Meet The team

Emily — Emily is our Office Manager and a LDA at Tonka Smiles. She graduated from Minnesota School of Business in 2001 as a Licensed Dental Assistant and has been in the dental field ever since. She is very passionate about educating patients on their oral health needs and addressing any concerns they may have. Emily enjoys being outdoors, gardening, kayaking, and spending time with her family and friends.

Carol — Carol started as a member of our Patient Care Coordinators and has evolved over the years to the Office Insurance Coordinator. She absolutely loves the challenge of working with insurance companies. Carol is married to Paul for 44 years. They have 6 grown children and 5 adorable grandchildren (and one in heaven!). Her favorite things to do are organizing, reading, gardening, and more organizing.

Katie —Katie graduated from Century College in 2004 as a Licensed Dental Assistant and has been proudly working in the dental field for 22 years. For the past six years, she has been part of the Tonka Smiles family, where she enjoys creating a welcoming and positive experience for every patient.

After many years of working chairside, Katie discovered that her true passion is at the front desk. She loves being one of the first friendly faces patients see and helping them feel comfortable, welcomed, and cared for from the moment they walk through the door. Building relationships with patients and getting to know them is one of her favorite parts of her role.

Outside of work, Katie lives in Eagan with her husband and their three dogs, Nala, Millie, and Jack. Her dogs keep her busy, laughing, and entertained! Katie is also passionate about fitness and enjoys spending time at the gym, staying active, and relaxing with a good book whenever she gets the chance.

Katie feels truly blessed to be part of the Tonka Smiles family and looks forward to making each patient’s experience a positive one

 

Tamara – grew up in MN.  She met her husband in high school, and  has been married for 28 years.  They have 3 adult children.  Tamara went to Lakeland Dental Academy for dental assisting.  After being a dental assistant for many years, decided to stay home and raise her family.  Returning to the dental field she has found great joy working with patients at the front desk. She is passionate about building connections and creating a positive experience for everyone who walks through the door. 

Outside of work, she loves spending time with her family, staying active and being outdoors. She and her husband enjoy exploring new places and have made it their goal to visit every U.S. National Park.  

Julie – Juile graduated from the U of M in 1981. She joined our team in 1996 having previously worked in a specialty perio practice for 15 years. She loves coming to work each day and providing quality care for her patients alongside an awesome team.

In her spare time Julie enjoys hiking, biking, and reading. Her favorite time spent is being with her family and friends. Julie lives in Minnetonka with her husband and they have three grown children and four grandchildren.

 

 Rachel – Rachel graduated with her Bachelor of Science in dental hygiene in 2023. She is originally from Little Falls, MN, and looks forward to providing quality dental care to patients and their families!

In her spare time, Rachel enjoys spending time with friends and family, going to the gym, and spending time outdoors; whether that’s hiking, going on walks, golfing, or snowboarding! She hopes to get more traveling in and eventually get a dog of her own.

 

 

 Amanda – Amanda earned her Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene from the University of Minnesota in 2021. She is passionate about providing compassionate patient care and creating a comfortable, positive dental experience for every patient. Amanda enjoys educating patients on oral health and helping them build healthy habits and confident smiles. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, family, 2 dogs, and 3 cats. 

Mai — Mai graduated from Hennepin Technical College in 2022 as a Certified and Licensed Dental Assistant. She joined Tonka Smiles in Sept 2022 and she enjoys educating patients on oral health care to build a confidence in their smiles. 

Outside of work she enjoys going shopping and spending time with her family. She’s hoping to travel as much as she can in the future and explore or try new hobbies/ activities. 

Kara — Kara graduated from St. Cloud Technical and Community College in 2017 as a Certified & Licensed Dental Assistant. She joined Tonka Smiles in May 2019.

Outside of dental assisting, she and her husband enjoy hunting, fishing, trapping, traveling and mountain biking.

 

Chrissy – Chrissy graduated in 2013 from Hennepin Technical College as a licensed dental assistant. She joined Tonka Smiles in 2016. Chrissy strongly believes in the importance of patient care and enjoys working with and educating patients on their dental needs. Chrissy enjoys performing cosmetic dental procedures and enhancing patients’ smiles.

Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her loved ones, cooking, crafting, going to the lake, and gardening.

 

Jasmine – Originally from Prior Lake, MN. Jasmine graduated from DCTC as a Certified & Licensed Dental Assistant in May of 2025 and joined Tonka Smiles in September of 2025. She enjoys working with children, chatting and getting to know her patients, along with helping them meet their smile goals. 

On her days off, you’d most likely find her in the kitchen as she enjoys cooking and baking. 

 

 

Grace – Grace is originally from Rogers, MN and graduated from Century College in May 2026. She is passionate about providing patient-centered care and making each patient’s dental visit as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. She especially enjoys building connections with her patients and helping them feel at ease during their visits. 

In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, baking, cooking, and trying new restaurants.