Meet Our Annapolis Dental Team
We Love to Help You Smile
Part of why our practice is so successful is not just the services, amenities or technology we provide, but the people we employ. Without our hard-working hygienists, assistants, and administrative staff to keep the practice running, we wouldn’t be nearly as capable of serving the community of Annapolis and the surrounding areas. Below, you’ll get a chance to read more about their stories, specialties and interests. We hope that you find their descriptions helpful as you get to know them further.
Bayla Goodman, Dental Hygienist
Bayla joined the Goodman Dental Care team in 2009 and loves having the opportunity to make a positive difference in her patient’s lives by improving their smiles. Getting to meet people from all walks of life and hearing their advice and life wisdom is always so rewarding – she really enjoys sharing her own experiences with them as well and being an important part of their ongoing oral health! Like her husband, Dr. Jeremy, and father-in-law, Dr. Gary, she feels very grateful to work with her family every day as well. After attending Montgomery College, she studied dental hygiene at the University of Maryland. Before that, though, she was actually drawn to the dental field at a young age when her dental hygienist would paint her nails after appointments.
Bayla and Dr. Jeremy are happily married and have four amazing kids who keep them very busy with lots of laughing. When she has free time in her busy schedule, her favorite hobbies include planning décor for community events, decorating and painting her home, listening to music, reading a good novel, spending girls’ night outs with her friends, working on puzzles, shopping, and doing Zumba. She also really enjoys baking and experimenting with all sorts of cake and cookie decorating.
Lisa C. Mellits, Dental Hygienist
Lisa is a veteran member of the Goodman Dental Care team, having joined the practice in 1987 – over 30 years ago! She studied at the Gene W. Hirschfeld School of Dental Hygiene at Old Dominion University, achieving her Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene. Today, what she enjoys most about her job is getting to know each patient on a personal level, understanding what their dental needs are, and working hard to make their experience comfortable.
Lisa is from Norfolk, and she and her husband Pete have a daughter named Cara and a son named Samuel, as well as a son-in-law named Gene. In her free time, her top priorities are practicing her faith, being with family, and simply enjoying life to the fullest. Here’s an interesting fact about her: her first job was actually having a paper route!
Charnae Wood, Office Manager
Charnae has worked in the dental field since 2009 and joined the Goodman Dental Care team in 2011. Her favorite part of working in a dental practice is getting to meet new people every day and help them rebuild their self-confidence by restoring their smiles. She attended Anne Arundel Community College for her training, and has also studied CAD/CAM dentistry in Texas with Dr. Gary, Dr. Jeremy, and Renee at E4D Technologies.
A native of nearby Severn, MD. In her free time, her biggest passions are singing, writing music, and cooking.
Mary Jane Messick, Dental Hygienist
Mary Jane has been with the practice since 1981 and loves having the opportunity to help our wonderful patients achieve their optimal level of oral health while working with such a fabulous staff. She attended the Community College of Baltimore and studied dental hygiene at the University of Maryland Dental School; she’s also worked as a dental volunteer for the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. In addition to being a registered dental hygienist, she is a certified dental assistant and a member of the Emergency Response Team of Maryland.
In her free time, she enjoys attending church, hanging out with her loved ones, running, boating, fishing, golfing, and walking her dog.
Renee O’Rourke, Dental Assistant
Renee joined the field of dentistry in 1987 and has worked with our team for well over two decades. She greatly enjoys having the opportunity to work at Goodman Dental Care and knowing that everyone together (the doctors, the patients, and the team) is making a positive impact when it comes to the dental needs of others. She received her certification in dental assisting in 1986 from Mercer County Vocational Technical Institute and graduated from Howard Community College in 1988 with her certification as an expanded functions dental assistant. She is also certified in radiology and digital dentistry.
Outside the office, Renee is blessed to have an amazing, Christ-centered family that includes her husband and twin daughters who have been blessed with the gifts of music and art. When she isn’t busy at the practice, her favorite hobbies include keeping up with her children’s activities, camping, and practicing fitness. She’s always ready to take on any challenge!
Karen, Administrative/Dental Assistant
Karen has an impressive 45 years of experience in the world of dentistry! She returned to our team in 2020 and has been providing our patients with compassionate care ever since. Although she is already an Expanded Functions Dental Assistant, she continues to take continuing education courses to expand her expertise.