Laura Skarnulis: Chief Executive Officer

Chicago, IL – Laura Skarnulis has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) and the Dental Advancement through Learning and Education Foundation (the DALE Foundation).
Skarnulis comes to DANB and the DALE Foundation after serving as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), an organization that establishes the certification and continuing certification standards for its 24 Member Boards, certifying more than 920,000 physicians in one or more of the 40 specialties and 87 subspecialties offered. Under her leadership, ABMS successfully created and launched an innovative longitudinal assessment platform that both transformed the user experience and delivered exceptional customer satisfaction.
Skarnulis also created ABMS’s first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative focused on addressing systemic biases driving inequities of healthcare delivery, while concurrently serving as the leader of the organization’s pandemic response to COVID-19 ensuring the safety and well-being of staff while continuing to meet key strategic objectives and milestones.
Prior to her tenure at ABMS, Skarnulis served as Chief Operating and Financial Officer for the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago.
DANB is recognized by the American Dental Association as the national certifying board for dental assistants. DANB’s mission is to promote the public good by providing credentialing services to the dental community. DANB exams and certifications are recognized or required by 37 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Air Force and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The DALE Foundation, the official DANB affiliate, benefits the public by providing quality continuing education and conducting sound research to promote oral health. The DALE Foundation offers interactive e-learning courses and study aids to help dental assistants and other oral healthcare professionals expand their knowledge and grow their careers.