My name is Dr. Dora Vilk-Shapiro and I first joined WEC in 1997, when WEC met at the Riverside Hotel.  I enjoyed the  meetings, cannon circles, and annual retreats, and have made many friends and done business with several WEC members.  One of my favorite things about WEC is hearing speakers from various occupations and organizations and I feel that WEC has widened my horizons and helped my personal growth.  I served as Board Member At Large during Ann Meacham’s term as WEC president.  At a WEC tea party fundraiser many years ago, my employees and I won the Most creative hats award when we fabricated our own hats with dental goodies.

Most WEC members know me as Dr. Dora.  What they may not know about me is that I was born in Cuba, have lived in Mexico, Jamaica, New York (Bronx and Brooklyn), Nassau Bahamas, Florida, Milan, Italy, and Madrid, Spain.  Lastly New Jersey and back to Florida.  Even though I am Jewish, I went to St. Andrew’s school for 4 years while we lived in Nassau.  Talk about diversity, I count for almost every position.

My main passion in life, besides my family,  is my Dentistry and my work for Charity.  The awards have been numerous:  Healthy Mother, Healthy Babies Mother of the Year, Hispanic Woman of Distinction, NAWBO National Pioneer Award, State, and local chapter awards, ABWA Coral Springs Charter Chapter Woman of the Year, Palm Beach Crystal Slipper Trailblazer Award, and others.  However, it is the rewards for helping others that really makes me tick.

I am a Past President of both NAWBO, Broward/Ft. Lauderdale chapter and ABWA, Coral Springs Charter Chapter.  I graduated Dental school from University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Dental School in 1986. I now work at The Tamarac Dentist with Dr. Alan Bussell,  and together we take care of patients from kids to seniors in a comfortable, private, gentle, state of the art way, and for those who really know me, humorous too. We accept most insurance and also have many financing options for our patients to help them afford the care that they need or elect. It has been a privilege to have served so many WEC members and their friends and family with their dental needs over the years.  I am a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry since 2002, A charter member of the Florida Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, I have served on the Peer Review committee of the Broward Dental Association, and am a member of the American Dental Association along with all of it’s component groups.  Recently I was elected as the Founding President for the American Association of Women Dentists, South Florida Chapter.

I live in Coral Springs with my husband Larry of 27 years,  Larry, a PhD,  is a Clinical Science Liaison with Merck, Inc. I also live with  my Boston Terrier Mr. Peanut  who’s 8, and my six  zebra finches: Pickles, Pringles, and their children: Pez, Poptart, Punch, and last but not least Panini.  My 21 year old son, Jordan is a Junior at UCF in Orlando and is following in my footsteps in both Dental and Leadership:  He is a Psychology major, with minor in Molecular Biology and Microbiology, and Pre-Dent.  Also he is the Vice President  and Sergeant of Arms of his fraternity Beta Theta Pi, and is Assistant Chief Justice of UCF’s Student Government. 

I look forward to enjoying more of what WEC has to offer, now that my son is grown, my practice more established, and it’s time to have some more fun with friends.