Meet Our Staff
Jamey Blankenship
Office Manager
Mrs. Jamey Blankenship joined the Northstar Family Dental Team in 2014. As our Office Manager, Jamey ensures that both the “front” and “back of the house” are running smoothly.
With an MBA in Healthcare Management, Jamey is a natural leader and thrives in a fast-paced environment. Under Jamey’s expert leadership, the Northstar Family Dental team provides the ultimate customer experience.
Jamey’s extra efforts and passion for her staff and her patients help to set the Northstar Family Dental office apart from other practices.
When asked about her decision to enter the healthcare management field, she simply says, “It chose me.”
When she is not leading her team in the office, her favorite way to spend her time is enjoying adventures with her husband and spending quality time with their daughter, Violet, and their Boston Terrier, Murphy.
Courtney Knapp
Treatment Coordinator
As the Northstar Family Dental Treatment Coordinator, Mrs. Courtney Knapp ensures that our patients have a clear, comprehensive understanding of their diagnosis and treatment plan.
With a B.A. in Elementary Education and a Masters of Business Administration, Courtney’s position highlights her passion for learning and working one on one with patients. Courtney has a natural ability to set our patients at ease while helping them map out their personal plan toward optimal oral health.
Courtney appreciates the opportunity to create ongoing relationships with our clients, seeing their progress and ultimately, being a part of the end result of a healthy, confident smile.
When she is not assisting Northstar patients, Courtney enjoys spending her free time with her husband. She also enjoys expressing her creative side through home decorating DIY projects.
Kacey Pinkerton
Office Assistant
If you’ve called the Northstar Family Dental office or been in for a visit, you’ve probably had the good fortune of interacting with our front desk lead, Ms. Kacey Pinkerton.
With a warm smile and sincere welcome, Kacey puts our patients at ease from the moment they enter the front door. With a Bachelor’s degree in business, Kacey efficiently and effectively assists our patients with scheduling, insurance and payments needs.
Beyond that, Kacey is a valuable contributor to office “extracurricular activities,” such as patient appreciation initiatives, staff recognition and continuous training.
Kacey enjoys the challenge of the fast-paced and ever-expanding environment and is grateful to be in a position that allows her to learn something new every day.
Outside of the office, Kacey is an avid runner and devoted mother to her toddler, Briley.
Alyssa Craker
Treatment Coordinator
Alyssa is one of the first friendly faces that you’ll see upon entering Northstar Family Dental. In her current role, she supports our patients as a treatment coordinator. A position in which her hands-on dental assistant experience has proven to be invaluable.
Alyssa works closely with our dentists and our oral surgeon to outline the best options for our patients. She acts as the point of contact for our patients in providing treatment and payment plans and is a great resource for follow-up questions and guidance throughout the entire treatment process.
When asked what she enjoys about her job, she answers, “interacting with great patients and seeing them leave with a confident smile.”
Currently working on her degree in Psychology, when Alyssa is not at work or in school, she spends her time with her husband and their two little girls Paisley and Presley and enjoys exercising.
Cassie Wise
Dental Hygienist
Mrs. Cassie Wise is a Northstar Family Dental veteran, having started with the practice in its infancy.
A registered dental hygienist, with a BS in Dental Hygiene, Cassie became passionate about oral hygiene at an early age when her uncle, a dental technician in the Air Force, sparked her interest in teeth.
Cassie’s specialty is helping to calm and reassure nervous patients. To refine her abilities to do so, Cassie is a certified administrator of local anesthetic and nitrous oxide. She is dedicated and skillful in her work and as a result has established long-standing relationships with her loyal patients.
In addition to her hygienist responsibilities, Cassie is actively involved in our monthly charity initiatives and plays an important role on our leadership team.
Cassie’s interests outside of the office include running, being outdoors, spending time with her cats and her husband.
Cara Skaggs
Dental Hygienist
Ms. Cara Skaggs joined the Northstar hygienist team in August of 2015. Cara holds an Associates Degree in Dental Hygiene from CSCC. Additionally, she is licensed to administer local anesthesia and certified to administer nitrous oxide.
Cara chose a career in oral hygiene because she realized that one of the first things that she noticed when meeting new people was their smile and the confidence that could be expressed during such a simple interaction. She wanted to help people become more confident in their daily lives by helping them obtain happy and healthy smiles.
What Cara enjoys most about her work is patient education. She says that seeing the reaction on her patient’s face when she shares her tips and tricks for at-home care is her favorite part of the appointment.
When she’s not educating in the office, Cara enjoys hiking, kayaking, camping and antiquing with her family. She spends her downtime at home relaxing with her husband and their pets.
Malia Johnson
Dental Hygienist
Ms. Malia Johnson has been a valued Northstar Family Dental team member since 2014. Malia holds a BS in Dental Hygiene from The Ohio State University.
Malia has the ability to offer her patients the full spectrum of services as she holds a license in radiology and is also certified in local anesthesiology.
Originally set on working in the psychology field, Malia credits her own personal experience with a dentist for her change of heart – and profession. After said experience, she dove head first into OSU’s dental hygiene program and has never looked back.
Malia’s warm and welcoming personality puts even the most hesitant patients at ease. She particularly enjoys the actual teeth cleaning portion of her job. She finds it extremely rewarding to see her patients leave the office with clean, healthy, bright smiles.
When she is not attending to her patients, you’ll likely find Malia in a yoga studio as she deeply passionate about the practice. She also enjoys live music events and traveling.
Liza Green
Dental Hygienist
Ms. Liza Green is a valued member of the Northstar Registered Dental Hygienist team. Having graduated from The Ohio State University, Liza spent five years practicing dentistry in Las Vegas before returning to her home state.
In addition to being an RDH, Liza is also a certified EFDA. When asked, Liza says that she chose a career in dentistry because she was interested in the one-on-one patient interaction and the opportunity to make a positive impact on her patients’ overall health. The confidence that is projected by healthy smiles is Liza’s favorite part of her job.
Outside of the office Liza enjoys traveling, working out, reading, spending time with her dog Oliver and is an avid OSU fan!
Jamie Wiggand
Dental Hygienist
Mrs. Jamie Wiggand joined the growing Northstar Family team of dental hygienists in 2016.
Jamie earned both her Dental Assisting certificate and her Associate Degree in Applied Science in Dental Hygiene from Coastal Carolina Community College, in Jacksonville, NC. Jamie is currently a certified RDH and CDA.
Jamie says that she has always had a passion for teeth and when it came time to choose a career, she took a leap of faith. Attesting that her choice in dentistry is one of her best decisions yet. What Jamie enjoys most about her job is seeing her patients’ reaction when they are pleased with their results. She feels most rewarded when a patient feels confident in the health and appearance of their smile.
Outside of our office, Jamie enjoys traveling and outdoor adventures with her husband and dogs. She’s also passionate about her home design and decorating hobby. On top of all of that, she still manages to find time to coach her niece’s cheerleading team!
Megan Hall
E.F.D.A.
Ms. Megan Hall joined the Northstar family in 2015. With her E.F.D.A from The Ohio State College of Dentistry and a Dental Assistant degree from Ohio Business College, Megan is a well rounded and versatile team member.
Megan’s special licenses and certifications not only include E.F.D.A. and CDA, but also Phlebotomy, coronal polishing and sealants, and Sedation Assistant.
Megan chose a career in Dentistry because she has always loved what something as simple as a smile could do for someone. Her favorite part of her role at Northstar Family Dental is the interaction with her patients, exceeding their expectations to create a great experience and giving people the confidence to feel good about themselves.
When she is not working hard to inspire new confidence in our patients around the office, Megan enjoys football, movies, bowling, concerts, weightlifting and spending time with her family and friends. And she loves spoiling her pets, Jax and Max.
Erin Carder
E.F.D.A.
With over six years of industry experience, we welcomed Ms. Erin Carder to our team of E.F.D.A.s in 2018. Erin’s extensive experience, education and shining personality made her an immediate fit for our team.
As a child to parents in the military, Erin lived in Europe until the age of 13. She later earned her CDA at DATS and her E.F.D.A license at Miami Jacobs Career College. Additionally, she holds a specialty Radiology license.
Her inspiration to enter a career in dentistry was her strong desire to help people feel better about themselves and find happiness through health. Erin says her favorite part of her job is when she is part of the process in restoring someone’s smile resulting in pride and confidence.
When she’s not working, she can often be found hiking, spoiling her two Yorkies or exploring Europe with her husband.
Cayla Beam
Dental Assistant
Mrs. Cayla Beam was a welcomed addition to our growing team of Dental Assistants in 2016. Cayla is a great asset to our team as she is both Radiology and CPR certified.
Cayla chose a career in dentistry because she wanted to be a part of a team whose focus and dedication was on making people healthy, happy and confident. What she enjoys most about her job is working with a supportive team and the unique opportunity to meet, get to know and form lasting relationships with her patients.
Outside of work, Cayla stays entertained with concerts, movies and exploring new restaurants. When she’s not on the move, she likes to relax with her family and spend time with her thirteen-year-old Lhasa Apso, Jinx.
Brittany Sims
Dental Assistant
Ms. Brittany Sims has been a part of our team of Dental Assistants since 2017. Her cheerful and welcoming personality make her a perfect fit for our office.
Brittany received her CDA from Eastland Career Center and several additional specialty certifications from OSU. She holds dental specific certifications in Radiology, Coronal Polishing, Nitrous Oxide Monitoring and general health care provider certifications such as; adult, child and infant CPR and is Bloodborne Pathogen certified.
When asked why she chose this field, Brittany confesses; the profession chose her instead of the other way around. Not intending that dentistry would be her career, she took her first class by chance and loved it so much she never looked back.
She says, without hesitation, helping others is her favorite part of her job.
Outside of assisting our hygienists, doctors and patients in the office; she is a self-proclaimed bookworm, she plays the clarinet AND the guitar and loves spending time with family.
Kazee Smith
Sterilization and Dental Assistant
Ms. Kazee Smith has been with our practice since 2015. She originally joined our team as a Dental Assistant and Sterilization specialist. Since then, Kazee has completed her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Health Sciences to become a Registered Dental Hygienist.
Kazee holds a number of additional valuable licenses and certifications including; local anesthesia, she is certified to administer and monitor nitrous oxide and is CPR certified.
Kazee credits her childhood dentist and hygienist for her decision to enter and advance her career in dentistry. She recalls the fun and positive experience they made sure she had during her visits and she has become passionate about creating that same positive experience for her patients.
Kazee enjoys making a lasting impression on her patients by helping them feel comfortable at our office and working to help them achieve their oral health goals.
Kazee’s passions outside of the office include; weight lifting, hiking, spending time with family and friends and her two pups, Ruby and Buddy.
Leslie Casteel
Dental Assistant
Ms. Leslie Casteel has been a part of our team of Dental Assistants since 2018. Her love and dedication to serving her patients make her a perfect fit for the Northstar Family Dental team.
Leslie studied at OSU Marion and Marion Technical College. She completed the First Impressions Dental Assisting Program, with an additional certification in Radiology.
Leslie ultimately chose a career in dentistry because of the positive influence that her own dentist had on her and her fascination with how someone’s teeth, smile and overall oral health can impact their confidence.
Leslie’s favorite part of her job is the interaction with her patients, which affords her the opportunity to learn about them and help them look and feel their best. She specifically enjoys taking impressions and perfecting temporary crowns.
Leslie loves nature and almost all outdoor activities, her favorites including; hiking, hunting and fishing. She also enjoys playing outdoor sports with her children.
Taylor Wilson
Dental Assistant
Ms. Taylor Wilson is a member of our Dental Assistant team. She joined our growing practice in 2018.
After graduating from Highland High School, Taylor went on to complete concentrated training and certification in the Dental Assistant Pro program.
Taylor chose to further her education in dentistry because she was looking for a career with longevity and purpose. Taylor has always enjoyed her visits to the dentist, so the career choice came naturally to her. Taylor‘s supportive character and strong teamwork skills make her an essential member of our Dental Assistant team. Taylor also holds specialty certifications and licenses in Radiology and CPR.
When she is not working hard in the office, Taylor enjoys taking her dogs on walks, spending time outdoors and quality time with friends and family.
Tiffany Fleeman
Brand Strategist
As the Northstar Family Dental Brand Strategist, Tiffany works to ensure that all facets of the brand are operating a way in which our patients are provided a best-in-class experience with every encounter. Tiffany partners with the leadership team to ideate how the practice can offer unparalleled comfort, quality, convenience and FUN to our patients which results in unique relationships that extend beyond the boundaries of healthcare.
Tiffany’s role is also heavily focused on community involvement and charitable initiatives. She acts as a liaison between the Northstar Family Dental leadership team and non-profit organizations, community leaders, local school administrators and fellow healthcare providers on fundraising and awareness campaigns.
Tiffany graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Strategic Communications and a minor in Business Marketing from The Ohio State University. After spending the first part of her career working for large agencies, Tiffany loves working for a local, female-owned small business which shares her core beliefs in giving back and providing honest, quality services to community members who are treated more like family than patients.
If you have questions about Northstar Family Dental’s participation in fundraising, non-profit and/or school activities, please reach out to Tiffany directly at tflee18@gmail.com.