Academy of Dentistry International

I am honored to write to you as the President of ADI. Congratulations go to Dr. Reg Hession AM our Immediate Past President for his dedicated service to the Academy. The economic crisis of past two years have made doing business “as usual” impossible. Traveling around the world from Australia has been a logistical accomplishment in and of itself. Under Reg’s leadership, I am glad to report; ADI has continued to strive to meet our core goals of promoting dental education and supporting oral health needs around the world.

I would like to introduce our other officers to you. Dr. Diampo Lim from Quezon City in the Philippines is the President-Elect. The Vice President for Finance and Administration is Dr. Ramon Baez from San Antonio, Texas USA. Dr. Ernesto Acuña from Mexico City, Mexico is the Vice President for Education and the Vice President for International Affairs is Dr. Gerhard Seeberger who resides in Cagliari, Italy.

Your leadership felt the time was right to address the issues facing us by revisiting, discussing and reprioritizing our future planning agenda. Over the last 18 months, this occurred at the committee level, at the Executive meeting in Osaka, Japan and finally was presented to the Board of Regents in Orlando this past October. I realize that it is a great deal easier to make a list than it is to implement the items on that list. However, without a sound, current strategic plan to guide us, little of substance will be accomplished. We are small group and we have to work diligently to achieve our goals given our fiscal limitations. Over the next few years with the core of leaders we have in place, I fully expect that the items in our planning document will be addressed.

There will be several convocations held in 2011. The Philippine Section kicked things off with their biennial convocation in February. Two convocations occurred in March, one at the IDS in Cologne, Germany on March 26 and the other in Brisbane, Australia on March 30. The latter was in conjunction with the meeting of the Australian Dental Congress. Mexico City will host the FDI in September and the ADI will conduct a convocation and CE symposium on September 14. Finally, the Annual Board of Regents meeting and Convocation was held in Las Vegas prior to the ADA Annual Session. The convocation was held October 5. The European Sections held a convocation on Novembre 25 in Paris France at the time of the ADF Meeting. Please consider nominating worthy candidates for fellowship thus lending your support to the Academy “family”. Our officers and I will team up to represent the Academy at these events.

In the past ten years, I have attended many ADI functions and I am always amazed and impressed by the quality of our members. Clearly, the academy is comprised of high achievers. However, another attribute in the quality category is the dedication of our Fellows to give back to the less fortunate in our world. This is where we shine. It is what makes us unique. I am very proud of ADI and am humbled to have to opportunity to serve as your President.