Meet the Institute of Facial and Oral Surgery Team

Melissa “Missy” Thompson, Lead Surgical Assistant

Missy is a native of Northern Virginia. After growing up in Fairfax County, she moved to Loudoun County in 1996. After spending 30 years in veterinary medicine, she decided to take a leap and switch to oral surgery. She is passionate about what she does and will try to make your experience as pleasant as possible.

She’s a big fan for her local sport’s teams. She loves to explore our area breweries and wineries. She resides in Round Hill with her son and cat Ziggy.

Tanya Nowak, Office Manager

Tanya is originally from Minnesota. She moved to Virginia in 2010 with her husband, three children, and a Labrador. She has been in the medical field helping patients since 1998, and she loves what she does. Tanya will greet you when you arrive, answer insurance questions to the best of her ability, verify benefits, and give you an estimate for any procedures. She loves gardening, site-seeing, reading, and cooking/baking

Michelle Antonelli, Marketing/Physician Liaison

Michelle is a graduate of the Florence Nightingale College of Nursing, King’s College London where she gained invaluable experience at St. Thomas’ Hospital London and Guy’s Hospital London, both prestigious teaching hospitals with pioneering traditions and a commitment to excellence. Michelle is also a graduate of the Swedish Institute College of Health Sciences in NYC.

Michelle has extensive experience leading fundraising efforts for local non-profit organizations and schools by hosting events, sales, and marketing, and obtaining sponsorship opportunities. This experience combined with her medical background places her in an ideal position for her Marketing and Physician Liaison position at the Institute of Facial & Oral Surgery.

Michelle lives in Leesburg with her husband and two children. She enjoys travelling with her family, especially to her native Wales, and supports the great Welsh rugby team. Michelle enjoys hiking, biking, and competitive tennis.

Myani Vongphakdy, Surgical Assistant

Myani was born and raised in Northern Virginia. Though she has lived in multiple areas in NOVA, she mainly resided in Chantilly. Myani started her career as a dental assistant; after 3 years moved into oral surgery with IFOS. She very much enjoys her position, and learns something new every day.

Her outside activities include doing lashes, and a love for cosmetics. Myani is planning on going to school for her esthetician license.

Sydnie, Patient Coordinator

Sydnie was born and raised in Northern Virginia. She attended Christopher Newport University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology. She loved the area so much that she stayed for an additional year after graduating.

Sydnie now resides in Reston with her husband, baby girl, and their cat, Mabel. Before joining our team, she worked as a surgical coordinator at an ophthalmology practice but took some time off after the birth of her daughter.

In her free time, Sydnie enjoys reading, cooking, and spending quality time with her family.