Office Space: Kim Plate

Kim Plate, director of the Dental Assisting program, remembers riding her bike to register for her first class at ECC. “It has been so fun to watch the campus grow from when I was a student to now. The buildings, the campus. It is amazing to see how far we have come.”  

After graduating from the dental assisting program, Plate worked in private practice for several years before being invited to work as an adjunct professor. She became the program director 11 years ago and still works chairside one day a week to stay current in the field. 

In 2024, she was named chair of the Dental Assisting National Board of Directors. “I am so proud of that accomplishment. I am always looking for opportunities to grow and elevate my career.” 

Read more about this cavity crusader below. 

What is the theme of your space? It is an extension of me. There are things I am proud of, and there are photos of my family. I like my office to be comfortable and welcoming. I love it when people come in and start talking. 

What is your favorite thing in here and why? I love my plants. All the spider plants are all siblings, they came from a spider plant that we had in the old building. They are probably 15 years old.  

Where is your snack stash and what is your go-to? My snack stash is in my file drawer. My go-to snack right now is nuts or these healthy caramels. They are coconut cream caramel, like healthy candy. 

What office supplies are you obsessed with? I must have blue Paper Mate pens and Post-it notes.  

What is something unexpected in here? Probably all of the teeth! I have a jar of teeth up there, there are some in the window. I have some molds over there.