Our Team
To learn more about our each member of our team, please scroll down this page.
Executives
Dr. Izchak Barzilay
Founder and CEO
Dr. Izchak Barzilay is the founder and CEO of the Build Your Smile Dental Foundation. He is a world-renowned prosthodontist, lecturer, and dental researcher. His research and teaching activities have brought with it accolades and awards from multiple national and international bodies.
In addition to his leadership roles over the years, he is the past president of the American Prosthodontic Society and the Academy of Prosthodontics. Also past Board chair of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada. He has always had a passion for volunteerism and most recently has spent time providing services to the underserved populations at home and abroad.
Education and advancing others in the dental field is very important to Dr. Barzilay, and he has mentored countless people throughout his career. His experiences in Uganda with another dental organization, as well as his organizational experiences at home, have helped develop his passion for the work that is to come with the foundation.
When not actively working at home or at one of his multiple teaching assignments, he enjoys skiing and traveling to some of the most extreme locations on the planet.
Mr. Chris Scappatura
Executive Director
Chris Scappatura is the President of Contagious Enthusiasm Inc., a company deeply committed to fostering positive and enduring personal and office development through engaging seminars, cutting-edge online learning portals, and impactful coaching sessions. With an impressive entrepreneurial background spanning over four decades, Chris has spent the last 20 years in executive leadership roles, where he has honed his expertise in designing business management systems centered around the principles of leadership, effective communication, and relationship-building.
Recognizing the need to reach a broader audience, Chris embarked on a journey of conducting enlightening seminars and workshops, sharing invaluable insights to enhance office environments, ultimately elevating the experiences of management, employees, and clients alike.
Embodying his passion for embracing life with contagious enthusiasm, Chris has also developed captivating personal growth topics, including titles such as “Waking Up on the Wrong Side of the Bed?” and “After Me, You Come First.”
In his dynamic and energetic style, Chris ensures that participants not only learn but also find joy and laughter in the process.
Ms. Mariela Gonzalez
CFO
Mariela’s passions are unparalleled. She loves working with people and helping them foster their development to become the best version of themselves. She has over 30 years of experience in the dental field and has developed herself into an indispensable team member.
Mariela has studied Sales and Marketing at Humber College, is an advisor at George Brown College, and has received her Dental Practice Management Certificate from the University of Toronto. She has received her Human Resources Management certification and is working towards her designation as a Certified Human Resources Professional.
On her personal time she loves spending time with her family and exploring different cultures around the world. Mariela has also volunteered with Bridge To Health – Medical and Dental, North York Harvest Food Bank and provides aid to Toronto’s homeless community. Mariela is responsible for overseeing fundraising and ensuring that the Build Your Smile Dental Foundation’s finances are in order, allowing us to maximize our efforts and help as many people as possible.
Our Board of Directors
Mr. Moshe Ronen
Director / Chair
Moshe Ronen is a Toronto-based lawyer, international business advisor and prominent community leader. Mr. Ronen is Vice-President of the World Jewish Congress. He obtained a degree in political science and economics from York University and a law degree from the University of Windsor.
Moshe has worked closely on public advocacy for Israel with a number of the country’s prime ministers, cabinet ministers and opposition leaders. He also has organized and led missions to Israel with Canadian government (federal, provincial and municipal), business, and labour and ethnocultural community leaders. Mr. Ronen has also collaborated directly with former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, in the latter’s ‘Friends of Israel Initiative’ and was a member of that initiative’s ‘London Forum’.
Mr. Ronen is a charismatic public speaker, noted debater and media commentator on Middle East issues and public affairs. In 1996 Moshe was recognized by the Jewish National Fund with its prestigious Jerusalem of Gold Award for his outstanding communal service. Two years later, the Government of Ontario recognized him with a Volunteer Service Award, presented to that province’s most outstanding community leaders. In 2012, Moshe was awarded with the Queen’s Jubilee Medal by Canada’s Governor General.
In early 1999, as President of the Canadian Jewish Congress, Mr. Ronen, a child of Holocaust survivors, together with his father, Mordechai, accompanied Canada’s Prime Minister on an official visit to the Auschwitz death camp in Poland. Later, under Mr. Ronen’s leadership, Holocaust memorialization in Canada achieved a major success when each Canadian province officially legislated and recognized Yom Hashoah as the day to remember and educate about the Holocaust.
Moshe has been a member of the Board of Directors of several major charities including schools and North York General Hospital. He served as a director of First Capital Realty Corporation, a growth-oriented publicly traded Canadian real estate developer and holding company with a growing shopping centre portfolio. He is a senior consultant & counsel to the Green family- Greenwin Property Management and Verdiroc Holdings.
Moshe has served as a member of the Advisory Board of Skylink Aviation Group of Companies Inc., which specializes in emergency relief operations for the United Nations and many governments.
Moshe advises several leading Canadian businesspersons and philanthropists including previously Gerald Schwartz, Chairman and CEO of Onex Inc., and Heather Reisman, CEO of Indigo Books and Music Inc. and Issy Asper, the late founder of CanWest Global and subsequently, his son Leonard Asper. He is currently a senior advisor to Mr. Ronald S. Lauder in New York, & special advisor to Leonard Asper in Toronto.
Dr. Carlo Ercoli
Director
Dr. Carlo Ercoli is Professor of Prosthodontics, Periodontics and Implant Surgery and Chairman of the Prosthodontic Department at the University of Rochester, Eastman Institute for Oral Health where he also serves as the Director for the Center of Excellence for Digital Dentistry. He graduated from the “Enrico Berlinguer” Dental Technology Institute in Rome in 1987 and obtained his DDS from the University of Siena, Italy in 1993. He specialized in Prosthodontics in 1996 at the Eastman Dental Center in Rochester, New York and completed a specialty training in Orofacial Pain and Temporomandibular Joint Disorders in 1997. In 2012, he achieved specialty certification in Periodontology. In 2019, he obtained his MBA from the Simon Business School of the University of Rochester.
Dr. Ercoli is a Past President of the American Prosthodontic Society, Executive Council Member of the Academy of Prosthodontics, Honorary Member of the Italian Academy of Prosthodontics, Founding Member of the Italian Society of Prosthodontics and Oral Rehabilitation, Education and Research Director of the American College of Prosthodontists, Board Member of the American College of Prosthodontists Education Foundation, and Director-Elect of the American Board of Prosthodontics. He served as Executive Council member of The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, Scientific Program Chair of the American Prosthodontics Society, American College of Prosthodontists, American Academy of Fixed Prosthodontics, and Academy of Prosthodontics (2024 Program).
Dr. Ercoli is a diplomate of the American Boards of Prosthodontics and Periodontology, an ITI Fellow and Chair of the USA ITI East Region, in addition to serving as a Member of the World Workshop on the Classification of Periodontal and Peri-implant Diseases and Conditions. He holds memberships in the American Academy of Periodontology, American College of Prosthodontists, American Dental Education Association, Academy of Osseointegration, American Academy of Fixed Prosthodontics, Greater New York Academy of Prosthodontics, American Prosthodontic Society and American Dental Education Association. He lectures nationally and internationally on dental implantology.
Dr. Evangelos Rossopoulos
Director
Dr. Evangelos Rossopoulos received his dental degree from the Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki (his hometown), Greece, in 1980. He completed his graduate studies in general dentistry and prosthodontics at the Eastman Institute of Oral Health in Rochester, New York. He is an assistant professor at the Department of Prosthodontics at Eastman Institute of Oral Health, and is a Community-Based Clinical Educator at UCLA.
Dr. Ross is a member of the American and International Colleges of Prosthodontists, President of the American Prosthodontic Society, the American and International College of Dentists, and both the California and American Dental Associations. He is a past President of the Tri-County Dental Society, serves as a Vice President at the Council of the American Prosthodontic Society and a is a member of the California Dental Association Board of managers for Scientific Sessions. Dr. Ross has been involved with dental missions in California as one of the prosthodontic leads for the CDA Cares events and has served and organized several international outreach programs in Sri Lanka and Zambia.
Dr. Ross enjoys watching and playing basketball, listening to music, and singing Greek songs with his guitar. He is passionate about traveling abroad and experiencing different cultures. Dr. Ross will help grow our international outreach capabilities by scouting prospective new locations that are in need of our services.
Dr. Peter Fritz
AI Director
Dr. Fritz is an intrepid lifelong global learner. He is a certified specialist in periodontics and is in full-time private practice in Fonthill, Ontario where he leads an extraordinary, collaborative, empowered team of clinicians, educators, scientists, artists and explorers who are all working together to innovate the dental specialty of periodontics and to redefine the patient experience using their head, heart, and hands. The focus of his periodontal practice is dental implant therapy, bone and soft tissue reconstruction, and periodontal wellness.
As a futurist and advocate of perpetual change and innovation, Dr. Fritz sets a clear and ambitious path to success for all those around him based on powerful partnerships, scientific rigour, and clinical excellence. He strives for constant improvement guided by the prevailing goal in all elements of his life, “Give me success or its eternal pursuit, and I’ll take the pursuit.”
Dr. Fritz has lectured extensively across the globe and he and his team have presented research from their clinic at international meetings since 2005. In the past 20 years, Dr. Fritz and his team have benchmarked best practices at more than 40 world-class clinics in 28 countries and have brought the best ideas back to Fonthill.
In 2015, Dr. Fritz completed an MBA and, recently, a law degree focusing on blockchain, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence from the University of Toronto. Dr. Fritz is presently pursuing a second law degree at the University of Toronto. He lives by his academic mission: “Never stop learning because the world around you never stops teaching.”
While Dr. Fritz continues to learn, he also provides others unique opportunities for continued education. He has founded Perio in the Peninsula and the Big Red Canoe Dental Explorers Study Club. Each of these registered continuing education programs for health professionals in the Niagara Region boast speakers of the highest caliber. Similarly, Dr. Fritz has developed and implemented the first Dental Hygiene Periodontal Residency Program in North America.
Dr. Fritz is also an Adjunct Assistant Clinical Professor, Division of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, Michael DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University and Adjunct Professor, Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Centre for Bone and Muscle Research Brock University where he is engaged in graduate student mentorship through his many ongoing research projects.
Dr. Fritz is the Staff Periodontist for the Niagara Health System, President of the Welland District Dental Society, past President of the Ontario Society of Periodontists and past President of the Niagara Peninsula Dental Association.
In 2024, Dr. Fritz is most excited about restarting an international research study investigating Oral Cancer, Betel Nut and Tea in a Bhutanese cohort of monks which began in 2019. This year he will lecture in Uganda, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Botswana and South Africa.
Mr. Ettore Palmeri
Director
Ettore Palmeri, MBA, AGDM, B.Ed., BA, is the President of Palmeri Media Group, the largest dental media provider in Canada. PMG offers expertise in print, digital and event solutions to the dental industry, not only in Canada but also in Europe.
Ettore Palmeri was born and raised in Italy until age 11. He has an education background having attended and graduated from the University of Toronto with a B. Ed. He taught at the high-school level and also at YUELI ( York University English Language Institute) where he became Head Master and marketing manager of the program.
He left YUELI to embrace the media world as President of Palmeri Media Group, a media company dedicated to the dental industry. To help manage the business, Ettore went back to school to complete his MBA and AGDM studies. He loves reading and is an enthusiastic motivational speaker. He has read and listened to over 600 personal development books.
Strategists
Dr. Kuldeep Sandhu
Local Office Initiative Advisor
Dr. Kuldeep Sandhu was born and raised in Delhi, India. He completed his Bachelor of Dental Surgery with Distinction from Mangalore University, India in 1997. He practiced as a General Dentist in India for three years before immigrating to Canada in August 1999. He completed his Doctor of Dental Surgery from University of Western Ontario, London, ON in 2003. Since then, Kuldeep has been serving the Quinte area as a General Dentist. He loves golfing and cars and spends his spare time gardening. He currently resides in Trenton with his lovely wife, Reenu, daughter Naisha and sons Shabad and Sifath.
Dr. Elahe Behrooz
Clinical Specialist
Dr. Behrooz received her first Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) degree in Tehran, Iran and after immigrating to Canada, Dr. Behrooz enrolled in her second D.D.S. program at the University of Toronto, which she graduated with honours in 2016. Dr. Behrooz also has a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the Eric Sprott School of Business, Carleton University.
Upon completion of two dentistry degrees, Dr. Behrooz pursued her passion for dentistry by enrolling in and completing the Graduate Prosthodontics Program at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto. Throughout her academic career, Dr. Behrooz has been a recipient of various awards, scholarships and research grants including Best Thesis of the Year Award, Highest Academic Achievement Award as well as Highest Overall Achievement in Preventive Dentistry Award.
An engaging and sought- after public speaker, Dr. Ela lectures both locally and internationally at various dental conferences, academic gatherings, study clubs and fellowship meetings. Continuing education and sharing knowledge with her colleagues is one of Dr. Ela’s passions, one she fulfills by actively serving on a Program Advisory Board for George Brown College.
Since the beginning of her ties with PA, Dr. Behrooz has been instrumental in both the growth and function of our humanitarian initiatives. A three – time alumni of the annual outreach mission to rural Uganda.
Mr. Phil Brisbois
Dental Tech Specialist
Phil Brisebois is a Certified Dental Technician (CDT) and the founder of Gravidee Dental Studio, a boutique digital dental laboratory based in Los Angeles, California. With over a decade of experience in digital dentistry, Phil specializes in digital implants and aesthetic solutions, leveraging cutting-edge technology to deliver exceptional results.
He holds a degree in Economics and Business from Wilfrid Laurier University and has earned recognition for his expertise in digital workflows and implant prosthetics. Phil’s passion for innovation and commitment to excellence make him a leader in the field of digital dentistry.
Liaisons
Dr. Parvaneh Bahrami
Executive Liaison Canada
Dr. Bahrami practices as a periodontist and implant surgeon. She obtained her DDS in Iran and continued her dental education in Canada. As such, she is uniquely positioned to understand the varying cultural requirements of international communities.
Dr. Bahrami initially joined our team as a volunteer, and very quickly knew that she wanted to contribute on a more consistent basis. Her leadership skills and take-charge attitude made her the perfect person to be the general on the ground, organizing daily operations on our international outreach trips.
Not only is she an accomplished periodontist and dedicated to giving back, but she is also an accomplished academic and is a clinical instructor at the University of Toronto. She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada and a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and International Congress of Implantology.
Dr. Carolina Vera
Executive Liaison USA & Latin America
Dr. Carolina Vera joins our team bringing with her The Mexico Project, which she has been running in partnership with the University of North Carolina for the past decade. Dr. Vera graduated from the Faculty of Dentistry of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and has completed fellowships in Prosthetics and Aesthetic Restorative Dentistry. Her studies brought her to the United States where she obtained her Masters of Science in Prosthodontics at the University of North Carolina, and shortly thereafter obtained her DDS in the USA and began her academic career in prosthodontics.
Dr. Vera is currently working towards her second Masters degree in Sleep Medicine at the Catholic University of Murcia in Spain. She is an advocate for other philanthropic programs developed by the Government of Mexico and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs in both North and South Carolina. Dr. Vera’s goal is to continue creating and expanding international programs that provide aid to marginalized communities so that she can reach more people in need.
Dr. Katalin Nagy
Executive Liaison Hungarian
Dr. Katalin Nagy is a distinguished Hungarian dental surgeon and academic. She graduated from the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Szeged in 1982 and has since accumulated a wealth of experience and accolades in her field.
Dr. Nagy holds multiple specialist degrees, including Oral Medicine, Oral Surgery, Conservative Dentistry and Prosthetics, and Implantology. She earned her PhD and habilitation from the University of Szeged and the Hungarian Academy of Science.
Throughout her career, Dr. Nagy has held several prestigious positions. She was the founder and first Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Szeged, where she also serves as a full professor and Head of the Department of Oral Surgery. Her international academic experience includes time spent in the United States, Germany, and Finland.
Dr. Nagy is fluent in English and German, with basic proficiency in Spanish. She is actively involved in various professional organizations, including the Hungarian Dental Association, where she serves as President.
In addition to her academic and professional achievements, Dr. Nagy runs a private dental practice in Szeged and Budapest.
Mr. Tumusiingize Innocent
Executive Liaison Uganda
Innocent is a passionate Dental Officer with over 15 years of experience in Clinical and Community (Outreach) dentistry. He thinks of himself as one with a ‘Calling’ to Dentistry. To him, dentistry is more than just a profession!
Formerly, he has worked with Agape Medical Centre (Kagugube, Kampala) Doctors Hospital Sseguku, Rugarama Hospital and Kabale District Local Government. He has also volunteered with Kigezi Health Care Foundation.
Currently, he is the C.E.O for Rugaya Dental Clinic; a renown private practice in the Kigezi area. He is the current Executive Director for Build Your Smile Dental Foundation Uganda and the Desk Officer , Oral Health NGOs/ Community initiatives, Ministry of Health.
Besides Dentistry, He is also involved in Film, Music and Animations which he also uses to promote Oral Health initiatives.
Dr. Ken Serota
Educational Liaison International
Dr. Ken Serota graduated from the University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry in 1973 and was awarded the George W. Switzer Memorial Key for excellence in Prosthodontics. He received his Certificate in Endodontics and Master of Medical Sciences Degree in nuclear medicine from the Harvard-Forsyth Dental Center in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1981 he was the recipient of the American Association of Endodontics Memorial Research Award for his work in nuclear medicine screening procedures related to dental pathology. He provided an interactive endodontic program for the Ontario Dental Association from 1983 to 1997 and was awarded the O.D.A. Award of Merit in 1987 for his efforts in the provision of continuing education. In 1994, he was selected for Fellowship in the Pierre Fauchard Academy for his contributions to the art and science of dentistry and to the Academy of Dentistry International in 2002. The author of over seventy publications, he has lectured on Endodontics and Implantology internationally. He is Global Clinical Director of Dentaltown.com and his role is to ensure that mobile connectivity of today’s digital world creates the new standard in the delivery of dental continuing education. The founder of ROOTS, he currently runs the Facebook pages NEXUS and Dental Divas Global and maintains a private practice Endodontic Solutions in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. His personal credo is “a rising tide raises all ships”.
Managers
Ms. Cheryl Ferrer
Procurement Manager
Cheryl Ferrer, joined Prosthodontic Associates in 2010 under the tutelage of Dr. Barzilay. She attended the George Brown College/Ryerson University Accounting program but traded in her pencil and paper for some alginate and an impression tray.
She enrolled in the dental program at CDI College in 2006 obtaining her Dental Assistant Level I and Dental Administration and eventually graduated as a Level II Dental Assistant, obtaining her NDAEB (2009) designation.
Cheryl enjoys listening to music, experiencing fresh and exotic foods, and when she is not traveling the four corners of the world she dives into a thought-provoking novel.
Cheryl is always on the lookout for the donation of dental supplies and equipment to help with all our mission work. She can be reached at cherly@buidlyoursmile.com.
Ms. Reefa McDoom
Clinical Logistics Manager
Reefa McDoom has practiced dental hygiene for over thirty years in Toronto, receiving honours at all levels. She has practiced in general, periodontal, and prosthodontic practices since 1989 and currently divides her time betweenperio and restorative dental hygiene in a Toronto prosthodontic practice. Reefa has lectured to hygienists and restorative dental hygienists and is passionate about both local and international volunteer and outreach.
Reefa is firmly committed to personal and professional growth. She truly enjoys her chosen career and always endeavours to put the health and education of her clients first. Travel and philanthropy are among Reefa’s interests and years before joining the PA Team, Reefa and Dr. Barzilay crossed paths while volunteering in Africa.
Our Sponsors
Our work is made possible with the help and generosity of our sponsors.
