A Year in Review

By Jacob Miller, DDS Grand Rapids WMDDS President

It’s a bittersweet feeling that this is my last article as president of the WMDDS. Leading the Board this year has been a great experience that has helped me grow both personally and professionally. I’ve made connections with dental professionals that I may have never otherwise met, and I’ve enjoyed being part of the progress that has been made.

To sum up my observations of the inner workings of the Michigan Dental Association, the WMDDS, and community outreach programs in West Michigan: there is much work to be done. Fortunately, there are many people that give of their time and talents to keep this well-oiled machine running. We are lucky to have dentists who are passionate about improving access to care to those less fortunate, legislative issues to protect our autonomy as providers, and parliamentary procedure to keep our organizations running effectively and legally. There are countless roles to be filled, and all are very diverse in nature.

Over the course of the past few years on the Board, I’ve enjoyed the challenges and the lessons learned. I’m very proud of what the team has accomplished. Prior to this experience, organized dentistry wasn’t exactly in my wheelhouse. I had plenty of help from too many people to thank. The support in our organization is amazing. If I can do it, so can you! If being on the WMDDS Board isn’t your calling, maybe something else is. We have so many opportunities to give in our area. If the opportunity rings, please answer the call. I guarantee you won’t regret it! You will find listed in the next column contact information for some local organizations that could always use help.

A huge thank you to all those who helped make my job easier and more effective this year. West Michigan is truly the best place to practice dentistry. I wish all of you the best of luck in your careers and beyond, and I look forward to our continued camaraderie.

Kent County Oral Health Coalition

Colette Smiley—colettesmiley@gmail.com

West Michigan Dental Foundation

Elaine Fleming—efwmdds@aol.com

MDA LEAD program

Angie Kanazeh—akanazeh@michigandental.org

Mel Trotter https://www.meltrotter.org/contact

WMDDS

Elaine Fleming—efwmdds@aol.com