Liz Maxbauer, RDH
Liz was born and raised in Traverse City, Michigan, where most of her family still resides. As a graduate of the University of Michigan Dental Hygiene program, her first job out of college was with an orthodontist. While this is slightly unusual for a hygienist, it proved to be fortuitous as she has worked for a total of eight orthodontists during her career.
She started in our office in 1982, working chairside directly with patients. While her duties keep her primarily at the front desk, you may see her occasionally working chairside with patients or helping with sterilization or lab work.
She says, “I love our team because everyone genuinely cares about our patients and the quality of work we do. I take great pride in working with such high-caliber doctors and staff. I find my position as office manager, as well as the field of orthodontics, to be fascinating because it continually challenges me to develop my skills in a variety of directions involving science, technology, and human relations. We don’t just straighten teeth, we change lives!”
Laura Goodell
Laura grew up in Manchester, Michigan. In 2014, she and her husband, Seth, purchased their first home there. They love living out in the country, where they now have enough home renovation projects to keep them busy for the entirety of their mortgage. After high school, Laura attended both Washtenaw Community College and Siena Heights University, where she completed her bachelor’s degree in 2015.
Not knowing exactly what career path she wanted to take, she started exploring her options. Having an extensive background in customer service and a knack for organization, she knew she would thrive with McNamara Orthodontics.
Laura also prides herself on teaching ballet and Jazz to both children and adults. She’s been teaching since 2010 and now runs her own dance program in her hometown. Dance is Laura’s creative outlet, and she finds working with children to be exceptionally rewarding. In her free time she loves taking on new projects around the house with her husband, visiting with her family, and hanging out with her two cats Lloyd and Birdie.
Lisa Wise, RDH
Lisa is a native of Michigan and grew up in Allen Park. She graduated in 2000 from the Dental Hygiene program at Wayne County Community College District. She lives in Allen Park, Michigan, with her husband Ron. They have two daughters.
“My mom was a dental assistant, which is why I went into the dental field. I was also a dental assistant for three years prior to going into the dental hygiene program. I have always loved to make people laugh and smile, so this field was a perfect fit.”
Lisa has been a perfect fit in our office since she joined us in 2003. One of Lisa’s favorite holidays is Halloween. She and her husband actually got married on Halloween in 2001, in Wonder Woman and Superman Costumes, respectively. Lisa also enjoys camping, concerts, golfing, vacationing and going to college and professional sporting events.
By the way, check out Lisa’s smile, compliments of the braces she wore from our office.
Julie Lenders, DA
Julie has been an assistant in general dentistry for more years than she cares to put in print. She then decided to pursue a new challenge and was so happy to find it within the specialty of orthodontics. “It has been a great experience learning the concepts of orthodontics. The doctors and staff are amazing; they are great teachers and very knowledgeable.”
In her free time, Julie loves spending time with her boys, Josh and Aidan. “If I am not at a sporting event, you can usually find me with my dog Fern or in my flower beds.” I am happy to be a part of the McNamara orthodontic team.
Ellen LaCombe, DA
Ellen has worked in the field of orthodontics for 16 years. She took a brief hiatus from dentistry for a few years to open a family restaurant and to spend more time with her daughters, Stephanie and Samantha. Both girls were patients of McNamara Orthodontics, and over the years, our team got to know Ellen.
“Everyone in the office was pleasant, and I thought it would be a great place to work.” Little did we know that years later, Ellen would become a valuable part of our clinical team.
Born and raised in Michigan, Ellen now resides in Northville with her husband, Kevin. In her spare time, Ellen enjoys exercise and spending time with her family.
Brittney Taylor, DA
Brittney is a native to Michigan and grew up in Lowell. While in high school, Brittney also attended Kent Career Technical Center, where she took cosmetology and culinary classes. Brittney now lives in South Lyon with her kids Ethan and Ellie.
In 2012, Brittney graduated from the dental assisting program at Ross Medical Education Center. She worked in general dentistry for a short time before taking time off to spend with her family.
Brittney enjoys spending her summers on Lake Chemung and the winters visiting with her family up north. She has extensive experience in customer service but says she’s never had a more rewarding job than this one. “Working at McNamara Orthodontics has been such a privilege. The doctors and co-workers are amazing and have such a passion for teaching! I couldn’t feel more blessed to be a part of this team!”
Tiffany Yang, RDA
Tiffany was born in Warren, Michigan. Her family moved often during her childhood, and she graduated from high school in Missouri. Following high school, Tiffany returned to Michigan, moving to Gaylord. Tiffany graduated from North Central Michigan College with an Early Childhood Education degree. She worked as a paraprofessional at a private school and planned to become an educator, but later found that career path was not the one in her heart. It was her aunt who suggested a career in the dental field, and it really ignited her interest. Tiffany successfully earned her Registered Dental Assisting license at Northwestern Michigan College. She then worked for two years at a general dental office in northern Michigan.
Tiffany met her husband, Jay, while in school. Later, Jay moved to the Ann Arbor area to pursue a career in the culinary arts. Tiffany joined him here after their marriage in 2019. We were thrilled to have Tiffany join our team shortly thereafter.
“What I love about working in the dental field is being able to give patients confidence in their smile. Growing up, I never had a perfect smile, and I want to be able to help patients who are going through the same problem as I am. I would like to thank Dr. Jim and Dr. Laurie for giving me the opportunity to join the team and help build confidence to everyone.”
Tiffany enjoys spending time with her family and friends and is a valued member of our team.
Ashley Kittle
Ashley is originally from Reese, Michigan. She moved to Ypsilanti in 2006 to attend Eastern Michigan University. In 2009 she met and married her husband, Scott, and they had 4 children; Zarina, Zeke, Zeffie, and Zender.
Now a resident of Sumpter Township, Ashley enjoys country living at its finest. She is a hobby farmer who raises chickens, ducks, and turkeys. She enjoys gardening, cooking, camping, and traveling. Her favorite vacation spot is Walt Disney World in Florida.
Ashley is also very active with the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan and the Boy Scouts of America. She finds Scouts is a great way to spend time with her children while also helping them to learn and try new things.
