The quest for excellence comes in all shapes and sizes, and is demonstrated in professional fields across the board by people we know and those we have yet to meet. Our lives are touched daily by those who strive for excellence, yet few of us can honestly say we have a ‘Whatever,Whenever’ attitude. Dr. Tito Norris, orthodontist, business consultant and environmentalist has that attitude.

Originally from Kingsville, Texas, Dr. Robert ‘Tito’ Norris graduated in 1988 from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Biology and Mechanical Engineering. With aspirations of being an orthodontist he continued his education at San Antonio’s University of Texas Health Science Center and graduated in 1992. Norris then moved to Washington D.C. to be with his wife Simone who was there on scholarship from the U.S. Air Force doing her medical residency. He pursued a general practice residency, then a residency in orthodontics at Howard University. Tito and Simone were finishing their studies simultaneously when she was given orders to continue her Air Force work in Japan. In order to be with his wife, Norris joined the Air Force and moved them to Misawa Air Base where he served as chief of orthodontics until they returned to San Antonio in 1998.

Dr. Norris opened Stone Oak Ortho in July of 1999 after much preliminary research and work. As a result of his research he realized that he had a lot of valuable information at his disposal that would be of use in the future to residents still in training. Norris realized that information such as business models, financial studies and loan proposals should not have to be re-created from ground zero every time a new physician wanted to open their own office. This learning module caught the eye of 3M and Norris was quickly enlisted as a consultant for the company wherein he traveled extensively on their behalf and held intensive business training sessions where he shared his newly acquired learnings with residents around the country.

Since starting his practice in ‘99, Dr. Norris has learned how to incorporate his mechanical engineering studies into the field of orthodontics. After having braces while in college, it became apparent to him that the mechanics of both fields are closely related. This realization enabled him to further his lecturing genres and he now serves as a consultant for Invisalign braces where he teaches other orthodontists advanced techniques. Additionally, Norris is one of eight members in the world that sit on Invisalign’s advisory board guiding the company in the most beneficial business direction. Because of the ability to demonstrate his business acumen, medical accomplishments and wide array of orthodontic knowledge, in 2004 Dr. Norris joined the elite group of roughly 20 percent of practicing orthodontists to be certified by the American Board of Orthodontics.

Aside from his professional accomplishments, Dr Norris is also environmentally conscious and strives daily to do as much as he can to support the cause. His office utilizes programmable thermostats, recycles as much of their product waste as permitted and even distributes cloth grocery tote bags to every patient in effort to minimize plastic and paper consumption while shopping. The Stone Oak office is the first dental practice in San Antonio to utilize windtricity, provided through City Public Service, as its power source. As if all this were not impressive enough, Dr. Norris has also opened an all electric car dealership in the lobby of San Antonio Auto Spa, also environmentally friendly, where he is an investor. ZAP (Zero Air Pollution) Cars of San Antonio boasts all-electric-plug-in cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs. Norris is working feverishly to sell the concept to local universities, public utility services and residents of San Antonio who strive to make a positive change for our environment.

When asked what matters most, Dr. Norris has a menagerie of things to choose from for his answer, yet his answer is simple: his children. Admitting that he has more than enough on his plate right now he says, “Staying focused and striving for excellence” is what keeps him motivated. This multifaceted individual holds not only himself to a high standard but also everyone involved in his life. His family is encouraged to be the best it can be and his office staff works with him instead of for him. They are all encouraged to assist in his effort to make a positive impact on each patient with whom they interact. Excellence in all you do is not just a saying in their office, it is a tangible thing that is demonstrated daily through their interaction with everyone that crosses their doorway. He relishes the knowledge that through their professional skills he and his staff are able to change people’s concept of themselves. He is able to delve deeper into each patient’s life by connecting with the person on a deeper level than just his or her teeth.

Given the opportunity to provide one word that accurately reflects his quest for excellence Dr. Norris’s answer will not surprise: touch, literally and figuratively.

Touching people’s lives is what he does best. Be it through a pat on the back or a random act of kindness demonstrated through his ‘whatever,whenever’ persona, he acknowledges an overwhelming sense of clarity in the fact that we are all here on this planet for a limited amount of time. Our goal should be simple: touch lives in the best way we know how.