Dr Carol Gomez Summerhays is a Past President of the American Dental Association, the largest and oldest national dental association in the world. Dr Summerhays graduated from the University of San Francisco with a B.S. in Biology and earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Southern California School of Dentistry in 1978. She attended dental school on a full scholarship through the Armed Forces Health Professions program. After serving four years on active duty in the U.S. Navy Dental Corps, she established a private practice in general dentistry.  Dr. Summerhays continued in clinical practice for another 34 years. Some of her past positions include past president of the California Dental Association, Board member of The Dentists Insurance Company and the Dentistry and was a Board member for 10 years at the Pankey Institute.CDA Foundation. She has held positions with the Academy of General. She is a Fellow of the American College of Dentistry, the International College of Dentistry, the Academy of Dentistry International, the Academy of General Dentistry, and the Pierre Fauchard Academy. Additionally, she earned a Master in the Academy of General Dentistry and the AGD LLSR Lifelong learning and Service Recognition Award. Among her recent honors are the Ellis Island Gold Medal, the Pierre Fauchard Academy Gold Medal, and the Lucy Hobbs Award from the American Association of Women Dentists.  In San Diego she was named by the Salvation Army Women’s Auxillary as a Woman of Dedication and one of San Diego’s “Ten Cool Women” by the Girl Scouts. She and her husband Soames have been married for 34 years and have two sons.