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Our Board - Smiling Surgeons

Our Board

Tania C. Nkungula, DDS

Tania C. Nkungula, DDS

President, Chair of the Board of Directors | Co-Founder

Dr. Tania C. Nkungula, is a Malawian-born, board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon and global health leader based in Washington, DC. She serves as Chair of the Board and President of Smiling Surgeons, Inc., leading the organization through a critical phase of expanded growth, partnership, and care delivery in Malawi and the surrounding region.

Dr. Nkungula is also Chief of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center, one of the region’s busiest Level II trauma centers, and founder of Washington Oral Surgery Center. Her clinical career is defined by complex trauma care, surgical excellence, and a deep commitment to education and mentorship.

The mission of Smiling Surgeons is deeply personal. Founded in loving honor of her late brother, Miko Nkungula, and inspired by the lifelong service of her parents, Drs. Tom and Alice Nkungula, the organization was co-founded with Dr. Shelby Curtis to provide a trusted avenue for healthcare volunteers to unite in service. Smiling Surgeons mobilizes skilled professionals to deliver safe, ethical, and high-quality surgical and dental care in underserved communities, beginning in Malawi.

In close partnership with Dr. James Mchenga, Malawi’s only oral and maxillofacial surgeon and acting head of the nation’s first dental school at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Tania is advancing a long-term vision centered on capacity building, workforce training, and systems strengthening to ensure care is sustainable and locally led.

Under her leadership, Smiling Surgeons operates through a Five-Year Rolling Plan anchored by three strategic pillars:

  • Annual Specialized and Complex Surgical Missions
  • Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Strengthening
  • Medical Equipment, Infrastructure, and Distribution.

In 2024, Smiling Surgeons acquired and shipped a school bus—donated to Kamuzu University of Health Sciences—for conversion into a mobile dental and surgical clinic, expanding access to care for rural and remote communities. Over the next five years, the organization aims to scale its impact through repeat missions, expanded volunteer engagement, workforce training, mobile care delivery, and the development of resilient healthcare infrastructure across Malawi, including plans for a floating clinic on Lake Malawi to extend care to Mozambique and Tanzania.

As Chair and President, Dr. Nkungula is guiding Smiling Surgeons at a pivotal moment—transforming personal legacy into collective action and ensuring that, amid shifting global support, care, partnership, and dignity remain present. Smiling Surgeons stands as both a tribute to legacy and a commitment to the future—advancing health equity one smile, and one nation, at a time.

Dr. Patricia E. Miller, DDS

Member, Board of Directors | Founding Mission Team Member

Dr. Patricia E. Miller is a distinguished oral and maxillofacial surgeon with more than 30 years of experience in clinical care, education, and advocacy. A graduate of Howard University College of Dentistry and a residency alumna of Harlem Hospital Center, Dr. Miller has dedicated her career to serving patients in diverse and often underserved communities while training future generations of surgeons.

Dr. Miller serves on the Board of Directors of Smiling Surgeons and is a proud Member of the Founding Mission Team, having served in Malawi since the organization’s very first medical mission in 2023. Her early commitment, leadership, and hands-on service helped shape the foundation of Smiling Surgeons’ work on the ground and its long-term vision for sustainable global impact.

Nationally recognized for her leadership, Dr. Miller has served in multiple roles within the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, including as Chair of the Committee on Governmental Affairs. Through her service, mentorship, and example, she continues to inspire volunteers, partners, and donors alike—embodying the mission of Smiling Surgeons to heal, uplift, and build lasting pathways to care.

Dr. Patricia E. Miller, DDS
Katherine Parrish, MSN, AG-ACNP, CNS, RN

Katherine Parrish, MSN, AG-ACNP, CNS, RN

Board of Directors | Founding Mission Team Member

Kate Parrish is a nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, and global health advocate whose career is grounded in service, education, and compassionate care. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, she has built her professional career in the United States, beginning with a B.A. in Community Health Education from Montana State University, where she partnered with Native American tribes to deliver HIV/AIDS education. She later earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from George Mason University, specializing in burn and trauma intensive care, followed by a dual Master of Science as an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist.

Kate currently serves at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington, DC, where she works closely with the oral and maxillofacial surgery team. Her clinical focus includes the care of patients with head and neck cancers and the management of temporomandibular disorders, bringing advanced clinical expertise and a patient-centered approach to complex care.

A member of the Smiling Surgeons Board of Directors and a proud Founding Mission Team Member, Kate has served with the organization since its inaugural mission to Malawi in 2023. Her dedication, clinical excellence, and collaborative spirit continue to inspire volunteers, partners, and donors, embodying the mission of Smiling Surgeons to expand access to life-changing care through service, education, and compassion.

Larry W. Bryant, DDS, MBA, MHCA

Vice President, Board of Directors | Founding Mission Team Member

Dr. Larry W. Bryant is a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon, healthcare executive, and humanitarian leader with more than three decades of experience in clinical care, education, and systems leadership. A graduate of Howard University College of Dentistry, Dr. Bryant completed advanced specialty and fellowship training in oral and maxillofacial surgery in New York, establishing a strong foundation in complex surgical and trauma care.

Dr. Bryant served for many years as Chief of the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center, where he led multidisciplinary teams delivering high-quality surgical care to a diverse and high-acuity patient population. He has also maintained a respected private practice in Prince George’s County, Maryland for over 30 years and has been deeply committed to education as a clinical instructor and mentor to residents and students. His dual master’s degrees in Healthcare Administration and Business Administration reflect his dedication to strengthening healthcare delivery through thoughtful leadership and governance.

As Vice President of the Smiling Surgeons Board of Directors and a proud Founding Mission Team Member, Dr. Bryant participated in the organization’s inaugural mission to Malawi in 2023 and continues to serve on annual surgical missions addressing advanced and complex maxillofacial disease. His international service also includes surgical missions to Jamaica and Guyana, advancing access to life-changing care in resource-limited settings. Nationally, he is an active member of the National Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and was honored with the Inaugural Outstanding Participant Award in 2024. Through his leadership, service, and enduring commitment to equity in surgical care, Dr. Bryant embodies the mission and values of Smiling Surgeons.

Larry W. Bryant, DDS, MBA, MHCA
Ayoob Ayoobi, PhD

Ayoob Ayoobi, PhD

Member, Board of Directors

Dr. Ayoob Ayoobi is a distinguished global development leader with over 20 years of experience advancing economic development, health equity, sustainable partnerships, and international diplomacy. An Oxbridge Fellow at Georgetown University and a Fulbright Scholar at Stanford University, he holds a PhD in Government and Public Policy, an LL.M. in Human Rights Law, and a B.A. in Economics, International Relations, and Environmental Studies. His career spans Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas, including key roles with organizations such as Project C.U.R.E. (where he serves as Chief of Government & NGO Partnerships), USAID, INL, European Union, The Asia Foundation, and the CAREC Institute/Asian Development Bank. Known for his multicultural adaptability and expertise in international development diplomacy, Dr. Ayoobi excels at forging high-level and impactful collaborations with governments, NGOs, and international stakeholders. As a board member of Smiling Surgeons, he provides strategic oversight, fiduciary stewardship, and ethical governance while engaging in high-level diplomacy with partner countries' heads of state and officials to secure sustainable resource mobilization, facilitate program expansion, and build enduring, country-owned solutions that empower local medical teams and deliver lasting access to transformative surgical care. Driven by a deep commitment to justice and global impact—shaped by personal experiences with conflict and loss—Dr. Ayoobi brings visionary leadership to help Smiling Surgeons create generations of smiles and brighter futures for under-resourced communities worldwide.

Ismail M. Azimi

Secretary

Appointed: January 2026

Experience:

Mr. Ismail M. Azimi is a former engineer and currently a Sales Representative with Zimmer Biomet, bringing over a decade of experience in technical, operational, and managerial roles. From June 2016 to May 2023, he worked with Peabody Energy, the largest coal producer in the United States, where his responsibilities included surveying, processing operations, computer-aided design (CAD), and personnel management.

Since 2024, in his role at Zimmer Biomet, Mr. Azimi provides clinical and product expertise in Craniomaxillofacial, Thoracic, and Neuro medical devices, supporting surgeons and healthcare institutions across Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.

More recently, Mr. Azimi has been involved in initiatives to implement machining and manufacturing processes in Malawi, aimed at improving local self-sustainability and fostering entrepreneurship. He provides technical assistance, equipment troubleshooting, and product support related to medical implant manufacturing and deployment.

Mr. Azimi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering from West Virginia University and is also a licensed commercial real estate broker and a certified mine foreman in the State of Alabama.

Ismail M. Azimi
Edward “Ubuntu Nga Bantu” Mbewe, PhD, MBA, MAFM, FCCA, CPA

Edward “Ubuntu Nga Bantu” Mbewe, PhD, MBA, MAFM, FCCA, CPA

Treasurer

Edward Mbewe serves as Treasurer of Smiling Surgeons, Inc where he provides strategic financial leadership in support of the organization’s mission to expand access to life-changing surgical care in underserved communities, particularly in Malawi. His work helps ensure that medical missions, surgical training, equipment donations, and infrastructure investments are grounded in strong governance, transparency, and long-term sustainability—so that care delivered today strengthens systems for generations to come.

Edward is a highly accomplished finance and operations executive with decades of experience across nonprofit leadership, healthcare systems, and global development. He most recently served as Chief Financial & Operations Officer at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law and previously held senior leadership roles as Chief Financial Officer of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, Health Information Management Systems Society, and other healthcare organizations. Across each role, he is known for aligning strategy with values and using financial stewardship as a tool for justice, equity, and human dignity.

Edward is also known as “Ubuntu Nga Bantu,” a name that reflects both his heritage and his philosophy of life. Ubuntu is an African principle meaning “I am because we are”—the belief that our humanity is bound up in one another, and that leadership is rooted in compassion, shared responsibility, and collective uplift. This principle shapes Ubuntu’s approach to service, collaboration, and stewardship: success is never individual, and progress is only meaningful when it raises the whole community.

Ubuntu is deeply engaged in global development efforts. As Chair of Malawi Initiatives, a Malawi-led diaspora platform, he connects professionals around the world with leaders on the ground to drive meaningful, locally guided change across healthcare, education, agriculture, and infrastructure. He has collaborated with Malawian institutions, international partners, and the Ambassador of Malawi to the United States - Hon. Justice Esme Chombo, while also building relationships with leaders across Zambia, Lesotho, Madagascar, and Zimbabwe. Under his leadership, Malawi Initiatives—working alongside partners such as Project C.U.R.E. and Islamic Relief USA, and Patriots—has supported the planning and movement of scores of medical supply containers to Malawi, strengthening surgical services, trauma care, and hospital infrastructure nationwide.

Ubuntu holds a PhD in Financial Economics, along with graduate degrees in Business Administration and Accounting & Financial Management. He is a Fellow Chartered & Certified Accountant (FCCA) and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He also lectures in finance and strategic planning at universities in the Chicagoland area and serves on nonprofit boards supporting youth development and education in the United States, Malawi, and South Africa.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Ubuntu is known for his warmth, humility, and deep sense of responsibility to others. Hailing from a family of Mafumu (local kings), he carries a legacy of servant leadership—using wisdom, humor, kindness, and discernment to elevate opportunities and empower others to reach their full potential. He is hardworking, caring, and deeply understanding, leading with both rigor and heart.

Ubuntu brings to Smiling Surgeons the spirit of Ubuntu in action—ensuring that every resource entrusted to the organization is stewarded with integrity, compassion, and purpose, transforming lives one patient, one partnership, and one system at a time.

Board Members Emeritus

Dr. Shelby Curtis

Shelby Curtis, DDS

Emeritus Manager | Co-Founder

Dr. Shelby Curtis is honored as an Emeritus Manager of Smiling Surgeons, in recognition of her foundational role and lasting impact at the very beginning of the organization. As a co-founder, Shelby helped shape the vision, values, and operational footing of Smiling Surgeons, setting a standard of service, integrity, and global compassion that continues to guide the organization today.

An accomplished leader who seamlessly blends precision with empathy, Shelby is a board-certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon and a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy. Her professional life has been defined by service—both to her country and to communities in need around the world. From her early academic training at Boston University through advanced surgical and military appointments across North Chicago, Okinawa, and beyond, her career reflects resilience, excellence, and an unwavering commitment to others.

After completing her Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery residency at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Dr. Curtis served aboard the USS Eisenhower in the Red Sea combat zone, providing critical, life-changing surgical care under some of the most demanding conditions imaginable. Today, she, along with her family, is based in Italy, where she continues her service as a U.S. Navy Commander while remaining deeply connected to the mission and legacy of Smiling Surgeons.

As Emeritus Manager, Dr. Curtis is recognized not only for what she helped build, but for the enduring spirit of service she instilled at the organization’s inception. Her leadership, courage, and commitment to healing without borders remain an integral part of Smiling Surgeons’ story and future.