Meet Our Board
Globally United As One is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All clinical services are provided by licensed dental professionals, supported by credentialed volunteers and local providers. We adhere to ethical standards, professional guidelines, and local regulations in every community we serve.
Faith Brooks is a mission-driven Public Health Dental Hygienist and Founder of the Clean and Seal Dental Program, dedicated to expanding access to preventative oral health care locally and globally. Serving communities across Massachusetts, she has provided education and care to more than 20,000 students, focusing on underserved and vulnerable populations.
Her global mission work has taken her to Ecuador and Colombia with the Shine Organization, and to Zanzibar with the Nitasimama Foundation. Most recently, she served in Cape Verde, traveling in 2024 to Brava, Fogo, and Praia, and in 2025 to Santo Antão and São Nicolau, delivering preventative dental care and oral health education to communities with limited access to services.
During fall of 2025 was her most recent independent outreach, Faith partnered with Clinica Med & Dent to support healthy smiles at Seventh-Day Adventist School and Borboleta Primary School in Espargos on Sal. Through school-based education and hands-on preventative care, she continues to help build brighter futures and healthier communities, one smile at a time.
Through every mission, Faith is committed to making preventative dental care accessible, empowering, and life-changing.
Faith Brooks, BSDH, M.Ed., PHDH
Founder & President
Paula Pina is the Mission Coordinator and Co-Founder & Vice President of Globally United As One, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing dental care to underserved communities worldwide. Paula joined the nonprofit organization Cape Verdean Women United in 2017, where she has played a key leadership role in organizing and executing dental missions across all nine islands of Cape Verde from 2018 to 2025, building partnerships with local dentists, volunteers, and dental students to create lasting impact.
Paula also serves as the Program Coordinator for Global and Population Health at Boston University School of Dental Medicine. She oversees administrative coordination for initiatives focused on community and global health and has led oral health education programs for children in Boston Public Schools. She now works at Boston University Dental School as Billing and Claims Manager in the Patient Finance Department, where she oversees the dental billing process, understands insurance benefit coverage, and is highly skilled in dental billing codes.
Driven by her passion for helping others and her love of travel, Paula combines her professional expertise and nonprofit leadership to bring compassionate dental care to communities in need. Her dedication has guided multiple successful missions, expanded access to dental care across Cape Verde, and inspired volunteers and partners alike.
Paula Pina, DA, CHW, Notary Public
Mission Coordinator, Co-Founder/Vice President
Dr. Lagina D. Bickham is a graduate of Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and the first black female native Rhode Islander to practice dentistry in R.I. She was the Dental Director at Dimock Community Health Center in Roxbury, Ma. for more than twenty years and currently works at Thundermist Health Center in R.I. Dr. Bickham has held adjunct faculty positions at Tufts University, Harvard University, Boston University, University of New England Schools of Dental Medicine, Mt Ida College and Forsyth Schools of Dental Hygiene.
She also worked at The Community College of R.I. Dental Hygiene School as a clinical instructor for twenty years. Dr. Bickham developed an interest in institutional oral healthcare during her externship at The Adult Corrections Institution of R.I. Treating inmates who had serious decay and limited resources had an everlasting effect on Dr. Bickham’s view of public healthcare.
She became Dental Director at The Donald Wyatt Detention Facility in 1994, and she continues to practice dentistry on detainees and works with hygienists and dentists to help address the oral health problems plaguing this population. She has volunteered at The R.I. Mission of Mercy, The Colgate Bright Smiles Bright Future events for children, and at Operation Stand Down, where she has provided dental screenings to veterans.
On seven different trips to Cape Verde, she has traveled with Cape Verdean Women United and The Hispanic International Mission to provide oral surgery, exams, oral cancer screenings, cleanings, and education. She has participated in fundraisers to procure dental supplies and has performed thousands of tooth extractions on the islands of Fogo, Santiago, Maio, Sao Vincente, Santo Antao, Sal, Boa Vista, Brava, and Sao Nicolau.
It was her personal goal to provide free dental care on all nine inhabited Cape Verde Islands, and in 2025, she completed her Milestone mission trip. Dr Bickham is a Fellow of The American College of Dentists, which is a distinct honor awarded to only 2.4% of all dentists in the United States and Canada.
Dr Bickham lives by the mantra of Changing Lives One Smile At A Time.
Dr Lagina D. Bickham, DMD, FACD
Clinical Director
A fully licensed oral surgeon in Cape Verde, Dr. Tavares leads outreach, communications, and mission awareness efforts. He supports community engagement, volunteer recruitment, and organizational visibility while contributing his clinical expertise to the team.
Carlos Tavares, DMD
Marketing/Clinic Director
Celisa Lopes is a dedicated and experienced Certified Dental Assistant, proudly serving in the dental field since 2017. Currently working as a Dental Assistant Supervisor at a Community Health Center, where she helps ensure high-quality patient care while supporting her team in maintaining professional and efficient clinical operations.
Throughout her career, Celisa developed specialized expertise in dental instrument management, sterilization procedures, infection control, and maintaining safe clinical environments. Her commitment to patient's safety and excellence in dental care has been strengthened through hands-on experience and leadership responsibilities.
Celisa's passion for community service has also led her to participate in three dental mission trips with the nonprofit organization, Cape Verdean Women United, to 7 Island in Cape Verde. During these missions, her main role was cleaning, disinfecting, sterilizing, and organizing dental instruments while ensuring all infection control recommendations and safety protocols were properly followed.
These experiences helped strengthen her leadership, organizational, communication, and teamwork skills, which are necessary and valuable for her new role as a Secretary of the Globally United as One (GU1) Organization.
Outside of her professional life, Celisa enjoys traveling, relaxing at the beach, watching movies, and spending quality time with her family. She values meaningful connections, cultural experiences, and creating lasting memories with the people closest to her.
Celisa Lopes, Certified Dental Assistant
Secretary
Dr. Luis Alves was born and raised on the island of Fogo in Cape Verde, where access to dental care was limited and a visiting dentist only came to the island once a in awhile. Inspired by those early experiences, he pursued dentistry with the goal of serving communities with limited access to oral healthcare. After earning his dental degree in China, he returned home and spent several years providing care, education, and outreach throughout the Cape Verde islands.
Since immigrating to the United States in 2020, Dr. Alves has continued his mission of service while practicing dentistry in Massachusetts. He regularly returns to Cape Verde to participate in volunteer missions, working alongside local organizations and international teams to provide oral health education, preventive care, and treatment to underserved communities. His work has included school outreach, community screenings, extractions, and mobile dental services across multiple islands.
Fluent in Cape Verdean Creole, Portuguese, Spanish, English, and Mandarin Chinese, Dr. Alves is passionate about connecting with people from different backgrounds and using dentistry as a way to serve with compassion, dignity, and humility. He is honored to be part of Globally United as One (GU1) and its commitment to improving lives through service and unity.
Luis Alves, DMD
Treasurer