Basil Callahan, CDT, 33

“Basil is a natural leader, a great problem solver who works with our team members to get the best product and consistency from them,” says Reed Nunnally, Owner, Derby Dental Lab, Louisville, KY. “We’ve had many technicians and leaders over the years and I would put him right at the top of my list.”

Callahan honed his leadership skills during his four-year stint in the Marine Corps, which included an eight-month tour in Iraq, where he patrolled the Jordan/Syrian border to prevent violence and drug trafficking, trained the Iraqi police force and even delivered much-needed food and supplies to orphanages.

Once he left the Corps, he began working at a large laboratory as a prep auxiliary technician and found the work fueled his passion for helping people, the same value that made him enlist. “I was basically a glorified janitor, but the lab really piqued my interest because we were making custom appliances and improving patients’ lives,”...