Association Activities

Santa’s Helpers

NYSDA STAFF gave Santa a helping hand in 2021 by “adopting” a needy family of five through the Albany County Department of Social Services Adopt a Family program. Staff purchased items from a gift list provided by Social Services, then wrapped each item for delivery in time for Christmas, in the hopes of spreading cheer during a season upended by the pandemic.

Eighth District Installs New Executive Director

THE EIGHTH DISTRICT Dental Society has a new executive director. John D. Craig, Ph.D., assumed the post Nov. 1 following the retirement of Executive Director Chris Kilmecko.

John D. Craig

John Craig educational institutions in the region for over 30 years, most recently as a project manager at O/N BOCES in adult education. Prior to that he served as a consultant and executive director for the Niagara Frontier Industry Education Council.

An educational specialist and Western New York native, Dr. Craig has worked at various

Dr. Craig is a Navy veteran with an A.A.S. degree from Niagara County Community College, a B.S. in Commerce and M.S. in Business Education from Niagara University and Ph.D. in Education Administration from the University at Buffalo. He has spent the majority of his career creating educational services and programs of impact that support educators, students, families and institutions, as well as community agencies, business and industry.

NYS Dental Foundation Presents Excellence Awards

AT ITS “RETURN TO EXCELLENCE” awards brunch, held in conjunction with the 2021 Annual Meeting of the NYSDA House of Delegates, the New York State Dental Foundation honored the following for achievements in the fields of academics, community service and research:

• SUNY Broome Community College Dental Hygiene Program (Academics).

• Dennis A. Mitchell, D.D.S., M.P.H., vice provost for faculty advancement, Columbia University, and former director, Harlem component, Community DentCare Network for Columbia (Community Service).

• Jayanth Kumar, D.D.S., M.P.H., California State Dental Director and former New York State Dental Director (Research). An additional award was presented posthumously to Dr. Mark Bauman, who at the time of his death was a member of the NYSDF Board. To honor his legacy, the foundation created “Smiles for All,” a project dedicated to raising funds to support programs to help veterans and/or people with disabilities receive necessary dental treatment. Information about “Smiles for All” is provided on the foundation website, www.nysdentalfoundation.org.

In Memoriam

NEW YORK COUNTY

Regus Teodoro Foreign Dental School 232 Sherman Avenue, #24 New York, NY 10034 September 27, 2021

SECOND DISTRICT

Martin Abelson Howard University ‘52 14720 N Shotgun Place Tucson, AZ 85755 March 31, 2021

FOURTH DISTRICT

James Byrne Temple University ‘68 454 Maple Avenue Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 October 9, 2021

SIXTH DISTRICT

Richard Gardner University at Buffalo ‘70 1825 Mooringline Drive Vero Beach, FL 32963 April 23, 2020

SEVENTH DISTRICT

Robert Berkowitz University at Buffalo ‘72 40 Tobey Court Pittsford, NY 14534 November 3, 2021

EIGHTH DISTRICT

John Asaro University at Buffalo ‘73 44713 Longfellow Avenue Temecula, CA 92592 March 24, 2020

Edward Boyczuk Temple University ‘84 1947 Ridge Road West Seneca, NY 14224 December 15, 2021

Anthony Grana University at Buffalo ‘54 20303 Sterling Pines Spring, TX 77379 November 21, 2021

Robert Sippel Georgetown University ‘55 232 Cerromar Way S. Venice, FL 32963 April 24, 2020

Robert Wagner Georgetown University ‘59 66 Meadowbrook Road Orchard Park, NY 14127 December 2, 2021

NINTH DISTRICT

Arnold Reisfeld Columbia University ‘67 413 Grand Boulevard Scarsdale, NY 10583 October 22, 2021

Donald Scharoff New York University ‘54 2 Candlewood Road Scarsdale, NY 10583 April 18, 2020

NASSAU COUNTY

Mark J. Feldman Tufts University ‘73 5 Vanad Drive, Roslyn, NY 11576 November 25, 2021

James Alongi University of Medicine and Dentistry-New Jersey ‘79 40 Hilton Avenue Garden City, NY 11530 November 27, 2021

QUEENS COUNTY

William Burke New York University ‘80 46 Rockaway Avenue Rockville Centre, NY 11570 August 23, 2021

Eli Landau New York University ‘81 141-12 72 Crescent Kew Garden Hills, NY 11367 April 5, 2020

SUFFOLK COUNTY

Lloyd Simonsen University at Buffalo ‘85 187 N Ontario Street Ronkonkoma, NY 11779 May 22, 2020

Paul Sullivan Tufts University ‘77 14 Renwick Avenue Huntington, NY 11743 April 28, 2020