Meet the Staff

Maribel Leyva, Assistant

Maribel Munoz Maribel Leyva began working as a dental assistant for Dr. Schultz in 2003. Without any prior dental training or experience, Maribel’s proficient yet gentle touch have been perfected on the job. She has attended a number of dental conferences and seminars sponsored by the American Dental Association and its local chapters enrich her dental knowledge.  She’s also a member of the Association of Dental Implant Auxiliaries. Maribel’s favorite part of her job is having the opportunity to provide tender loving care to patients.  In her spare time, she loves to spend time with her family and her three beautiful granddaughters. Maribel makes the best guacamole this side of the border.

Abby Benin, Assistant

Abby BeninAbby moved to Juneau from the Philippines when she was eight years old.  As a high school student, she had the opportunity to job shadow dental hygienists and quickly realized how interested she was in dentistry.  She graduated from high school in the spring of 2012 and began attending UAS the following fall with the intention of becoming a dental hygienist.  Abby began working as a dental assistant with Dr. Schultz in the summer of 2012.  Her favorite part about the job is the valuable skills and experience she is gaining and the opportunity to work with such a friendly staff.  When not working or in school, Abby enjoys cooking and being outside, hiking, kayaking and spending time with her friends and family.

Jana Pierce, Hygienist

Jana PierceJana grew up in Colorado and received her Dental Hygienist degree from Colorado Northwestern Community College in May of 1999. She began working as a Registered Dental Hygienist for Southeast Dental Group in June of that year. She loves being a hygienist and the opportunity to get to know so many wonderful individuals and families over the years. She feels blessed to work for Dr. Schultz. Jana and her husband have four beautiful children which are the highlight of her life. She enjoys target shooting, crafting, being involved with her church and most of all, spending time with her family.

Lena Merrell, Hygienist

Lena Merrell

Lena grew up in Alaska and travelling with her mom. She graduated from JDHS in 2000 and went on to get her Bachelors in political science from the University of Vermont. She quickly realized she had not found her calling and began working for Dr. Schultz in 2004 and quickly decided dentistry was where she belonged. While taking prerequisites at UAS, Lena had the opportunity to work as a dental and surgical assistant, and at the front desk, giving her a great understanding of how hard and rewarding dentistry can be. 
Lena graduated from Vermont Tech and was happy to make the trek back (with her new puppy)  to Alaska to become a Registered Dental Hygienist. Since starting her hygiene career in 2010 she became a wife, homeowner and mother of two! Lena strives to make her patients feel comfortable, to be gentle, thorough and help provide a little bit of a dental education at each visit. 

Megan Martin, Patient Care Coordinator

Lena MerrellMegan was born and raised here in Juneau, Alaska. She graduated from Juneau Douglas High School in the year of 2014. With her love and compassion for customer service, she found herself becoming a part of the team in the summer of 2016. She never imagined herself working in the dental profession, and is pleased with the amount of knowledge and experience she has obtained since doing so. Megan enjoys anything and everything about the state of Hawaii, finding herself there almost every summer. She spends her free time at the gym to unwind from a busy day, or catching up on the latest TV series with a bowl of popcorn.

Stacia Wall, Patient Care Coordinator

Stacia Wall

Stacia was born and raised in Juneau, Alaska and graduated from Juneau Douglas High School in 2007. She is currently attending the University of Alaska, working towards a degree in Business Management. Stacia hit the ground running when she joined the team at Southeast Dental Group in the fall of 2016 and hasn’t stopped! She enjoys her work as a treatment coordinator in this fast paced atmosphere and being part of such a dynamic office. In her spare time, you will find Stacia at the gym or spending time with her son.  

Sarah Woodruff, Receptionist

Sarah WoodruffSarah was born and raised in Juneau. She began working for Southeast Dental Group in 2005 as a member of the front office staff.  Since employed at Southeast Dental Group, she’s had the opportunity to enrich her dental knowledge and ability to care for patients by attending an American Dental Association conference as well as various other continuous education seminars.  She’s also become a member of the Association of Dental Implant Auxiliaries. “Not many people love going to the dentist. I enjoy the opportunity connect with our patients as a friendly and reassuring point of contact and do my part to ease the stress of dental appointments.” She and her husband have three energy-filled children who keep life busy and exciting! When not at work or wrangling kids, Sarah dreams of tropical beaches and enjoys baking, crafting, exercising and getting outside as much as she can!