ALPHA ON THE MOVE
N
ATIONAL DENTAL ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT IS ADVOCATE FOR THE UNDER-SERVED
Brother Joseph S. Gay
"What a pity if you lived your whole life and nobody even noticed." Such is the philosophy of Brother Dr. Joseph Gay. Brother Gay has been noticed and honored by his peers in the prestigious National Dental Association (NDA) where they elected him to serve as their 73rd president, and by Alpha Phi Alpha where he has been noted as an "Alpha on the Move." Brother Gay has practiced family dentistry in the Carol City area of Miami for twenty-four years.
He has been an NDA member since 1973, the year he graduated from Howard University College of Dentistry. While he was in dental school, he was a member of the Student National Dental Association (SNDA). Brother Gay has served as General Local Convention Chair twice-in 1986 (Miami), and in 1993 (Boca Raton). He served as member of the House of Delegates, then he was elected Vice-Speaker of the House, a position he held for five years. Brother Gay was elected Speaker of the House of Delegates and served in that capacity for three years. Last year, at the annual NDA Convention, he was unanimously elected to the office of President. Brother Gay is the son of Reverend Samuel L. Gay, Sr. and the late Inell Howell Gay. He has been married for twenty-seven years to his college sweetheart, the former Sandra Darlene Meriwether. They are the proud parents of three children, Nona Elissa, a graduate of Howard University, Joseph Sirdastion, a 1998 graduate of Hampton University, and Veronica Denise, a junior at Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. Brother Gay was born and raised in Miami, where he attendAFRICAN-AMEJUCAN HISTORY EDITION
ed local schools, He is a proud graduate of Miami Northwestern High School He graduated from Knoxville College, Knoxville, Tennessee with a B.S. in Biology. Brother Gay was initiated into Knoxville College's Gamma Omicron Chapter in 1967. He later enrolled at Howard University College of Dentistry, in Washington, D C. While at Howard, he was awarded for excellence in oral diagnosis. Since returning to Miami in 1973, Brother Gay has been very active with Beta Beta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He served as Dean of Pledges for four years, vicepresident, and two terms as president. Brother Gay was named Alpha Man of the Year in 1983. He received the Nathaniel Colston Award of Excellence in 1993- He has been a member of the Dade County Dental Society since 1973- He served two terms as president. He has been a member of the Florida State Medical, Dental, and Pharmaceutical Association since 1973- Brother Gay served this group for five years as speaker of the House. In 1984, he chaired the organization's state meeting in Miami. In 1982, he served as president of the Dade County Academy of Medicine, a group whose membership included physicians, dentists, and pharmacists. He is a member of Alpha Rho Boule of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Inc. He is also a member of St. Paul A.M.E. Church, where he serves on the Steward Board. Brother Gay is a member of the Majestic and Mass Choirs and the Male Chorus, where he serves as a class leader. As president, Brother Gay is continuing the 85-year history of the NDA, serving as the dental advocate for the under-served and promoting the concerns of the African-American dentist. Special emphasis is being placed on mentorship, increasing membership and financial stability. The NDA represents more than 7,000 dentists in the United States, the Caribbean and abroad. In May of 1998, Brother Gay received the Alumni Achievement Award from the Howard University College of Dentistry for outstanding service to the community and the profession of dentistry.