Meet our Dental Team in Bellingham, Washington

Shawna – Business Manager

Shawna has been in the dental field since 1996 and has been working with our practice since 2015. She has always felt it is important to work in an office which provides quality dentistry, centered around great patient care. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors with friends and family.

Beverly – Front Office

Beverly has been a valuable member of our practice since 1997. She graduated from BTC’s dental assisting program. She loves that she feels like she works with family and that everyone in the office has a great working relationship.

Beverly has been married for over 25 years and has two amazing children and two dogs. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, running and biking.

Gretchen has been in the dental field since 2014 and joined VGDC in 2025. She is that welcoming smile that greets you at the door along with her friendly and calm demeanor both in person and on the phone. She brings 30+ years of top-notch customer service in explaining the confusing world of insurance and treatment plans all while providing quality patient care. She loves building lasting relationships with patients and being a part of an amazing, talented and fun dental team.

In her free time, Gretchen enjoys spending time with her sweetheart of over 34 years, Robert, and her two adult children. She loves gardening and making her yummy chocolate chip-peanut butter cookies and spending time at her happy place, Cannon Beach.

Erin – Dental Hygienist

Erin joined our practice in June 2020, after her local employer of over 20 years retired. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from WWU followed by a dental hygiene degree from Clark College in Vancouver, WA, in 1995. She loves working together with a dental family that works to provide high quality dentistry with a gentle touch. She strives to help patients have healthy mouths and develop ongoing relationships with them.

Outside the office, Erin enjoys exploring trails around Bellingham, watercolor painting, and camping with her husband and grown daughter.

Emilee graduated from Lake Washington Institute of Technology in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene and joined our practice in 2025. She’s passionate about helping patients feel comfortable and safe while addressing their dental needs.

In her free time she enjoys being outside, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.

Roxie – Dental Assistant

Roxie graduated from BTC and the dental assisting program and joined our practice in 2007. She loves working with staff and a dentist that takes pride in their work and wants to make a difference in peoples’ lives by meeting their dental needs. Roxie contributes to our practice with her compassion, attention to detail and being a great listener.

She has been married to her husband TJ for 16 years and they have two kids together, son Colton and daughter Charlie. When she is not working, Roxie enjoys camping and spending time with her family.

Allison – Dental Assistant

Allison has been a dental assistant since 2014, joining VGDC in 2019. She loves working with a team of people who care about their patients and each other. Allison is quick to laugh and enjoys getting to know patients while providing dental care.

Outside of work, you can find her spending time with her husband and son, usually outdoors and often on bikes. She also enjoys reading, gardening and running.

Denise – Dental Assistant

Denise has been an assistant for 19 years. Originally from Hawaii, she extended her career to Washington. She joined Vander Giessen Dental Care in 2025. She enjoys working for a dentist that cares for his patients, is kind, provides high-quality dental care and takes pride in what she does. Wonderful staff to work with.

She has four boys: Jonathan, Taylor, Talon and Tanner. She enjoys spending time with family, friends, reading and traveling.

Lauren – Dental Assistant

Lauren has been in the dental field since 2006 after graduating from BTC. What she loves about being an assistant is the variety of tasks within the position, the teamwork amongst staff members and helping patients to have a pleasant experience. She looks forward to coming to our office knowing everyone truly cares about the patients, as they all work together in providing honest, quality treatment.

Outside the practice, she enjoys refinishing furniture, yardwork, off-roading, camping and pretty much anything outdoors. One of the best days she can have is “being outside in the sunshine with her husband and dog, Briggs.”