Dr. Whitley graduated with honors from Bridgewater College near Harrisonburg, Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley. He received a bachelor of science degree with a pre-dental major. He obtained a doctorate in dentistry from Virginia Commonwealth University Dental School in Richmond, Virginia. He was commissioned a captain in the United States Army Dental Corp. and served a tour in the Republic of South Vietnam. There, he participated in dental missions to villages around Bien Hoa. He returned to the United States and in 1979 he established a wellness focused family dental practice in Fredericksburg, VA on the banks of the Rappahannock River.

Mrs. Gloria Whitley is an RN and graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University Nursing School. She is a sonographer for Bethany Christian Services. They raised four children, two boys and two girls-Brian,Nathan, Evan, and Anna. As a family they have served  as short term dental missionaries in Haiti and Honduras.