Dr. Maryann Lehmann was the proud recipient of the 2014 Women of Distinction Award from the YWCA of Darien/Norwalk, CT. The award is bestowed in recognition of the outstanding achievements of a select group of women. Local residents and business owners nominate women whose significant and unique contributions have made a difference in the Darien and Norwalk communities.
The YWCA Darien/Norwalk Women of Distinction Nominations Committee reviews the nominations and selects the honorees. The award was given at a luncheon at Woodway Country Club on May 29, 2014. 'These six women, each in her own unique way, embody important traits embraced by the YWCA: leadership, perseverance, courage and service. They are trailblazers and we are proud to hold them up as role models for us and for our daughters,' said YWCA Interim Executive Director Julie Forsyth.
'Women frequently work behind the scenes to forge stronger families and communities,' added MariLu Cleary, Event Chair. 'We at the YWCA are grateful for the opportunity to shine a light on these women and celebrate the differences they make every single day.'
Dr. Lehmann received her B.S. degree in Biology, Magna cum Laude from Loyola University of Chicago, and went on to receive a second B.S.degree in Dentistry and her D.D.S. degree from the University of Illinois College of Dentistry, while also receiving the Psi Omega Professional Fraternity Beta Alpha Chapter Achievement Award, and the Joseph Kolodziejck Memorial award for superior scholastic achievement. After working as an associate dentist, Dr. Lehmann opened her own private practice in Darien in 1992. In addition to maintaining her practice, in 1998 Dr. Lehmann founded Shade Analyzing Technologies, Inc., a company which holds several patents related to dental tooth color analysis and is instrumental in the development of its inventions.
Dr. Lehmann is the inventor of the Shade Analyzer, and author and/or co-author of several US and international patents. In 2005, Dr. Lehmann was invited to become part of a practitioner based research network through New York University and the National Institute of Health called the PEARL Network. From September 2011 - December 2012, Dr. Lehmann was featured in a national television commercial for Polident. Dr. Lehmann worked for GoSmile, Inc, a company that specializes in tooth whitening products as a technical spokesperson and researcher, conducting studies on the effectiveness of their products. She became on opinion leader on tooth color analysis and whitening products, giving feedback for online and beauty publications. In 2017, Dr. Lehmann joined the faculty of University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine as Adjunct Professor in the Department of Operative Dentistry. She works with the predoctoral students in the clinic at the UConn Health campus in Farmington, CT and travels with them on service trips to provide dental care in other countries.