takes great pride in calling it home. Over the past 24 years, she has built a life rooted in family and community, raising her two daughters alongside her husband of 33 years. Her journey exemplifies resilience, hard work, and a steadfast commitment to lifelong learning.
Monica’s professional career has been shaped by her passion for collaboration and excellence in education. While working with the Heritage University Physician Assistant Program, she frequently partnered with PNWU’s simulation lab. The organization’s inspiring mission and exceptional environment left a profound impression on her, igniting a desire to join their team. Today, Monica is thrilled to serve as the Executive Assistant to the Dean for the School of Dental Medicine, a role that allows her to contribute to the impactful work of PNWU.
Monica’s dedication extends beyond her professional achievements to her academic pursuits. In 2018, she earned her bachelor’s degree Summa Cum Laude, a milestone she accomplished while working full-time and raising her family. Her commitment to personal growth continues as she works toward a Master’s Degree in Management and Leadership, which she is on track to complete in June 2025.
Outside of her career and studies, Monica treasures life’s simple joys. She fondly recalls time spent in the country with her daughters, riding horses and savoring the innocence of those moments. Those days are a cherished memory, and remain a source of inspiration and joy.
Monica also has a passion for travel and adventure. One of her lifelong dreams is to embark on a world cruise, fulfilling a bucket-list aspiration to explore the globe.
Monica’s story is one of perseverance, ambition, and an unwavering dedication to family, education, and community. She brings this same energy and drive to her role at PNWU, where she continues to make a meaningful impact.
Scott Williams, DDS, Professor of Dentistry, Director of Endodontic Education
Dr. Scott A. D. Williams joined the PNWU-SDM in August 2024, as the Director of Endodontic Education.
Scott was born in Seattle, WA, while his father,Dr. Guy A. Williams, was completing his education and degree from the University of Washington School of Dentistry. The Williams family, following Guy’s graduation, moved to Spokane. Following his high school graduation, Scott graduated from Whitman College in 1971 with a BA in biology. Dr. Williams attended the University of Washington School of Dentistry, graduating in 1976 with a DDS.
Upon graduation, he received a commission in the United States Air Force/Dental Corps. He served in the USAF from 1976-1985, during which he completed a hospital based General Practice Residency (GPR) at Eglin AFB, CA Regional Hospital and a specialty residency in Endodontics at Tufts University, New England Medical Center in Boston, MA.
During his final duty assignment, Dr. Williams served as the Endodontics Training Officer for the GPR program at David Grant Medical Center/Travis, AFB, CA. Additionally, he served as Department Chair and as Consultant in Endodontics to the Surgeon General/USAF for the Western Region/USA. In June 1985, Dr. Williams and his family moved to Yakima, where he practiced in the specialty of endodontics from July 1985 to July 2014.
Scott served in each of the YVDS officer roles and for 15 years as a trustee, one as a director for WDS. Since his retirement he has taught as an Adjunct Faculty/Endodontics member from May 2015-present in the Northwest Dental Residency (AEGD). Dr. Williams has been published and presented original research in the specialty of endodontics to the American Association of Endodontists (AAE), IADR and AADR.
Scott and his wife Jan have been married for 51 years. They are parents to their son (Scott G) and daughter (Michelle C), and the two most wonderful granddaughters (Anne and Margaret) in the known universe!
Casey Wright, PhD, MS, Assistant Professor of Behavioral Sciences and Director of Scholarly Activity
Dr. Casey Wright was born in Brigham City, Utah and raised in Bountiful, Utah (a few minutes north of Salt Lake City). After graduating from high school, he started studying at a local community college for one semester prior to serving a volunteer mission for two years in southern Germany and Austria. After returning home, he continued his studies at the community college and the University of Utah and ultimately completed his undergraduate work at Utah Valley University.
Dr. Wright has long had a passion for teaching and learning, so his next step was to complete a master’s degree from Brigham Young University in Instructional Psychology and Technology. Though he had a goal of earning his PhD someday, it was the example of great faculty at BYU where he solidified his desire to be an academic (e.g., teaching, doing research, service). It was at this time, as well, where he realized that the “learning” he was most interested in was “life,” meaning how people adjust, cope, and change with whatever it is in their life, particularly chronic disease and health maladies. To do this, he knew he would need to study clinical health psychology.
After his time at BYU, Dr. Wright went to obtain another master’s degree and his PhD from West Virginia University. There,working in the Anxiety, Pain, and Psychophysiology Lab of Dr. Dan McNeil, who had been working in the field of “behavioral dentistry” for a number of years, Dr. Wright bloomed.
While he is broadly trained clinically, much of Dr. Wright’s scholarly work has been in the world of dentistry and oral health, where he has developed expertise in biopsychosocial mechanisms to oral health and disease. For his dissertation, he examined the associations between psychological stress, a protein that regulated epithelial tissue permeability, and periodontal disease. Over the years, his research has continued to expand and focuses more so on public health as well as improving educational experiences in dentistry. His work has been supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) at the NIH, the US Department of Education, and CareQuest Institute for Oral Health.
To complete his clinical training, Dr. Wright worked as a psychology resident at the University of Washington School of Medicine. After graduating, he took a faculty position at Marquette University School of Dentistry, where he directed the predoctoral program for behavioral sciences and ethics. During this time, he also worked as a licensed psychologist one day a week focusing on treating individuals with psychological concerns in the presence of complex medical and often chronic medical conditions.
The mission and vision of PNWU, the chance to be a part of something new and special, as well as its location, are all what drew Dr. Wright to relocate and become a faculty member at the new School of Dental Medicine. He is so excited to welcome the inaugural class this year and truly finds meaning in being a part of a future dentist’s career, with hopes that by learning about the human side of dentistry that his students will go out and do a lot of good in the world.
When not working on teaching or research efforts, he is working hard at home with his best friend and wife to try and raise their four boys, who are their collective universe. Together, his family likes to spend time with each other and with friends, as well as being outside. If he gets the time, Dr. Wright enjoys musicals, golf, basketball, snow skiing, and yes – even yard work.
