5 minute read
THANK YOU – Dr Inman
Gary, there have been two times that you have been an orthodontic quarterback during unprecedented events. First, in 2015 you stepped up on very short notice to become the SAO’s Trustee on the AAO’s BOT. You quarterbacked the Southern team at that point. You learned quickly and became a vital and contributing member of the AAO’s Board of Trustees. You proved that even an old Kentucky boy could learn very fast and lead at a very quick pace.
Second, you quarterbacked the AAO and its Board of Trustees during our very difficult COVID times. You made some difficult decisions; decisions that you didn’t like and I didn’t like, but we knew that they had to be made. Our Annual Session Planning Committee had planned, for years, for an AAO annual session in Atlanta, the first time for AAO to go there since 1982. We had to cancel. That was a tough decision but it was the right decision. You quarterbacked your team during this time of stress and trouble.
One real advantage to leadership is that leaders get to make great friendships. I think back to the time that you and I first became friends. We were on the Southern Association Board. I represented Tennessee and you represented Kentucky. We became instant friends and have stayed that way for many, many years. I think about our ski trips, the down hill ski club where we had a great time with your three sons and the golf trips to Scotland where we played St. Andrews. Those were great times. The dinners, the laughs, the camaraderie, being with our wives and sharing times together have been so memorable. During all these gatherings, I got to know the real Gary Inman: the Gary Inman who loves our specialty; the Gary Inman who loves life; the Gary Inman who loves his family, his wife, his three boys, and his grandchildren; the Gary Inman who has strong spiritual beliefs. Gary, I regret that you did not have the experience that every AAO President and every Annual Session Planning Committee have had by being “live” at AAO’s Atlanta meeting. But Gary, you will always be remembered as the AAO President who served in extremely difficult times; as the AAO President who provided exemplary leadership, the right leadership at the right time; leadership that helped AAO and its members get through these tough times. Gary, congratulations on a job well done. I want to be the first to welcome you to the AAO Past President’s “club”, a very distinguished group of individuals. You will enjoy the title of Past President! Thanks, Gary. Thanks for all you have done. I love you.
DeWayne McCamish
Iextend my heartfelt gratitude to Gary In man, now immediate past president of the AAO. Gary has been the model of “cool under pressure” for these last few months and has guided the AAO and the Board of Trustees with a steady hand. He has exhibited sound and reasonable judgement along the way. With the onset of Covid 19, the AAO was faced with the need to be nimble (to borrow a term from Sharon Hunt) and make quick decisions in order to cancel Atlanta 2020. Gary, along with AAO staff, guided us into a good decision to not only cancel, but to innovate to the circumstances and create our first Virtual AAO Session 2020. It was an astonishing success. We had over 11,000 people register for the event with 9000+ actual attendees. Although this was not the event any of us had hoped for, it was an amazing testimony to Gary’s leadership and ability to adapt.
Gary has been relentless in his desire to move the AAO ahead. The BOT has referred to him as the “President of Change” for his desire and commitment to bring diversity to the BOT. As many of you are aware from the news release of June 6, 2020, there are now two additional at-large Trustees seated and ready to begin a term of up to three years on the Board. Those two individuals are Alex Thomas and Dale Anne Featheringham. Alex practices in South Carolina with Eric Nease and is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan. Dale Anne is from Ohio. She will provide valuable insight as we move ahead. Gary’s dream has become reality! So kudos Gary and THANK YOU!
Dr Inman, thank you so much for a
wonderful year. It’s not exactly what we expected since we did have a little virus that came our way but as they say, “The virus is contagious but so is kindness,” and your kindness has been contagious to everyone.
You have been so thoughtful, you have been the calm in the storm, you have reached out to collaborate with others, you have been great with the staff, you have a wonderful Board behind you and all I can say is, thank you so much from all of us at AAO.
Lynne Thomas Gordon
CEO, American Association of Orthodontists
John Quincy Adams
The past several years have been difficult ones for the AAO. There have been many challenges: legislative challenges, challenges from membership, challenges from outside entities who are marketing orthodontic services without the involvement of a doctor, and most recently, the pandemic. During these difficult years, Gary Inman has been a “leader’s leader”. The ultimate leadership test came with the COVID pandemic. All the plans for the AAO Annual Session in Atlanta had been made; everything was in place. Gary had to make the difficult but necessary decision to ask the Board of Trustees to cancel the meeting. This could have been a time of great despair for everyone involved with AAO - members, employees and friends of AAO around the world. Yet, Gary, with innovative thinking and calm leadership, along with the help of AAO staff, organized a “miracle” - a virtual meeting with over 11,000 registrants that has received rave reviews! Gary Inman’s vision and his leadership were instrumental in turning a bad situation into a very good situation. He inspired the Board Of Trustees, AAO employees and AAO membership to “dream more, learn more, do more and become more”!
The mark of a true leader is how that person handles adversity. The leader who handles adversity with class, innovative ideas, and determination is the leader who is remembered. Gary Inman is truly a class act and a leader’s leader who will forever be remembered for his kind, considerate, empathetic and inspirational leadership. THANK YOU, Dr Inman.
