Regent Report

Greetings,

The ACD 2017 Annual Meeting and Convocation was held in Atlanta, Georgia October 18th and 19th. The ACD Board of Regents met prior to meeting. The Board recognized outgoing Executive Director Dr. Stephen A. Ralls on his retirement for his many years of service to the ACD and welcomed incoming Executive Director Dr. Theresa S. Gonzalez who previously served as a Regent-at-Large for three years. Dr. Ralls will now serve on the ACD Board as our new Vice-President.

It has been my great privilege and pleasure to be working with the New England Section’s very own Dr. Robert Faiella, past ADA-President, and Regent-at-Large on the Board. Dr. Faiella’s extensive experience in organized dentistry, as well as his business background, make him an invaluable member of the Board of Regents.

The highlights from the Board of Regents meeting included a review of our sound financial budgetary condition, new management software, a new updated website that soon be online, and a number of committee updates and reports. The Board also welcomed four new members. The ACD Foundation Board reported that our finances are in good order. In that regard, the ACD is grateful to the New England Section for their donation to the ACD Silent Auction which benefits the Foundation.

Wednesday was highlighted by a special ethics course and the Fellows Forum with an interactive session on ethics facilitated by the ACD editor, Dr. David Chambers. On Thursday the business meeting and orientation for new Fellows was followed by the Keynote Presentation by Dr. Terry Paulson. That preceded the highlight of the meeting: the Convocation and Induction of the new Fellows. Welcome and congratulations to the ten new Fellows inducted from the New England Section. Finally, on Friday morning, many of the Board of Regents members met for breakfast with leaders and attendees of the Student Professionalism and Ethics Association (SPEA), who were in Atlanta for their annual meeting as well.

This past year has given me the opportunity to do quite a bit of traveling visiting the Sections in Regency 1, attending meetings and events as well as dental school SPEA/Ethics events.. However the highlight of my ACD year continues to be my visits to Boston for the Regency 1 Leadership Conference during “The Yankee”, attended by Regency 1 Section officers and SPEA students. This year ACD President Dr. Dick Stilwill will be in attendance as well as President-Elect and former Regency 1 Regent Dr. Tom Connolly, new ACD Executive Director Dr. Gonzalez, and Dr. Faiella. The January 27th conference follows a Friday evening social dinner and precedes the NE Section Annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon. Please consider attending this wonderful event.

Following the luncheon, I would encourage attending another in a series of courses that have been sponsored by the New England Section at Yankee dealing with ethical considerations. The course is entitled “Risk Management and Ethical Clinical Decision Making: It’s Important”. The panel discussion will be moderated by 2018 NE Section Chair Dr. Paul Farsai.

It has been my great privilege, pleasure, and honor to have worked with the Board of the ACD New England Section these past few years, especially Chair Dr. Paula K. Friedman, as I begin my last year as Regent for ACD Regency 1. I look forward to seeing many of you in Boston in January.

Respectfully submitted,

Mark A. Bauman, DDS, FACD
ACD Regent, Regency 1