Meet Our Team of Experts

David Harris is Prosperident's CEO.  Under David's leadership, Prosperident has expanded over the past three decades to become a team of more than 20 highly specialized fraud investigators, forensic accountants, IT specialists, and support staff. David's vast investigative experience coupled with his youth-filled misadventures and his past military service have given him a unique insight into embezzlers' mindsets and actions. He is passionate about sharing his wealth of knowledge with general dentists and dental specialists. David is a sought-after speaker and an accomplished author on the topic of dental embezzlement. His new book, Healers versus Stealers: How to Outsmart the Thief in Your Dental Practice, is now available on Amazon.

David's articles have appeared in every major dental publication. He believes that the best educational experiences are enhanced using humor.

David's entertaining and insightful presentation style has made him a favorite presenter at regional, national, and international dental conferences. David's professional qualifications include Certified Fraud Examiner, Forensic CPA, Chartered Professional Accountant, Certified in Financial Forensics, and Licensed Private Investigator. David is also a member of MENSA. In recognition of his long and distinguished service to the dental profession, David is one of a handful of non-clinicians to be honored with a Fellowship in the International Academy of Dental Facial Esthetics in 2022.

Kathy Kirkby has spent almost her entire adult life working in dentistry. Starting her career as a Registered Dental Assistant, she has worked chairside knee to knee with periodontists, other specialists, and general practitioners. Kathy completed her Degree in Health Education at Dalhousie University and began sharing her training methods with the dental world. She quickly progressed to office management of group and multi-office practices, and then entered the world of consulting. Some of her accomplishments were training and monitoring teams in HR, practice management, practice dynamics, accounting, productivity and ideal scheduling.

Kathy complimented her repertoire working with dental teams and added CPHR – Certified Professional Human Resource to her toolbox. Kathy continues to attend and has presented for many professional association meetings including The Golden Girls of Dentistry, Dental Assistants National Conference for Excellence, and has become a vetted member of the Academy of Dental Management Consultants- ADMC. She became Prosperident’s Chief Operating Officer in 2021.

Sheilagh O'Driscoll graduated from Dalhousie University with her Bachelor of Science and began her career in the pharmaceutical industry. She quickly progressed to more senior sales and marketing roles including leading several product launches as the national sales manager. She excelled in operational leadership for the design and execution of large patient support programs for specialty infusion medicines.

Sheilagh brings a depth of healthcare sales and marketing expertise to her role as Chief Communications Officer with Prosperident.

Before filling her current role as Operations Manager, Hailey Irvine began her Prosperident career as an Intermediate Analyst in 2018 and was promoted to Senior Analyst in 2021. Hailey's primary function is to organize the onboarding of new clients to get them ready for assignment to a member of our investigative team.  She also assists our investigation team with data analysis, and is a member of Prosperident's Management Committee. Before joining Prosperident, Hailey worked in customer service.

Hailey's dazzling organizational skills, speedy response to communications and complete professionalism contribute greatly to the smooth functioning of Prosperident.

Wendy Askins is one of four Supervising Examiners at Prosperident, initially joining our team in 2012 as a Fraud Examiner. Before starting her career with us, Wendy had worked in dentistry for over 25 years. Wendy's extensive resume includes managing and consulting with large group orthodontic practices and manufacturing companies, as well as college degrees in psychology, criminology, and an MBA. Wendy possesses a comprehensive knowledge of orthodontic and oral surgery practices. Her strong academic background makes her incredibly successful in exposing complex theft modalities committed by both employees and, unfortunately, business partners. Wendy has specialized investigative capabilities that are unique to the dental world's business functions. She possesses an uncommon perspective on these crimes, driven by her own first-hand experience with the multi-faceted devastation caused by embezzlement, allowing her to connect with her clients personally.

Wendy holds a Certified Fraud Examiner designation and is an in-demand speaker and member of Prosperident's Speakers' Bureau. She possesses a gift for converting complicated and sometimes frightening concepts into practical terms for day-to-day application in any dental practice. Wendy brings her tremendous knowledge of embezzlement to orthodontic, pedo/ortho, oral surgery, and general dental audiences on an in-depth level that both educates and fascinates.  She is also a published author, with several articles in orthodontic and dental publications.

Scott Clifford is one of only four Supervising Examiners on our team, and he works on some of Prosperident's most challenging investigations. Scott joined Prosperident after spending over a decade working in the dentistry field in both operations and management positions. Once Scott started working with us as an investigator, it became apparent that his uncanny ability to predict how an embezzler will steal in a specific situation made him a real expert in his field. Scott possesses a unique ability to use and interpret the essential data that forms the foundation for our specialized brand of investigation. Scott has made his way up through the ranks at Prosperident, filling Fraud Examiner, Senior Fraud Examiner (Special Investigations Group) positions, and ultimately Supervising Examiner.  Scott is a Certified Fraud Examiner. Scott's combination of technical ability, knowledge of operations of dental practices, and impeccable mentoring skills have made him a great asset to our team.  Scott mentors Prosperident's Examiners in Training and is the lead investigator for much of the work we perform for Dental Support Organizations.  

Scott enjoys talking about embezzlement and investigation almost as much as he likes conducting the examinations. Scott is also a proud member of "Dental Investigation's First Family," as his wife Rose is a Senior Fraud Examiner with Prosperident. Scott Clifford's article Practical Approaches for Embezzlement Protection has been published in Dental Economics.

Tony Ulbrandt spent six years as a forensic accountant working with several prominent CPA and dental consulting firms before joining Prosperident in 2016. Tony's experience and expertise include forensic investigation, valuation work, financial analysis, litigation support, and taxation. Tony's considerable talents and contributions quickly saw him promoted to the position of Supervising Examiner in 2018.  Tony is only the third examiner ever to hold this position at Prosperident. As the Lead member of Prosperident's Litigation Support Services Team, Tony investigates complex matters in both the litigation and pre-litigation stages. Tony is Prosperident's acknowledged "data analysis wizard" who possesses a phenomenal skill in analyzing complex spreadsheets and databases.

Tony Ulbrandt is a Certified Fraud Examiner, and he holds a Master's degree in accounting.

Sadly, Christine Geary passed away in December 2024.  She joined Prosperident in 2019 with a background in forensic accounting and software training.

Amber Weber-Gonzales, began working in the dental field as a Registered Dental Hygienist in 2005.  With a background in accounting and her interest in the business side of dentistry, she moved into office management roles and ultimately into dental consulting.  Before joining the Prosperident team, Amber discovered embezzlement taking place in one of her clients' offices, bringing to light her aptitude for the kind of investigative and preventative work she now performs for our clients.

Amber was recently the runner-up in the prestigious Spotlight on Speaking competition, featuring dentistry's best-emerging speakers, and has been published in Dentistry Today magazine. In June 2022, Amber was appointed the head of Prosperident's Proactive Services Group, which provides embezzlement prevention services to individual practices, groups, and DSOs.

Dr. Pat Little is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Dentistry. After graduating, from VCU, Pat returned home to Georgia to begin his dental career in private practice, and from there, he went on to establish not one but two successful practices starting each from "scratch." Unfortunately, Pat had to discontinue practicing clinical dentistry due to disability. Pat decided to leave clinical practice to pursue another of his interests; practice management. Pat enrolled at Kennesaw State University and subsequently completed his accounting and business degree to become a dental CPA. After working for a year with a dental CPA firm, Pat discovered he had a deep interest in the specialized area of fraud and embezzlement. To pursue this interest, Pat left public accounting and joined Prosperident as a Senior Fraud Examiner. Pat has earned the Certified Fraud Examiner credential from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Through Prosperident, Pat conducts embezzlement examinations on behalf of dentists and advises them on fraud and embezzlement matters.

Pat Little is a member of Prosperident's Speakers' Bureau and is a highly entertaining and popular speaker who has a knack for converting the complicated and sometimes scary facts about dental fraud and embezzlement into "plain English" for his presentation attendees.  He has spoken at every major dental conference, including the Hinman Meeting, Chicago Midwinter, and ADA meetings.

Rose Clifford began her career with Prosperident in 2015 as an Intermediate Analyst before being promoted to Fraud Examiner in 2018. Rose currently holds the position of Senior Fraud Examiner. Before joining the team at Prosperident, Rose owned and operated a denture lab for ten years, where she worked as both the administrator and as a hands-on lab technician. Originally from Tennessee, Rose resides in California with her husband Scott and their daughter Miki.  Scott is a Supervising Examiner with Prosperident.

Rose feels a great deal of satisfaction from helping dentists through the worst times of their careers, and she loves the challenge of fitting all of the pieces of the embezzlement puzzle together when she investigates. Rose is fascinated with methodology, and she is a pro at uncovering the ways that embezzlers steal.

Before joining the team at Prosperident, Melinda Rutledge filled several roles in dental and medical practices for over twelve years. For the last six years, Melinda helped to develop and grow a sizeable dental billing organization. Melinda's tenure in dentistry includes practice co-ownership, where she discovered her passion for the business side of dentistry. Melinda enjoys analyzing systems to improve efficiency and is passionate about helping her clients protect themselves from embezzlement. Originally from Montana, Melinda spent twelve years in Alaska before moving to Idaho, where she currently resides.

Melinda is a Certified Professional Coder and Coding Instructor. She is also an Associate Member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Melinda Rutledge  loves to use her knowledge to advocate for providers and help offices find solutions for many of the issues a growing practice faces.

Dr. Nandita Lilly is a former practicing dentist.  She completed her DMD at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, and a GPR at New York Medical College and Metropolitan Hospital in Manhattan. Dr. Lilly worked in and owned several practices before an injury caused her to leave clinical practice and decided to begin a second career in dealing with embezzlement, a phenomenon that she experienced first-hand while in practice.

Dr. Lilly has also been active in organized dentistry at the local and state levels.

Sheridan Dufner began her career in the dental industry as a Registered Dental Assistant and became familiar with all aspects of the dental office. In this role, she established herself as a software and billing expert. Sheridan has her BA degree in Sociology, with a minor in criminology. Soon after graduating, Sheridan joined one of the fastest-growing dental billing organizations in the United States as a department lead managing and growing multiple departments. During her tenure, she received recognition and awards for her work in developing new training programs, processes, and protocols.

Sheridan has used her command of multiple practice management software systems to improve efficiency and results in dental practices across the US. Sheridan is passionate about helping dentists improve their practices and protect their investments. She is a native Texan and currently resides in the Texas Hill Country.

Anne Marie Carroll is a seasoned dental professional who started her career in Nova Scotia. In partnership with her husband, a recent dental graduate, they started and managed a dental clinic for eleven years, after which they relocated to Ontario. Anne Marie co-owned and managed their dental clinic there for a decade and continued her career in office management and dental consulting. Using her depth of experience in dental clinic financial management, she is passionate about helping dentists run profitable businesses by establishing rock-solid accounting systems and securing business protocols that identify embezzlement when it happens and minimize vulnerabilities leading to fraud.  She joined Prosperident as a Fraud Examiner in 2023

Brittany Coiro, a Massachusetts native, balances her roles between Prosperident fraud investigator and managing the office of a renowned dental specialist. With a career spanning almost 20 years in the dental field, Brittany began as a Registered Dental Assistant and has since held increasingly responsible positions in both owner-operated practices and dental support organizations. Her extensive background as a dental assistant and office manager, combined with her meticulous attention to detail Make her a strong member of our Investigations Team.

Brittany is also an active member of AADOM (American Association of Dental Office Management). She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration from Salem State University.

Courtney Staiger brings over 15 years of unwavering commitment and practical dental expertise to her role as a Prosperident Fraud Investigator. Beginning her journey in dentistry as a Registered Dental Assistant in 2008, Courtney quickly advanced through roles in dental office management and in consulting as director of client relations of a dental outsourcing company.   It was here that her keen eye for detail uncovered embezzlement in several offices.

Courtney Staiger has the ideal blend of experience and attention to detail that is crucial for dental fraud examination. Her passion for safeguarding dental practices against financial malfeasance establishes Courtney as one of Prosperident’s investigation team in detection of and protection from dental embezzlement.

Ellie Hatfield began her career in the dental industry as an Insurance Coordinator and quickly progressed into a management position.  Armed with her bachelor’s degree in accounting, Ellie is deeply committed to stopping embezzlement in dental practices. She brings her extensive academic and dental practical experience to her role as a Fraud Examiner with Prosperident. Ellie Hatfield is a dynamic professional whose passion for forensic work has been evident since they nicknamed her "Nancy Drew"! Ellie resides in Texas with her Pug, Penelope, and her German Shepherd, Bluebell.

Alyssa Kimmins started in dentistry in 1999, first as a Certified Dental Assistant, then as a Registered Dental Hygienist; all the while helping to manage the front office. Alyssa further developed her career teaching as an adjunct instructor for the Dental Assisting Program at Phoenix College.

With her deep dental working experience, Alyssa was able to retire from clinical practice and start her own remote dental billing company. In so doing, Alyssa discovered that one of her clients had been embezzled, which set the wheels in motion for Alyssa to join the Prosperident team. She thoroughly enjoys the investigation challenge and understanding how an embezzler will penetrate and steal from a dental practice.

Alyssa holds a BS in Dental Hygiene and a M.Ed. in Career and Technical Education from Northern Arizona University.

Owen Smith joined Prosperident in 2024.  With his previous experience in IT, plus his engineering degree, Owen's expertise is invaluable in turning data from our clients' practice management software into information that we can use in our work.

With over 10 years of experience as a co-owner of a medical practice, Mike Cauterman understands the challenges of managing operations and ensuring robust financial oversight. Together with the team at Prosperident, Mike is passionate about empowering dental practice owners with proactive strategies to safeguard their businesses against embezzlement.

Robert O'Steen joined Prosperident as Social Media Manager in 2023.  Robert brings a diverse background in public relations and social media management to Prosperident, including eight years of active service with the US Army in public relations.

Robert has a Bachelor of Science degree in Administration and Marketing from Western Governors University.

Duke graduated Cum Laude from Clever Canines Obedience Academy in 2019 and divides his time between his astronaut training and his work for Prosperident, where he often occupies a spot in our CEO's office.

In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, swimming, chasing squirrels, and using his ample charms to coax treats from soft-hearted humans.