Seung-Hee Rhee, DDS, MAGD
Regional Director, Region 2  

Seung-Hee Rhee, DDS, MAGD, is the regional director of Region 2, which consists of New York. She is serving her first term as regional director and hopes to continue the work her predecessor, Ira A. Levine, DDS, MAGD, began around membership recruitment and retention, especially among new dentists. Rhee hopes to get new dentists excited about joining AGD and ensure current members remain glad to be part of AGD. 

Rhee graduated from the New York University (NYU) College of Dentistry in 1996 and joined AGD in 1997. Her leadership role within AGD began at the constituency level after she received her FAGD in 2003. During the New York State AGD’s Fellows and Masters Reception, she was approached by Kay-Tiong Oen, DDS, MAGD, and Philip L. Epstein, DDS, FAGD, with an invitation to join the New York State AGD Board of Trustees. Since then, she has held a myriad of leadership positions at both the state and national levels. 

Rhee’s motivation to become a volunteer leader stems from her desire to serve and be a part of something larger than herself and to make a difference. Initially, she was intimidated and reluctant to take on a leadership role. However, when she saw that there was a lack of female dentists in leadership roles — and especially low representation from minority groups like Asian Americans — she felt she needed to represent those whose voices may not be heard otherwise. She hopes that her actions will inspire future generations of female dentists to lead and to serve. 

Rhee has been practicing dentistry for 24 years and maintains a private practice in Midtown Manhattan. She also teaches part time at the NYU College of Dentistry as an adjunct clinical professor in the Department of Cariology and Comprehensive Care. This is her 19th year teaching. 

In her spare time, Rhee likes to spend time with her friends and family — although she regrets teaching her nephews (Brian, 13, and Kevin, 10) and niece (Becky, 13) how to play blackjack recently. She always loses to them and hopes she will have better luck when she teaches them poker. She is also an excellent Scrabble player. Her hobbies include watching movies, reading, taking long walks and looking at beautiful scenery. She offered this advice to her colleagues and future leaders: “Don’t be afraid to try, especially new things.”