UF College of Dentistry alumnus Brett Zak, D.M.D., is one of 28 University of Florida alumni who received this year’s Outstanding Young Alumni Award on Friday, April 7, in a ceremony at the University of Florida Alumni Association in Gainesville.
Zak, currently president for the University of Florida College of Dentistry’s Academy of Alumni & Friends, practices family and cosmetic dentistry in Orlando, Florida, with his two business partners in their practice, LC&Z General and Cosmetic Dentistry, which has been serving the area for over 43 years. He received both his Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Business Management in 2001 and his Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) in 2006 from the University of Florida. Since graduating, Dr. Zak has chosen to further his dental education and has developed a niche in esthetics by continuing his education with the Spear Institute in Scottsdale, Arizona, The Pankey Institute in Key Biscayne, and the Dawson Academy in St. Petersburg.
Since joining the practice in 2006, Zak has taken a very active role in organized dentistry. He currently serves as president of the Dental Society of Greater Orlando having previously served as Editor for the quarterly newsletter and Membership Chairman. He is an active member of the American Dental Association and Florida Dental Association where he served as chairman of the New Dentist Committee from 2013-2015, and has been an elected delegate for the FDA since 2009.
In the community, Zak serves as an executive board member for the Howard Phillips Center’s Community Leadership Counsel, an organization that raises awareness for and combats child abuse in and around Central Florida. He is an active volunteer with the Dental Care Access Foundation (DCAF), Donated Dental Services, the Downtown Dental Access Clinic, and the Give Kids a Smile program, each of which provide needed dental services for those who would not be able to obtain it otherwise.
Zak and his wife Gena have a daughter Anabelle (4), a son, Brooks (1), and are expecting their third in August. They make the trip up to Gainesville for most home football games, enjoy golf, scuba, and spend many long weekends in New Smyrna Beach.