Our Team
Meet Our Leadership Team
At Cook Dental Group, our leadership team brings together decades of clinical expertise, operational excellence, and a shared commitment to building something different in dentistry.
A multi-location organization that refuses to sacrifice culture for growth.
We're clinician-led, people-first, and deeply invested in creating sustainable careers for our teams while delivering outstanding patient care across the Tidewater region of Virginia..
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Dr. Milton Cook
Dr. Cook is a general dentist and the CEO of Cook Dental Group, a growing multi-location dental organization with five practices serving the Tidewater area of Virginia. What started as a passion for clinical excellence has evolved into building a thriving dental group focused on delivering outstanding patient care, investing in strong team culture, and scaling smart, sustainable growth.
As a clinician-entrepreneur, Dr. Cook remains deeply involved in both the clinical and business sides of dentistry—leading strategy, optimizing operations, mentoring teams, and identifying opportunities to innovate in a constantly evolving industry. He purchased Smithfield Family Dentistry in 2003, a practice originally established in 1897, and has grown the organization thoughtfully over two decades into the multi-location group it is today.
Dr. Cook earned his Doctorate of Dental Surgery from VCU School of Dentistry and holds a PhD in Neurobiology and Anatomy from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. His goal is to build a dental organization that sets the bar for quality, culture, and community impact—not just in the region, but as a model for modern dental leadership.
Katie Robinson
Katie is a Director of Operations with deep experience leading multi-site dental organizations through growth, integration, and operational maturation. With over twenty years of experience in the dental industry, she is passionate about supporting best-in-class dental operations through proven methodologies and frameworks that provide solutions and management expertise for complex organizational challenges.
Her work centers on building scalable operating models that balance clinical excellence, financial discipline, and team development. Katie has led enterprise-level initiatives across multi-location practices, including operational standardization, performance management, KPI frameworks, and margin improvement—always with an operator's mindset and a long-term view.
A significant portion of Katie's background includes supporting mergers and acquisitions, where she helps translate deal assumptions into durable operational outcomes. This includes post-acquisition integration, leadership alignment, systems and process unification, and performance stabilization as practices scale.
Katie is known for bringing clarity to complexity, connecting strategy to execution, data to decision-making, and accountability to results—all while maintaining a people-first leadership approach. She holds a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration from Liberty University, where she graduated with distinction.
Renee Fisher
Renee serves as Regional Director of Operations for Cook Dental Group, bringing operational leadership and deep clinical knowledge to support our practices across Virginia. With over two decades of hands-on experience in dental practice environments, Renee understands the realities of day-to-day operations from the ground up.
Before stepping into leadership, Renee spent 18 years as a Lead Dental Assistant, including eight years with Dr. David L. Jones and Associates in Virginia Beach. In 2017, she joined Smithfield Family Dentistry—the original Cook Dental Group practice—where she served as Lead Dental Assistant before being promoted to Office Manager, and ultimately to her current regional role in 2022.
Renee's background gives her a unique perspective: she knows what it takes to run a smooth operation, support a clinical team, and create an environment where both patients and staff feel cared for. Her operational expertise, combined with her commitment to the people side of the business, makes her an invaluable leader as Cook Dental Group continues to grow.
Dian Eckstrom
Dian serves as Director of Accounting for Cook Dental Group, bringing over twenty years of full-cycle accounting management experience to support the financial operations of our multi-location organization. She is passionate about helping clients maximize their financial potential through accurate reporting, strategic planning, and operational clarity.
Before joining Cook Dental Group in December 2023, Dian worked as an accountant for the U.S. Coast Guard Sector NY MWR, where she managed financial operations for nearly seven years. With other roles across a variety of industries, including construction accounting and education, she has a well-rounded perspective on financial systems and controls.
Dian is currently pursuing her Master's degree in Accounting from William & Mary, building on her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Phoenix. Her expertise in QuickBooks, financial reporting, and accounting systems helps ensure that Cook Dental Group operates with the financial discipline necessary to support long-term growth while maintaining stability and transparency.
Katrina Thaler
Katrina Thaler serves as the Human Resources Manager for Cook Dental Group, leading the development of people systems, culture, and enhancing the employee experience. She brings a strategic approach to HR, shaped by experience strengthening the full employee journey and designing processes that support consistency and growth. Katrina is committed to creating HR systems that guide employees through meaningful moments, build clarity and confidence, and give managers the tools to lead effectively.
Her background includes leading cross-functional HR and business operations, building foundational people practices, and supporting organizational strategy. She serves on the Peninsula SHRM Board of Directors, contributing to university partnerships, engagement, leadership collaboration, and HR professional development. Katrina is a TEDx speaker, known for her talk on creativity, purpose, and choosing to be a creator in a world of consumption.
Katrina holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Christopher Newport University and earned her SHRM-SCP certification as part of her commitment to strategic HR leadership. Her HR philosophy centers on being present throughout the employee lifecycle, developing employees, and providing reliable, accessible partnership that equips employees and managers to lead well.
