Alicia Jones
Director of Human Resources
The value of a positive standing in the community for any organization cannot be understated, and the commitment of Alicia Jones to personal and professional growth and discovery has been nothing short of an immense asset to the reputation of PracticeWater for the whole of her adult life. A lifelong local, she attended Glenwood High School, going on to earn her Bachelors of Science in Psychology from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville. Her role as a front desk administrator at Renken Dentistry eventually progressed to all areas of the administrative team, where she served as check-in personnel, insurance coordinator, billing coordinator, auditing organizer, and default IT specialist. Wearing so many hats has allowed Alicia to learn all aspects of the dental office. During her time at Renken Dentistry, she has been pivotal in the revision and implementation of many new systems. This contribution has been a tremendous help in the development of the practice. Her loyalty to the company values, particularly partnering to serve others, meant that she was a favorite job coach to our team member with special needs, Hannah. Hannah relied on Alicia’s guidance as she grew her skills, gained confidence through meaningful employment, and became a treasured part of our team over the course of four years. Alicia’s knowledge, experience, and calm, professional demeanor have been invaluable as she has stepped into the role of Director of Human Resources. She is strongly motivated to help others, and offers support to our offices through recruitment, employee relations, compensation and benefits coordination, training and development practical application, and ensuring that all operational and and human resource policies are in place as an active member of Central Illinois Chapter Society for Human Resource Management . As a member of the executive team, Alicia strives to implement HR practices that benefit our organization through short-term goals and the long-term vision for development. Though her commitment and dedication to her work are exceptional, Alicia does make time to relax with her husband and young son. She enjoys spending their time together playing tennis, biking, traveling with family, and pleasant evenings perfectly accented by a well-deserved glass of wine.
Lauren Pryor
Academy Director
There was no better choice for the Director of the Smile from Within Academy than Lauren Pryor, who was awarded the first Smile From Within Award in August of 2018 after an overwhelming majority election by her fellow team members. Lauren started with Renken Dentistry before she could even vote herself, job shadowing and learning helpful office tasks in her junior year of high school. She continued to participate on the team as she completed her Bachelor of Science at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, coming home during summer and winter breaks while she majored in biological sciences with a minor in chemistry. Lauren truly has an inner peace that makes her the exemplary dental assistant that she has been for nearly a decade. Her mastery of technical procedures, understanding of background processes, patience and creativity as a mentor and educator, and incredibly warm chairside manner all contribute to her irreplaceable value as a member of the practice. Lauren’s commitment to professional growth has continued as she has grown within the company, and she accomplished her long-term goal of becoming a Certified Dental Assistant in 2018. The completion of this certification demonstrates her knowledge-based competency of the national standard of Radiation Health and Safety, Infection Control, and General Chairside Assisting. Additionally, Lauren has been granted the opportunity to attend courses under the International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI), and is an active member of the Association of Dental Implant Auxiliaries (ADIA). Her individual certifications also include special qualifications such as coronal polishing, dental sealant application, and nitrous oxide administration. Lauren has also served as the Implant Coordinator for the office for a number of years, assisting at every stage of the implant process- from scheduling and coordinating with other offices when necessary, to ordering supplies and assisting the dentists during the procedure, to post-operative care for hundreds of patients over the years. She is proficient in assisting the dentists in dozens of specific procedures and is well-versed in using many different equipment modules, from imaging mechanisms to delicate specialized instruments of treatment. These professional accomplishments, as well as Lauren’s personal commitment to encouraging others to be their best selves, are clear examples of why she also functions in the capacity of Dental Assistant Team Leader. Lauren also is passionate about our company values, learning, laughing and growing, which meant she was a favorite job coach to our team member with special needs, Hannah. Lauren encouraged Hannah as she grew her skills, gained confidence through meaningful employment, and became a treasured part of our team for over four years. Though she is clearly an excellent and loyal member of our team, Lauren’s inner smile is widest when she is spending time with her husband and their toddler daughter. They love to cook meals together, play outside, take walks around their charming neighborhood, and spend time with cherished members of their family.
Rob Wilbern
Chief Financial Officer
Rob has over 20 years of public accounting and finance experience. He has held roles that include Senior Manager, Director, President and CFO. His experience ranges from multi-million dollar companies to small startups. Without question, his preference is to work in mid-size and smaller companies where a significant impact can be made. He has experience in strategic planning, operating budgets, cash management and controls, cash flow analysis, entity structure, and management. In addition, Rob has owned and operated multiple businesses over the past many years which gives him an true advantage over his counterparts.
Rob’s experience includes time in various industries including dental, ophthalmology, chiropractor, general internists, veterinarian, automotive car dealerships, automotive parts stores, software, reinsurance, real estate, consumer retail, media, private equity, and golf courses. Rob is an entrepreneurial CPA and thoroughly enjoys rolling up his sleeves to get his hand dirty. He has been a part of mergers, acquisitions, dispositions and start-ups. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting at Illinois State University. He enjoys camping, fishing and hiking with his wife and kids, and also he recently took up firearms training.
Dr. Joshua Renken
Founder
Dr. Joshua Renken, a central Illinois native, attended Eastern Illinois University and then the University of Illinois at Chicago where he received his DDS degree. Following associate work in Chicago, Dr. Renken moved to Springfield and opened his first practice, Renken Dentistry, in 2003.
His commitment to continued professional growth has awarded him fellowships from both the White Cap Institute as well as the International Congress of Oral Implantologists.
At Renken Dentistry, Dr. Renken was voted best dentist in Springfield among The State Journal-Register’s readers in 2014 & 2015.
In his commitment to organized dentistry, Dr. Renken just finished his tenure as 2014-2015 President of the GV Black Dental Society. At a state level, Dr Renken is a member of the communications committee of the Illinois State Dental Society. Dr Renken also holds professional memberships in the Academy of General Dentistry, a Fellow of the International College of Oral Implantologists, and as a member of the Chicago Dental Society and the American Dental Association.
Dr. Renken is deeply dedicated to our community, specifically the success of children and families facing the challenges of developmental and neurological differences. He has been a long time member of the board of The Hope Institute for Children and Families and currently serves the organization as chairman of the board of directors. Renken Dentistry has been a pilot site for Hope’s Vocational Program. This partnership has made it possible for the dental practice to meaningfully employ and support a team member with developmental differences. Dr. Renken is also a member of the Ambassadors of Hope, a volunteer group of business leaders who serve as advocates for The Hope Institute and the children and families it serves. Dr Renken is a member of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, Chatham Chamber of Commerce, and Local First Springfield. He most recently joined the Young Philanthropists, a group organized by the Community Foundation of the Land of Lincoln.
Over the course of the last five years, Dr. Renken established and owns Renken Properties LLC — a properties company, PracticeWater — a practice management services company, and a second dental practice, schön dental. His web-based patient subscription management platform, Health Assurance Plan, is a member of the Springfield startup incubator “Innovate Springfield“. Dr. Renken most recently added author to his resume, with his first book, “Dr. Fries-With-That“. His goal is to help dental teams create greater health for their patients, team members, and practices.
Dr. Renken and his wife, Leigh, live in Springfield with their four children, Reilly, Miles, Oscar and Lorelai.