Meet James Speckman, DMD
Growing up, James Speckman enjoyed working with his hands. Although he was initially drawn to becoming a carpenter, Jim had a family dentist that completed preventive orthodontics on him and influenced him to return to school to become a dentist himself.
He graduated from the University of Florida College of Dentistry in 1985. After briefly living in Rhode Island, Dr. Speckman and his wife moved to California in 1988 to open his own private practice. He continues to take about one hundred hours of continuing education each year and is a member of the following professional organizations:
- American Dental Association
- California Dental Association
- Santa Barbara/Ventura County Dental Society
- International Association of Orthodontics
Throughout his career, Dr. Speckman has gone on many different mission trips through his church, serving communities throughout Haiti, Honduras, and Mexico.
You will probably notice Dr. Speckman’s love for everything Gators – he says that he bleeds orange and blue! Although he was born in New York, Dr. Speckman grew up between Ohio and Florida, where many of his family still lives. In his spare time, Dr. Speckman plays basketball 3 times a week. He also enjoys golfing, fishing and sailing.
Meet Brenda Casillas, DDS
Dr. Brenda Casillas, affectionately known as “Nena,” has dedicated over 26 years to the dental field. Her journey began as a dental assistant in 1999. Through hard work and passion, she advanced to become a dental hygienist after earning her degree from Oxnard College in 2008. As of 2025, she brings 17 years of experience as a dental hygienist. She obtained her Dental Hygiene in Alternative Practice (RDHAP) certification from the University of the Pacific in San Francisco in 2012. In addition, she taught at Oxnard College in the dental assisting program fro 10 years, where she mentored the next generation of dental professionals. Continuing to pursue her dream, Dr. Casillas graduacated from La Salle Bajio University in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico in 2023. She completed one-year internship and officially earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree in 2025.
Outside of her professional life, Dr. Casillas cherishes spending quality time with her husband, Fermin, and finds joy in expressing her cultural roots through ballet folklórico dancing.