President’s Report The

Dear members,

I trust everyone had a restful break and you are looking forward to new beginnings and new hope in the coming year. I am sure many of you would have utilised this opportunity to travel, as I did to see my family in India, which was the first international trip for me since the start of the COVID pandemic. Here’s wishing everyone a very happy and successful 2023. This year at your ADAWA we have hit the ground running in 2023.

I am delighted to advise that we had a tremendous response to the member survey, and preliminary results indicate that overall, more than 80% of members are either satisfied or very satisfied with the Association. The importance of this result, while outstanding, means that Council can now approach the ADAWA strategic planning process, which is scheduled to commence in February, with a high degree of confidence knowing what members want and expect of their Association.

Following on from the governance assessment review undertaken late last year, Council will be inviting the ADAWA Constitution Committee to review the current Rules of the Association (the Constitution) to ensure our governance framework is fit for purpose and will meet the challenges of a growing Association.

At the Council level, I am delighted to welcome Dr Gino Cirillo representing the Dental Health Services of the Public Health Department and replacing Dr Martin Glick. Dr Glick represented the Dental Health Services on Council for over 13 years and his expertise, dedication and wisdom will be greatly missed but we wish him a long and happy retirement.

In these exciting times, we encourage our members to take an active role in the association by participating in the ADAWA committees, as the expressions of interest closed today at 5 pm.

An email for EOI has been sent to all our members but feel free to reach out to our CEO or any of our councillors for further information. Diversity is what drives creativity and innovation and I hope that you can take the opportunity to participate.

At the national level there are also quite a few exciting things in store for members this year. After four long years, the FDI World Dental Congress is returning face-to-face, in Sydney from 24 to 27 September 2023. I am looking forward to an exciting platform that encompasses leading scientific programmes, interactive forums, and the dental exhibition.

Stay tuned for further updates throughout the year and looking forward to an amazing and productive 2023.

Best wishes,