Volunteer Spotlight: Dr. Valerie Burks and Mrs. Andrea Tate

The OMS Foundation recently welcomed two Texans to its Alliance Committee: Dr. Valerie Burks and Mrs. Andrea Tate. They join a seasoned team of volunteers – all AAOMS spouses – dedicated to welcoming new families to the OMS specialty and raising money for GIVE (Global Initiative for Volunteerism and Education).

A Texas native and graduate of Southwestern University, Valerie Burks earned her DDS and met her husband, Matthew Burks, DDS, MD, at Texas A&M’s Baylor College of Dentistry. She attended the 2018 AAOMS Annual Meeting as a recipient of a Norma L. Kelly Resident Spouse Scholarship, and the support and camaraderie she experienced there sparked her interest in giving back to the OMS Foundation. As an Alliance Committee member, she said she hopes to help the Foundation advance the specialty she and Matthew hold dear. In her spare time, Valerie enjoys hiking, tennis and family time with their two young children, Catherine and Thomas.

Andrea Tate hails from Nacogdoches, in the Piney Woods of East Texas. She met her husband, Gregory Tate, DDS, MD, at Texas A&M University; they have been married for 34 years and are parents of Travis, Connor and Jackson. Andrea enjoys traveling, weekends at the lake, serving on the school board of St. Boniface Catholic High School and supporting various ministries at her church. A regular attendee of Alliance social events at the AAOMS Annual Meeting, she forged many friendships and came to admire the Alliance’s mission. Already an OMSFIRE and Alliance donor, she welcomed the opportunity to join the Alliance committee and help new AAOMS families build connections within the community.