Letter from the President
I am pleased and honored to be able to serve as President of New York State’s Fourth District in 2008. This will mark my fifth year on the Board of Directors, and I have enjoyed every minute of my tenure. My work on the board has become an integral part of my professional life.
My years on the board have given me a clearer understanding of the benefits of organized dentistry. This is a group of very dedicated, hard working professionals. From the beginning, I have always been impressed with the manner in which meetings are run and the organization of the Saratoga Dental Congress. For years under the leadership of Bob Westcott and recently Kirk Gleason, we have seen the Fourth District continue on a path of progress. We are 425 members strong, and we have the highest membership percentage in the state at 82%! The Fourth District is very solvent financially, allowing us to provide benefits to our members and to the community.
A lot of thanks and praise goes to outgoing president Jonathan Schutze for his calm leadership and hard work throughout the year. This was an eventful year for Jonathan in guiding our district and becoming a father of twin boys. That was a great achievement. We all owe a great deal of thanks to outgoing Governor, Fred Wetzel. For eight years, he has been working non-stop and wearing many hats. The Fourth District will be well represented by current Governor, Mark Bauman and new Governor, Jim Galati. Their commitment of time away from their practice is huge. Their voices will be heard in countless hours at state and national meetings.
I look forward to working with our new officers for 2008. Jim Condry, Dave Parsons, Tamara Dunlap, and John Ida. I thank all the representatives on the board and component societies for the time and work that they contribute. Lastly, I cannot say enough about our Executive Director, Kirk Gleason and our Assistant to the Executive Director, Nancy Hess. With their endeavor, you can look forward to greater communications and outreach to our members and the public. Information will become even more readily available with upcoming website improvements and the fine responsiveness of our district office.
Woodrow Wilson said, “ Power consists in one’s capacity to link his will with the purpose of others, to lead by reason and a gift of cooperation.” It is because of the aforementioned people, other board members and the officers of the branch societies that will allow me to lead the Fourth District effectively.
We may all look forward to another great year of continuing education courses in 2008 sponsored by the Fourth District and organized once again by Dr. John McCambley. He has put together a diverse and engaging series of courses featuring Dr. Tim Donley, Dr. Robert Zeitlin, and Dr. Martin Goldstein speaking on topics from periodontal treatment, oral surgery, and cosmetic dentistry. More information may be found on our website.
Don’t forget to mark your calendar: May 22 and 23 our very own Saratoga Dental Congress will once again be held at the Saratoga City Center in Saratoga Springs. We are very fortunate to have an intimate venue like the City Center in which to present nationally and internationally known speakers of the highest quality. This year the featured speakers will include Dr. John Molinari, possibly the foremost expert in pharmacology in dentistry, giving an infection control update. This is sure to be a great program for the entire staff. Dr. Molinari rolls up his sleeves and delivers useful information you can bring back to the office and use in your daily life. Also scheduled on that Thursday, Robin Wright presents her popular presentation on communication skills in the dental office, and Patti DiGangi will talk about current trends in periodontal therapy for the hygienists.
On Friday, the featured speaker will be Dr. Gerard Kugel, the highly respected clinician and lecturer from Tufts University. He will present an update on esthetic dentistry. This will be valuable information for the clinical team. Rounding out the day is an expert on ergonomics in dentistry. Bethany Valachi , a physical therapist and well known lecturer will inform us of methods to practice without a “pain in the back “.
The dental marketplace will be available with over fifty vendors. So remember to save your orders and shop at the Saratoga Dental Congress. This year’s raffle should entice everyone to take a chance at winning one of two prizes, a large flat screen TV or a two-night package at the Mirror Lake Inn in Lake Placid. The proceeds will help support the Upper Hudson Hygiene Association’s Infant Oral Health Care Kits, which are distributed to local hospitals.
Our fall meeting this year will once again be held at the wonderful Mirror Lake Inn in beautiful Lake Placid. This is a great weekend venue for fine dining and recreation. Join us for a little continuing education, golf, cooking instruction, shopping, or just relax by the lake.
One of my goals in 2008 is to work with the Executive Director’s office in its effort to reach out to non-members and reinvigorate the more stagnant component groups within our district. I hope to see many of you at local meetings. I believe that it is vital to our organization that the local component societies remain active in order for our district to thrive and continue to be heard and to be effective at the state and national levels of our professional organization.
The past two years I have attended the annual ADA meeting as an alternate delegate. Through the efforts of our Governors and leaders like ADA President, Dr. Mark Feldman from New York State, we can expect great things to come. In the wake of some negative press in a New York Times article, and the Alaskan debacle, we need dentists like Dr. Feldman to advocate for our good image. I would like to see our society be pro-active and communicate to our communities about the charitable services that our district, or individuals within our district provide.
Lastly, I would like to echo NYSDA’s president Dr.Stephen Gold’s desire to increase awareness for special needs patients. Dr. Gold is an excellent spokesman for access to care issues in our state and in our country. He has been busy developing a pediatric dental course for the general dentist. Look for its arrival in 2008.
Best Wishes and Good Health to Everyone,
Richard L. Dunham D.M.D.