ADA News

Tempe, Ariz.—Nearly 90 members of the Alliance of the ADA, 18 dentist spouses and eight family members found reasons to smile at the 2010 AADA Conference April 15-18 at The Buttes Resort here.

Sessions during the conference were designed to help attendees "relax, renew and recharge" as they honed their skills in legislative advocacy, membership recruitment, oral health education and well-being.

Responding: April Cobb, a student spouse Alliance member from Houston, enters a vote during "Take Charge of Your Health and Live Life to the Fullest."

"Conference 2010 Tempe was a great success," said Carol Reitz, Alliance president. "We had sunshine, blue skies, education and fun. We tried some new things, and participants learned to handle stress, built in time to renew our friendships and discover new friends while we saw Sedona or had a late night get-together to talk. We strengthened our leadership skills for the legislative arena and discovered how we can best help our ADA partners."

The conference also marked the debut of the Alliance's new logo and message: The Reason to Smile.

"The Alliance is busy encouraging membership recruitment and retention for 2010, and we are discovering news ways to reach and meet the needs of our membership," Mrs. Reitz added. "We have changed our website, we are on Facebook and will start a blog. We may be changing our look but what we all have in common is that we said "I Do" to an ADA dentist and are committed to supporting the dental association and our dental spouses."

Welcome: Alliance of the ADA President Carol Reitz of Reading, Pa., welcomes attendees to the Reason to Smile event.

The conference program kicked off April 16 with an interactive wellness session by Julia Pearl, an Arizona-based wellness consultant. Ms. Pearl had participants use audience response system keypads during the program, "Take Charge of Your Health and Live Life to the Fullest," to vote for the techniques and topics they preferred to focus on during the three-hour session. Later that evening, those attending headed for the poolside for the Reason to Smile Welcome Event.

On April 17, Alliance members welcomed Dr. Paul Gosar, a Flagstaff, Ariz., general dentist and candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives; Dr. Mark V. Walker, chair, ADA Council on Governmental Affairs; and Dr. Denny Zent, American Dental Political Action Committee treasurer; to a legislative advocacy breakfast.

Members also attended a membership recruitment program and a dental health education session that covered maternal and infant dental health, "meth" (methamphetamine) mouth and an update on the Senior Smiles program.

Alliance members also honored nine "new reasons to smile," with AADA's Beulah K. Spencer New Member Service Awards. Honorees are Alliance members of 10 years or less whose overall involvement, commitment and volunteer efforts are making a significant impact. Spencer award winners include:

• Stacey Butler, Millville, Utah;
• Requil Golbek, Broken Arrow, Okla.;
• Jean Harrington, Milledgeville, Ga.;
• Maralyn Hauer, Tucson, Ariz.;
• Karen Mantoan, Chicago Heights, Ill.;
• Joann Richard, Lititz, Pa.;
• Kaleena Shreeve, Gilbert, Ariz.;
• Dr. Brenda Valliere, Fort Wayne, Ind.;
• Claudia Williams, Canton, Ohio.

The awards are sponsored by ADA Insurance Plans underwritten by Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Co.

Other conference activities included a student spouse forum, the Constituent Presidents' Gala and a silent auction to benefit the Alliance's Foundation for Dental Health Education.

For the latest on Alliance activities or to join or renew membership, visit the AADA website: www.allianceada.org.