Meet Our Dental Team – Waco, TX

Dana – Dental Office Manager

Dana has been working in the dental field for over 20 years. She attended Texas State Technical College in Waco and is a certified dental assistant. Her favorite part of working at Premier Family Dental is being able to help our patients achieve the oral health and happiness they deserve. Seeing them smile as they are leaving is always a wonderful feeling!

Originally from San Saba (the pecan capital of the world!), Dana now lives in Robinson with her husband and their two daughters. In her free time, she enjoys watching her girls play lots of sports (including softball and volleyball) and cheering on the Rangers.

Andrea – Business Manager

Andrea is responsible for all aspects of running Premier Family Dental including filing insurance, financial coordination, and treatment coordination. She's been in the dental field for over 10 years, spending all of that time with her husband, Dr. Cofer. She has a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas A&M University. She enjoys working with all of our nice patients and using her knowledge of finance and dentistry to help patients accomplish their goals, allowing her to walk them through the entire process from the first visit to completion. She enjoys spending time with her three children, Zumba, boating, biking, skiing, and just generally hanging out at the lake.

Penny – Dental Insurance Coordinator

Penny has been an important member of our dental team for the last 5+ years, and she has been in the dental field for nearly 40! Not only is she certified in CPR, but she also has completed numerous continuing education courses at the University of Texas Dental Program over the last three decades. She loves the challenge of dental insurance and getting to see all the patients who have become friends and family over the years. When she isn’t at our office, you can find her spending quality time with her daughter and grandchildren. Together, they love fishing, hunting, gardening, and bird watching.

Stacy – Patient Care Coordinator/Registered Dental Assistant

A native Texan, Stacy chose to complete her studies at Texas State Technical College in Waco and now has more than 20 years of experience in the dental field. In fact, she worked with Dr. Cofer when he first opened the practice, and she’s thrilled to be back on the team! For her, the best thing about her job is helping our wonderful patients. Now that she and her husband are “empty nesters,” she enjoys fishing, camping, hunting, kayaking, and playing golf in her spare time.

Tina – Hygiene Coordinator

Over the course of her decade-long career in dentistry, Tina has always prioritized building strong, trusting relationships with her patients. She started her career as a dental assistant before going on to become a hygienist through Concorde Career College. Today, she is certified in CPR and stays up to date with the latest advancements in dentistry through continuing education.

Tina is proudly married to a US Marine, and together, they have three boys and two fur baby shih-tzus. Her weekends are usually filled with her sons’ various sporting events, and she also likes to travel, go on road trips, and work out.

Elaine – Registered Dental Hygienist

Elaine has been helping patients improve their oral health since 1991. She completed her studies at Hill College, The University of North Texas, and Tyler Junior College. Today, she is certified in CPR, nitrous oxide, and sealants. She joined our team in 2020, and she has enjoyed meeting each patient and working alongside her colleagues ever since! She and her husband Rick enjoy spending time with their blended family, which includes three daughters, one grandson, two long-haired dachshunds, and one cat. She also loves golfing, camping, and spending time with her family and church family.

Erica – Registered Dental Hygienist

Erica graduated from Coastal Bend College in 2002 with an associate degree in dental hygiene. She is experienced in working with patients of all ages and periodontal conditions. She is certified in CPR and pit and fissure sealants, and she is up to date on her continuing education requirements with the latest knowledge and comprehensive skills. Erica ensures to give each patient the highest quality care in a relaxing environment. Her hobbies include swimming, snow skiing, Texas Ranger baseball games, and vacationing with her husband and two boys.

Jana – Registered Dental Hygienist

Jana started her dental career in 1998 through the TSTC Dental Assisting program and continued as a dental assistant until 2003. It was then that she began the pursuit of her current career via the dental hygiene program at Wharton County Junior College, where she graduated in 2005 with an associate degree in dental hygiene. Jana keeps up with the latest technology and patient care techniques and has current CPR certification as well as certification in nitrous oxide monitoring. Jana enjoys swimming, water skiing, and outdoor sports with her husband and their two kids.

Emily – Registered Dental Hygienist

Emily has worked as both a dental assistant and hygienist, and she first came to our practice almost a decade ago. Her goal is to create trusting relationships with her patients by providing them with consistently positive experiences at their dental appointments. She has her associate degree in dental hygiene and is also trained in CPR, nitrous oxide monitoring, and pit and fissure sealants.

Emily and her husband have two children. Outside of the office, she enjoys spending time with family, traveling, going to the lake, and trying new restaurants.

Elizabeth – Registered Dental Assistant

Although Elizabeth is a new member of our dental team, she has been working in the dental field for a decade so far! She has studied at Temple University, McLennan Community College, and Texas State Technical College. She is also certified in nitrous oxide. What she enjoys most about her position is getting to see the confidence patients gain in their new, improved smiles. Outside of work, she has a husband named Jon and a daughter named Rileigh. Her hobbies include watching Rileigh play sports, going bike riding on the trails, grilling outdoors, crafting, and spending quality time as a family.

Marlen – Dental Assistant

Marlen has over a decade of dentistry experience. From the very beginning of her career, she has made her patients’ needs her first priority, and she appreciates how well our team works together while doing the same. As a native of Waco, TX, she graduated from Riesel ISD and studied at ATI. She also has advanced training in coronal polishing, CPR, pit and fissure sealants, and nitrous oxide monitoring.

When Marlen’s away from the office, she likes to spend time with her husband, their two boys, and their dog, Lulu. They live out in the country, so she also enjoys going to rodeos and taking care of their horses, chickens, cows, and peacocks.

Kristen – Dental Assistant

Kristen’s hometown is Pampa, Texas! Although she’s one of the newer members of our team, she has well over a decade of experience in the dental field. Previously, she attended Tarleton State University and Texas State Technical College. Plus, she completed advanced training in coronal polishing and nitrous. When asked what she likes most about her job, she shared that it’s helping people gain self-confidence. Outside the office, you’ll most likely find her volunteering with the Heart O’ Texas Fair and Rodeo with her husband, coaching her son’s baseball and soccer teams, and going to as many Texas Rangers baseball games as possible. She also enjoys running 5ks and half marathons.

Lidia – Registered Dental Assistant

Lidia is a native of Waco, Texas! Before joining the dental field 5+ years ago, she studied at TSTC and earned her nitrous certification. For her, the best thing about being a registered dental assistant is encouraging patients to have good oral health. Away from the office, she loves spending time with her family, especially her husband, Rudy, and their son. Some of her other hobbies include traveling and working out. Here’s a fun fact about her: she has a twin sister.