ACD NEWS FALL 2025
vol. 54 | no.4
American College of Dentists
PRESIDENT’S FORUM
Welcome to our New Fellows!
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Terry L. Norris, President
t is my privilege to serve our Fellows as the President of the College, and I am excited that this issue is going to an additional 345 Fellows who were inducted into the College on October 24th in Washington DC. Fellowship in the College comes with a responsibility to uphold and further the Mission of the
College. The College is here to walk alongside you in your field whether it be academic or clinical, and your presence and work will only add to the College. Your presence only strengthens the College and adds to its 105-year history of being the leader in dentistry in Excellence, Ethics, Leadership and Professionalism. Welcome.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
Getting to Know the ACD Michael A. Graham
Welcome, new Fellows of the American College of Dentists! Your years of hard work and dedication to the profession, as well as the leadership roles you have played, have earned you this high honor. PLAY ORIENTATION VIDEO
For all of us, our orientation video presented during the business meeting contains so much information that we have included it in this email for anyone wishing for an ACD refresher. In addition, I strongly encourage
all Fellows to read all our emails, the JACD, and the ACD News. We work hard to bring you timely, relevant information that you can use as a Fellow and a professional, and we hope you will continue to engage with us at the highest levels. As we begin to wind down the year, we are grateful for your enthusiasm, engagement, and excitement! Thank you for advancing our mission.
Fall 2025 Board Meeting Highlights The Board of Regents met for a day and a half before the annual meeting. Highlights include: • From the Education Committee: The new learning management system will roll out in December and January with resource bundles and a for-credit course on the new Ethics Handbook. • From the Communications Team: The Journal of the American College of Dentists (JACD) will soon be indexed on ADA Commons, and a text-to-voice feature has been added.
Kevin Haney Regent for Regency 6 Oklahoma
LaJuan Hall Regent for Regency 7 Northern California
Carol Summerhays At Large Regent Utah
Bianca Zero Regent Intern Washington
• From the Sections Committee: The Model Section Designation and the Section Achievement Award applications have been updated and are ready to relaunch. New Board members for 2026 shadowed their outgoing counterparts and were warmly welcomed by the current Board members. Joining the Board in 2026 are Kevin Haney (Regency 6), LaJuan Hall (Regency 7), Carol Summerhays (At Large), and Bianca Zero (Regent Intern). As they rotate off the Board, we thank Kristi Soileau, Ned Nix, Krista Jones, and Josh Bussard for their hard work and dedication!
In this Issue President’s Forum Executive Director’s Message Board Meeting Highlights Editor’s Corner ACD’s Fourth Mission Pillar Images from the Annual Meeting ACD 2025 Highlight: Regency Dinners News of Fellows and Sections Bulletin Board 2 | ACD News | Fall 2025
CONTACT ACD News is published by: American College of Dentists 103 North Adams Street, Rockville, MD 20850 301-977-3223 | office@acd.org | acd.org Michael A. Graham, Executive Director Suzan Pitman, Program Director Matthew Sheriff, Communications Director Tylor Davis, Social Media Coordinator Send address changes to: ACD News 103 North Adams Street, Rockville, MD 20850 or e-mail office@acd.org
JACD
The Official Journal of the American College of Dentists
Editor’s Corner Toni Roucka, DDS, RN, MA
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We love hearing from our readers! The JACD invites letters to the editor sharing your thoughts on recently published pieces or suggesting topics you’d like to see explored in future issues. Your insights help shape the conversations that matter most to our profession. Please send submissions to editor@acd.edu. We’re also enhancing your reading experience— each featured article now includes an integrated text-and-audio option, making it easy to listen while you work, commute, or multitask.
Finally, a heartfelt thank you to everyone who responded to our call for manuscripts for the upcoming Winter 2026 Humanities-Themed Special Issue being produced in collaboration with the National Collaborative on Humanities and Ethics in Dentistry (NCHED). The enthusiasm and creativity we received were remarkable. Look for this special issue in January 2026, celebrating the intersections of ethics and the humanities in dentistry.
Submissions to JACD and feedback from Fellows are always welcome. Please send correspondence to editor@acd.org. See you in the next issue!
ACD’s Fourth Mission Pillar: Leadership The College, always known for promoting ethics, has recently turned to developing its fourth pillar, leadership.
Cynthia Jetter
This year, the ACD provided 25 scholarships for Fellows to participate in the Sweet Spot Leadership program. This hybrid program gives successful participants a certificate in Human-Centered Leadership and is a PACE provider. Over the coming year, we will feature the experiences of this first cohort of participants and keep you updated on our progress in providing leadership training and opportunities to our Fellows.
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he first time that I heard Dr. Sreenivas Koka lecture was during the Fellows Forum at the ACD annual meeting in New Orleans. It was clear Dr. Koka has unique insights into what makes a great leader, and I wanted to learn more from him. When I discovered the Sweet Spot Leader program and that one of the faculty was Dr. Koka I immediately wanted to participate in this training. In addition to Dr. Koka, there are multiple accomplished coaches from various industries who are available to participants in small group sessions as well as individual coaching. The format of the Sweet Spot Leader program is a combination of self-paced and scheduled group coaching sessions, which allow me to fit this valuable training into my already busy
schedule. The training program is scheduled over a long enough time period to allow for in depth reflection of the material, and immediate application of the information as it is learned. I started the Sweet Spot Leader training in July and in that short time I have acquired a new perspective surrounding leadership and the skills required to encourage and guide my team so each of them reaches their full potential. In today’s competitive environment, it is crucial to develop our team members so that they feel a sense of belonging, with the ultimate goal of minimizing staff turnover. Minimizing staff turnover propels our teams from good to great.
– Cynthia Jetter, New Jersey ACD News | Fall 2025 | 3
Mike Graham, Master of Ceremonies.
2025 Board of Regents and Past Presidents.
Images from the 2025 Annual Meeting and Convocation in Washington, DC. 2025 President Robert Faiella
Convocation Smiles!
ACD Fellowship Class of 2025!
The Mace and Torch presented by Maria Smith and Charles Silvius.
2025 Award Winners.
Kristi Soileau, outgoing Regent for Regency 6 and LSU SPEA students at the Annual Meeting and Convocation.
Robert Plage, Shamik Vakil, Janet Guthmiller, and Awardee Mike Roberts at the 2025 ACD Convocation.
Terry Norris delivered a moving President Elect’s Address.
Texas SPEA Students and ACD Texas Chair Wayne Radwanski.
William R. Bachand (Georgia Section) was presented with the Model Section Recognition by Col. Pete Guevara.
Lajuan Hall, Regent, Regency 7 and Fallyn Freije, SPEA National Chair.
ACD 2025 HIGHLIGHT
Regency Dinners “ The Regency dinners are a valuable addition to the Annual Session as they provide an opportunity to connect with long-time and new Fellows in an intimate setting.”
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– Dr. Robert Lamb, Past President
his year’s ACD 2025 Annual Meeting featured new initiatives, a record number of newly inducted Fellows, and the creation of new traditions. One of the most exciting highlights was the launch of the Regency Dinners.
with them, and I want each person there to feel celebrated as we enjoy Fellowship.” The ACD staff recognized the value of Fellows having the chance to connect within their regencies and initiated a dinner for all eight regencies in 2025.
The Regency Dinner was introduced by former Regency 8 Regent Lance Rucker and Regent Robin Henderson at the 2024 Annual Meeting in New Orleans. When asked about the inspiration behind the dinner, Dr. Henderson explained, “It was Dr. Rucker’s idea based on his great experiences with the British Columbia Section dinners in the past.” Additionally, Dr. Henderson shared that her top priorities during the Regency dinner were “for those who attend to know that I am excited to share the evening
Many new and current Fellows attended their Regency Dinner at ACD 2025. Dr. Robert Lamb, Past President, attended his Regency 6 dinner and shared, “The Regency dinners are a valuable addition to the Annual Session as they provide an opportunity to connect with long-time and new Fellows in an intimate setting.” As the College continues to grow, it is essential we find ways to maintain camaraderie and foster a strong sense of community that aligns with the mission of the College.
6 | ACD News | Fall 2025
Making a Difference, One Exceptional Colleague at a Time
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he first pillar of ACD’s mission is Excellence. Recognizing excellence through nominating exceptional colleagues is part of furthering our mission—to advance excellence, ethics, professionalism, and leadership in oral healthcare.
The heartfelt nominator stories below reflect how meaningful it is to be recognized by those you admire. Nominations for ACD 2026 in Santa Barbara, California, are due February 1, 2026. Who will you recognize? Carlos Smith nominated me for the ACD. When Carlos explained what ACD means to him, I knew this was a professional group I wanted to join. Over the years, Carlos and I have collaborated on papers, professional panels, and most recently a research study. When someone moves from being a colleague to being a friend to being like family, this strikes me a rare turn in professional spaces, especially in academic dentistry. And when that person asks to nominate you for an organization like ACD, it means the world. Carlos has created an amazing opportunity for me, and I look forward to my years of membership in ACD and doing exactly what Carlos did for me: extend an invitation to someone who is not only an esteemed colleague but also a true friend. If ACD is intended to support true fellowship among dentists, the future is bright for our profession. Eleanor Fleming, Maryland Section I am deeply honored to have been nominated for Fellowship in the American College of Dentists by Karl Zeren and Jay Shires. It is humbling, as they are two of the finest clinicians— and finest people—I have ever worked with. To know they consider me in their company is profoundly meaningful. A periodonScott Nawy tist and a restorative dentist; they make me a better orthodontist and strengthened my ability to care for my patients. Their friendship, mentorship, and constant dedication to doing what is best for the patient continue to inspire me. I’m so blessed they are here to share in this special moment. Scott Nawy, Maryland Section
I had the honor of being nominated by William Bell, whom I consider a friend, colleague and mentor. A few years ago, I found my passion in teaching and working with dental students. He has always been very supportive of my journey in education, offering advice, assistance and encourWilliam Bell and agement. Dr. Bell has a fierce Stephen Perez passion for ethics, organized dentistry, and ensuring student success, qualities I find in myself as well. Last year he started a SPEA chapter at LECOM and it is currently the only active SPEA chapter in the state of Florida. I feel very fortunate to be working side by side with such a dedicated and kind professional. Stephen T. Perez, Florida Section Jessica Meeske has been a mentor of mine for over twenty years. Our relationship began when I was attending undergraduate school and was deciding between a career in medicine or dentistry. After shadowing her in her pediatric dental practice, I quickly knew that was the path for me. Upon my acceptance to dental school, she opened her home to me for the summer so I could live close to and work in her practice to get experience as a sterilization technician and dental assistant. Fast forward to the year 2010, in which we became practice partners all those years later. I have been in private practice for over 15 years and have learned so much about dentistry, owning a business, and being a leader inside and outside of your practice from her. She is a wonderful colleague and dear friend, and I want to thank her for this nomination! Holly Randone, Nebraska Section Darwin Hayes is a colleague and friend. We worked together while he served as the Dental Director for New Jersey. During my tenure as the Dental Director of the New Jersey Medicaid Program, I shared an overview of Medicaid, details specific to the New Jersey Program, collaborations established in New Jersey, and Bonnie Stanley partnerships with national organizations. I was truly surprised and honored that he nominated me and presented my accomplishments for consideration by the American College of Dentists. As a state employee who typically serves the public in the background, I am humbled to be recognized and appreciative. Thank you, Dr. Hayes! Bonnie Stanley, New Jersey Section ACD News | Fall 2025 | 7
News of Fellows and Sections
ACD and SPEA enjoying a lecture and activity by Vice President Ned Nix at the launch of Ontario Section’s Pillars Pod. Way to go Ontario!
Kentucky Section Fellows participating in ULSD’s White Coat Ceremony.
Executive Director, Mike Graham and New Jersey Section Leaders, Cynthia Jetter and Michael Conte at the ICD Annuual Meeting. Mike was inducted as an Honorary Fellow of the ICD! 8 | ACD News | Fall 2025
President Terry Norris presented the Ethics Handboook for Dentistry to UofL students at their White Coat Ceremony.
Ontario Section held its annual meeting, celebrating Section and individual accomplishments and passing the gavel to their incoming Chair. President Terry Norris brought greetings from the College.
Vice President Ned Nix visited the University of Toronto and presented a lecture on Nicomachean Ethics.
President Elect Colonel Pete Guevara was inducted into the PFA in October. Congratulations, Col. Guevara!
Bob Faiella, Trailblazer and Fellow Ana Lopez Fuentes, Regent Pam Alston, and Executive Director Mike Graham enjoying the Hispanic Dental Association Meeting.
Elizabeth Gershater, one of the 2025 winners of the ASDE OzarHasegawa Award with her mentor.
Kamyar Sartipi, one of the 2025 winners of the ASDE OzarHasegawa Award with his mentors.
Follow ACD on All Your Social Media Accounts! You can find us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. When you post something related to the ACD, please use @americancollegeofdentists and/or #americancollegeofdentists to help promote our mission and the future of oral healthcare. ACD News | Fall 2025 | 9
ACD Gift Gallery The ACD Gift Gallery is a unique collection to proudly display your Fellowship—offered exclusively through the American College of Dentists. The Gallery includes special signature gifts with the College Seal for home or office.
Buy a Brick! Bricks engraved with the name of a Fellow, mentor, colleague, family member, or friend make exceptionally thoughtful holiday gifts. Contact the ACD office at office@acd.org or order online by clicking the link below. All bricks ordered by December 10 will include a handwritten holiday card sent to your loved one from the ACD office on your behalf.
Giving Tuesday is a national movement built upon shared humanity and generosity. It is an opportunity for Fellows and Friends of the College to give back to the profession that has given us so much. It does not matter how much one gives, but that we take this day to acknowledge our common purpose--to advance excellence, ethics, professionalism, and leadership in oral healthcare.