Dear fellow alumni and friends of the School of Dentistry,
We recently returned from the 120th meeting of the West Virginia Dental Association. We would like to extend a special thank you to Ms. Hallie Mason, executive director, Dr. Jay Boyd, president, and the entire WVDA Executive Committee for their leadership, professionalism, and stewardship in guiding our Association in its mission of service and improving the oral health of the people of West Virginia. Congratulations on a wonderful and productive annual session.
Several observations were reinforced during the meeting. One hundred and twenty years is a long history of service for any association. With special thanks to Dr. Bob “Coach” Wanker, author of “The History of the West Virginia Dental Association,” the story of our Association is well documented and preserved for past, current, and future generations. Members from our state have served our profession at every level of leadership across multiple national and international associations in organized dentistry. We should be justifiably proud of our collective legacy of service.
The role of organized dentistry in our profession is significant. It is vital to advancing our dental profession while ensuring public safety in the delivery of oral health care. In sum, organized dentistry promotes education, ethical practice, research, advocacy, and community service. It is integral to patients receiving safe, high-quality oral healthcare while ensuring the growth and development of dental professionals.
The camaraderie surrounding professional meetings always serves to reinforce the importance of relationships. No professional organization can survive in isolation and without member engagement. In addition to the West Virginia Dental Association, our West Virginia University School of Dentistry Alumni Association, West Virginia Dental Hygienists’ Association, WV Board of Dentistry, as well as our University and Health Sciences Center leadership all contribute to the many successes of our School and our students.
Each of us must take seriously our responsibility to steward, grow, and develop our profession. Ensuring the future of our profession requires a personal commitment to engagement, clinical excellence, and high-quality patient care.
Thank you for all you do for our School and especially for our students and those entrusted to our care.
Lead well at every engagement. Glad to be here. Let’s Go!
Stephen Pachuta
Dean