This has been an exciting year for the American Association of Women Dentists. It has truly been an honor and a pleasure to serve as president of AAWD this year. Serving in this capacity gave me the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people. My travels took me throughout the country from Boston, Mass., in January for the Massachusetts Dental Society Women’s Leadership Task Force, to Scottsdale, Ariz., in October for Nobel Biocare’s first Women’s Leadership Forum.
In January, Dr. Sheri Doniger was appointed editor of our journal, Woman Dentist Journal. Sheri had held the position of editor for AAWD’s “Chronicle” prior to the appointment and currently serves as editor of both the “Chronicle” and Woman Dentist Journal. She has done an outstanding job as you have seen this year.
Our national headquarters, under the leadership of Debbie Gidley and staff, moved to another location in Chicago in February. As executive director, Debbie and Gidley Management Group have provided exemplary services for our association.
We also held a stand-alone annual session, our first in recent years, in Chicago last July. Our plans are to hold the annual session in Chicago every other year and at a resort during the odd-numbered years. In 2007, our meeting will be at the Cheyenne Resort in Colorado Springs, Colo.
One thing that did not change this year was our Installation Dinner, held in October in Las Vegas. AAWD’s 2007 officers are: President Lanette Sikes, DDS; President-elect Lilia Larin, DDS; Vice President Stephanie Houseman, DMD; Secretary Laura Murcko, DMD; and Treasurer Judith Belitz, DDS. AAWD began meeting during the Amercian Dental Association’s annual session 85 years ago and has continued the tradition.
Also during the ADA’s annual session, Kathleen Roth, DDS, was installed as the second female president in the history of the ADA. This was a historic event and we express our sincerest congratulations to our new ADA president.
The success that AAWD experienced this year would not have occurred without you, our membership; our 2006 officers (Drs. Sikes, Larin, Houseman, Murcko, and Furusho); our 2006 Board of Directors (Drs. Mary Beth Reidy, Mary Martin, Cissy Furusho, Margaret Scarlett, Trucia Drummond, Mary Jo Corbett, Jean Furuyama, Hazel Harper, Natasha Kuiper, Judith Belitz, and Jennifer Biter); our executive director, Debbie Gidley, and her staff; and our corporate sponsors (DENTSPLY International, Nobel Biocare, PennWell Corporation, Procter & Gamble, Sullivan-Schein Dental, Penn Security Bank & Trust, 3M ESPE, CrossTex International, GEICO Direct, KaVo Dental Corporation, Kodak Dental Systems, National Dentex Corporation, Patterson Dental Company, and SunStar Butler). To all of you, I express my heartfelt gratitude. Happy Holidays to all!
Sandra Harris, DDS
