Lata Garlapati named Vice President of Data Strategy and Governance

CHICAGO, September 5, 2024 — The American Dental Association (ADA) is pleased to announce Ms. Lata Garlapati’s promotion to Vice President of Data Strategy and Governance. In her new role, Garlapati will lead the data governance program for the ADA enterprise and ADA Forsyth. She will own, develop and facilitate the ADA’s data governance strategy and roadmap, ensuring robust engagement and monitoring progress and performance.

“Enhanced data governance is imperative to the ADA as it shapes and executes its future-forward strategies,” said Raymond Cohlmia, D.D.S., Executive Director of the ADA. “Lata will bring continued advancements to the organization in this role.”

Garlapati began her career at the ADA in June 2023 as the Director of Data Governance. Her accomplishments include developing the Association’s Data Governance Center of Excellence, creating a formal data governance framework, implementing a streamlined operating model, establishing foundational data principles, defining data governance standards, and rolling out enterprise-wide training for data governance and data principles.

“Great data starts with everyone,” said Garlapati. “I strongly believe data is one of the most valuable assets of an organization and should be treated as a strategic asset. I’m excited to keep building on a strong foundation and help the ADA harness the full potential of its data.”

Before joining the ADA, Garlapati served as Enterprise Data Manager at Quest Diagnostics, where she developed a formal data governance program for the facility domain. At PVH Corp., she laid the groundwork for strong consumer data governance in North America as Senior Lead of Data Standardization & Governance. As Vice President of Data Governance at Moody’s, Garlapati was instrumental in building comprehensive data governance frameworks, conducting project reviews to ensure compliance, and managing regulatory reporting to meet global data quality standards.

Garlapati holds a postgraduate diploma in Planning and Management with a specialization in Finance and Marketing from The Indian Institute of Planning and Management. She earned her Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in Industrial & Production from KL University, India.

About the American Dental Association
The not-for-profit ADA is the nation's largest dental association, representing 159,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance has long been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA), published monthly, is the ADA's flagship publication and the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit ADA.org. For more information on oral health, including prevention, care and treatment of dental disease, visit the ADA's consumer website MouthHealthy.org.

The ADA Forsyth Institute was founded in 1910 as the Forsyth Dental Infirmary for Children (later, the Forsyth Institute), to provide dental care to the disadvantaged children of Boston. While continuing to serve children in need, yet recognizing the ultimate goal is to prevent dental disease, the Institute in 1915 began to focus on scientific research and is today the world’s leader in oral health research. In October of 2023, the Institute joined with the American Dental Association to form the ADA Forsyth Institute, a 501(c)(3) entity dedicated to improving people’s oral and overall health and powering the profession of dentistry through cutting-edge basic research, creative translational science, innovative clinical technologies, and global public health outreach. Consistent with the Institute’s founding mission, the ADA ForsythKids mobile dental program continues to serve children in need.