August 10, 2024
Thank you for doing this. It should be a lot of fun. And great for the readers of New Milford Living. There will be a headshot of you at the top of the page next to the Title. I can use one that I have from your Expert Contributor feature unless you want to use another one. We have some time. Beneath the title will be the article. After the article will by your “favorites.” Beneath that is a short bio to wrap it all up. When you can, just fill in the answers to these questions. Remember, this is about you, along with some information about your family, your practice, your accomplishments, your experiences, and other interests. If you can get this all back to me by June 25, that would be great. This will give me time to write, edit and submit, before my deadline of July 1. I know some of this information, but complete as much as you can. I am attaching a few recent issues so you can see how this goes to print. I know some of this information, but always like to be 100% certain about everything. I will send you a draft of what will go to print so everything will be with your full approval. My contention is that “you” are the most important reader of this feature. I do know a lot of this, but just want to be certain so I am asking again. Original Hometown…where you grew up? My father was in the Army, so we moved several times, but I went to 8th grade and high school in Maryland, and then returned to Maryland for dental school. Family members…with names/ages? (parents’ ages not necessary) My mom, Donna, and dad, Jim, live in Maryland. My brother, Conor, and his wife, Sara, and two children, Conor Jr. and Elizabeth, live in Arlington, Virginia. Your kids….Grades, schools, activities… My son Robbie is a rising 8th grader and my son Timm is a rising 6th grader at Schaghticoke MS. List anywhere else where you have lived. I was born in Fort Campbell, KY. My dad was then stationed in Korea for a year, so my mom and I moved to Pittsburgh to stay with her family. Then we moved to San Antonio, TX, when he returned. Then to Fort Belvoir, Virginia, then Schofield Barracks, HI, and then to Olney, MD when he was stationed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in D.C. I went college at Notre Dame in South Bend, IN, dental school at University of Maryland at Baltimore, and did my residency in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. After that, David and I moved to New Milford, CT. Your career, practice, and anything else related. I initially worked for two different orthodontic practices in (in CT and NY) for three years, then opened my orthodontic office in New Milford. Your husband’s career as well. My husband, Dave Mullen, went to Providence College, then started a Master’s in physiology at New York Medical College, then went to dental school at the University of Maryland at Baltimore (that’s where we met!), and then did a general practice residency at the VA Hospital in Minneapolis. After that, he joined the practice his father began in 1973, Mullen Family Dentistry. He practices with his uncle, Peter Mullen, and his father, Robert, retired in 2020. Family Story? My mother is from Pittsburgh and my father is from Indiana, PA. They met in college at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. David’s parents are from Brooklyn. They met in the first grade. Pets? Names? Breeds? Ages? We have one dog, a cavapoo named Stanley. He is about 5 months old. How long have you lived in this area? I moved to New Milford in 2004. It’s been a wonderful place to live, work, and have a family. Why do you like this area? Education? Where did you and David go to school? I went to the University of Notre Dame, University of Maryland Dental School, and the University of Minnesota Dental School for my residency in orthodontics. David went to Providence College, New York Medical College to begin a Master’s in Physiology, and the University of Maryland Dental School. Hobbies and passions that keep you busy. Our boys are our hobbies at the moment! Driving them to hockey and baseball games and golf matches are my joy. Any travel experiences to mention…. Where else have you lived or worked other than the New Milford area? (Answered above) Any Volunteer work etc.? List any committees/organizations you are part of either professionally or personally? I’ve been the president of the Danbury Dental Society since 2021. When did you and David get married? 2003 List your greatest accomplishments/achievements: Go ahead. Brag away…I’m writing this so I will brag “about” you. Some of this will be asked below as well. My family is my greatest accomplishment. Even though many of these things will be answered below, do you have any interests that might work into a good theme for the bio. List anything else that the readers might enjoy learning about you. Ok: Now the easy part. You are the only person on earth that knows the answers to all these questions: If you have any other subjects that could be listed as Favorites, feel free to add. Short answers preferred. If the answers are longer, I might have to cut them down. This feature works best with one- or 2-word answers. Once there is an explanation, readers tend to drift. There are some, however, that will require a sentence (example: Favorite Quote?) A lot of folks have mentioned to me that this is a bit therapeutic for them, since they haven’t really focused on themselves…especially when you are dedicated to focusing on your family. Once I receive these from you, let’s talk or email, and we can do any tweaking. The story/bio will be about 300 or so words, so not a lot of space, but the answers you give below will tell your story. I will send you a copy of what is written for you to review. It will be shown as: Dr. Emily O’Keiff’s Favorites: Answer to the best of your ability, and if you leave any blank, that is not a problem. Also, if there is something that I may be missing, add a subject. I am assuming that some of these might not be relevant or might not be of interest or even awkward. What is your Favorite? (Answer as many as you can…or as many as you feel are relevant?) U.S. City? San Antonio. International City? London. Country? If the USA is your answer, also add an International Country. USA. Meal? Seafood. Dessert? The pistachio cake at Lucia. Late night snack? Lemon Coobani. Restaurant (local is preferable, but if you have something else not a problem): Lucia Song? Song from my youth? Zombie by the Cranberries. We were very serious teenagers! Song now? Think I’m in Love with You by Chris Stapleton and Dua Lipa. Movie? Beetlejuice Movie Director? Joe Wright TV Show? Actor? Actress? Author? Dorothy Sayers Book? Busman’s Holiday Streaming Service? Acorn Social Media source? Broadway Play? South Pacific- I don’t know why I like it so much, but I just love to hear Bali Hai! Concert/Musical Event attended? United We Stand Benefit Concert at RFK Stadium, October 2001. Concert Venue? Wolf Trap Theater Venue? Musical Group(s)? Solo Musical Artist? Male? Female? Songwriter? Dolly Parton. Comedian? Bernie Mac Entertainer? Fashion Designer: Diane von Furstenberg Sports Event you have attended? Probably the most memorable game of my life was attending my first Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football game, at home against Michigan on September 10, 1994. We were winning, and then with 46 seconds left, Michigan kicked a 42-yard field goal to win the game. A real heartbreaker, and it set me up for the next four years of a rather disappointing football run for the Irish. Oh well! I’m still a fan. Athlete? Male? Jaromir Jagr Female? Florence “Flo-Jo” Griffith Joyner. Sports Team(s)? Pittsburgh Penguins and all the ND Fighting Irish Teams Stadium or Sports Venue? Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. Maybe it wasn’t a well-designed stadium, and it was imploded in 2001, but it was the first place I saw a professional baseball (and football!) game, and I have a lot of happy memories of it. Event you have attended. The concert United We Stand: What More Can I Give at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. in 2001. It was a tribute to the 9/11 victims, and so many artists participated, but I remember Mariah Carey, Huey Lewis and the News, James Brown, Michael Jackson, Al Green, Aerosmith, Goo Goo Dolls, and MC Hammer. I went with some friends from dental school and it seemed like the show would never end. Hobbies? In my heart, I think I’m a gardener. I spend a lot of time thinking about it, even though my yard might not show it. Form of exercise? Probably walking alongside my husband and boys while they golf. Leisure activity? Reading, or flipping through bulb catalogues. Vacation Spot? Rehoboth Beach in Delaware. Historical Figure? Antonie van Leeuwenhoek. He began his career as a small businessman and ended up as the father of microbiology. Personal Influence? Inspirational Figure? Trait in a Person? Reliability Holiday? Thanksgiving Quote? Chance favors the prepared mind (Louis Pasteur) Thing about the New Milford area? Place to shop/browse etc.? The Hunt Landmark/leisure spot in the New Milford area? Bank Street Theater is so pretty at night, especially in the winter with snow- we’re so lucky that it’s still open and it’s still operating in town. When our kids were little, we sometimes got them ice cream after dinner and sat on the benches watching the softball games below Railroad Street- that was a fun little kid activity that I remember fondly. Road Trip? O’Keiff Family road trip to New England in 1990; our family’s big station wagon trip to Connecticut and Massachusetts from Maryland the summer before I began my freshman year of high school. We planned it out using a Fodor’s book. All the places we visited seemed so foreign and unusual at the time; I never imagined I would end up living in Connecticut during my adulthood. Advice you have received. Advice you have given. Season? Fall. I love spooky season. Getaway Place? (For privacy or relaxation) Place to hang out. At home, with our family. Family Activity? Walking 9 holes Childhood memory? Beach days Gift You Have Received? Macaroni necklace Possession? Achievement? My two boys, Robbie and Timm. I’m so lucky to be their mom. Time of Day? Most rewarding or satisfying experience Professionally? Opening my orthodontic practice in New Milford. Most rewarding or satisfying experience Personally? Proudest Moment? List any other favorite things that I might be able to add that are not listed here. Beneath this it will read something like this: Correct anything that might not be accurate. I think the ages might be right…. This is just to show you how it will look. I will add or edit anything you would like me to. You can write this bio if you’d like. Dr. Emily O’Keiff lives in New Milford with her husband, Dr. David Mullen and their 2 boys, Robbie (13) and Timm (11). They also have a 6-month-old cavapoo named Stanley. When Emily and David are not in the bleachers at their boys’ baseball or hockey games, or watching their golf matches, they are working at their respective New Milford dental practices, O’Keiff Orthodontics and Mullen Family Dentistry.
