President's Inaugural Message

from President Carol Reitz at the AADA House of Delegates, Honolulu, Hawaii

"I truly believe that our Success is based on our Relationships!"

"I Do" Dr. John and Carol Reitz

Alliance members and guests, it is with  much appreciation and deep honor that I stand before you as President of the Alliance of the American Dental Association. With the greatest admiration for our leaders who have been in this position before me, I can say I have some mighty "Big Shoes" to fill. This year our membership council coined the phrase "Find the Shoe that fits!" Cinderella once said "The right shoe can change your life." Well, I have tried on many shoes in the Alliance and I can honestly say each and every one of those shoes has changed my life for the better! And this fairy tale all began because I said "I Do" to my prince charming, John, who is an ADA dentist. But, I would not have stayed involved if I did not believe in the importance and the impact the Alliance makes to organized dentistry and for our dental families.

The Alliance, as well as many other volunteer organizations, is suffering in the area of membership. For this reason, the AADA board has gone through strategic planning and identified six focus areas we addressed this year and will continue to address for the coming year. They are to (1) evaluate the relevance of our current mission statement*, (2) develop and implement an effective recruitment and retention campaign, (3) evaluate the need and effectiveness of all alliance meetings, create programming designed to best serve and develop our membership, (4) identify current and potential membership benefits, (5) evaluate all communications including the website, logo, newsletter, and brochures, and (6) develop a plan to update AADA membership records. The Alliance has a busy but exciting year ahead. We are seeing possibilities . . . thinking outside the box, building on our past with our previous leadership, and encouraging and mentoring our future leaders.

AADA has much to smile about:

• On the grass roots level, we have doubled the American Dental Association's effect in the legislative arena with sending alerts and visiting our congressmen. We have increased membership in ADPAC (American Dental Political Action Committee) and our state pacs.
  
  
• We have signed onto coalitions for tobacco and meth mouth bills. We have been working with the AMA (American Medical Association) on the Stomp Out program to stop smoking in the movies.
  
  
• AADA has oral health projects in our communities throughout the United States that range from cradle to grave. For instance, there are "Baby Bottle Mouth" pamphlets, brush and floss programs, the GKAS (Give Kids a Smile) program, Dipper Dan and Meth Mouth Mary presentations, and our Senior Smiles program!

Yes, we have much to smile about, but as your president, I cannot wave a magic wand and make all our dreams for the future of the AADA come true. It is going to take all of us to roll up our sleeves and get to work. Membership is not the responsibility of only the council on membership or the members of the AADA board . . . it is the responsibility of all of us together.

*AADA MISSION STATEMENT*

approved by the House of Delegates

October 4, 2009

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