ALPHAS ON THE MOVE
Dentist, Officer, Leader: The Relentless Service of Brother Dr. Wesley D. Thomas
By: Bro: Tommy de Jongh
Brother Wesley D. Thomas, holds a lot of titles. General dentist, Lieutenant Colonel in the District of Columbia Army National Guard, Treasurer of the American Board of Dental Examiners, and most recently Morehouse College’s inaugural 50 Under 50 honoree. What connects all of it is not ambition, but a consistent orientation toward service that has defined every room he has entered. Since the fall of 2006, Bro. Wesley Thomas has been a Brother of Alpha Phi Alpha, initiated into the Kappa Xi Lambda Chapter, and is currently an active member of the Delta Lambda Chapter.
His recent election as Treasurer of the American Board of Dental Examiners represents a natural progression for a man who has spent years working to make dental licensure fairer, more rigorous, and more consistent across the country. ADEX develops and maintains the clinical examinations used to license dentists and dental hygienists across the United States, and Brother Thomas arrived at the treasurer’s seat having already served as both Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of the District of Columbia Board of Dentistry, and as a Board Commissioner for the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations. He has not simply observed these systems. He has shaped them.
His record in uniform is equally striking. As State Dental Officer for the D.C. Army National Guard, currently serving at the Pentagon under the Defense Health Agency, Brother Thomas led his unit’s dental readiness program to a 97% readiness rate, ranking first in the nation. That figure is not a statistic in isolation. It represents hundreds of service members fit and ready to deploy, a direct result of sustained, disciplined leadership. The Army Commendation Medal and the Major General Calvin G. Franklin Leadership Award are among the honors his service has earned.
Brother Thomas is a Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude graduate of Morehouse College, a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, who left the South with honors and kept building. He earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine from the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine and completed his residency at Bronx Lebanon Hospital in New York City, where he served as Chief Resident. The foundation was rigorous, and it shows.
This year, Morehouse College named him to its inaugural 50 Under 50, a selective recognition honoring alumni whose leadership, service, and professional excellence reflect the College’s mission. Candidates were evaluated across four pillars: professional achievement, community and civic impact, commitment to Morehouse, and personal story. Brother Thomas was measured against each one and found deserving. His selection affirms what Delta Lambda has long known.
Beyond the clinic and the armory, Brother Thomas serves on the Board of Trustees for Levine Music and actively supports the Washington National Opera, Washington Performing Arts, and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He is a Life Member of Alpha Phi Alpha, and does a fantastic job demonstrating the aims of our Fraternity: Manly Deeds, Scholarship, and Love for All Mankind. Delta Lambda is proud to call him Brother and is glad to have a stellar leader in the chapter.
Author Bio: Bro. Tommy de Jongh is currently the Associate Editor for the Delta Lambda Chapter. He works full-time as an IT consultant and part-time as an Air Force Officer for the Department of Defense. His initiation chapter is Delta Lambda as well, and he crossed in October 2023.