Yee Ha!: that's "congratulations" Nashville style!

ELECTIONS & AWARDS HIGHLIGHT OUR ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Nashville was this year's venue for elections, inaugurations, installations and awards and recognition. Gaylord's world famous Opryland was the headquarters for the business, education, entertainment and events that merged to make a very successful meeting indeed.

The awards ceremonies at the First House of Delegates were opened by Linda L. Miles, CSP, CMC, CEO of Linda Miles & Associates, Virginia Beach, VA, with the keynote address. Starting with awards presentations, the Sullivan-Schein Awards of Excellence were presented to winners nominated from each of their home districts. Nominations are based on the individual's accomplishments that enhance the dental assisting profession in areas of local and state association development, communications, leadership, membership development and community service. From the pool of district recipients, the ADAA Awards Subcom-mittee chooses one awardee for recognition as the national Award of Excellence recipient.

This year's recipient of the 11th District's and National Award of Excellence is Brenda Fell, CDA, CDPMA, of South Weber, UT. Ms. Fell was recognized not only for her continuing service to ADAA and the dental assisting profession through the years, but for recent activities including presentations to the State Board of Dentists and Dental Hygienists that resulted in the acceptance of a new pathway of radiation safety certification for dental assistants; for her work toward developing an Associates degree recognizing a dental assistant education curriculum; and for her work with Ogden and Weber, UT, schools in presenting oral hygiene instruction and training those who will present instructions.

Ms. Fell is only the seventh recipient of both the district and national honor presented by Sullivan-Schein Dental, one of America's largest dental supply firms.

Other District recipients of the award include:

Second District: Colette Jesikiewicz, CDPMA, Wyoming, PA, for her efforts in starting a new local in her home area and in organizing a drive to adopt a military unit and spearheading an effort to create dialogue with state legislators concerning dental assisting credentials.

Third District: Becky Brown, CDA, CNA, Williamsburg, VA, for her long-term dedication to the profession and the association and specifically for her efforts on the Virginia Board of Dentistry's Dental Workforce Task Force. Also, for her extensive community service work in various areas of dental health.

Fifth District: Amber Dell Smith Nunnelley, Ohatchee, AL, who is retired but was cited for her many years of service to the profession and the association and for her years of work in a tobacco cessation program.

Sixth District: Angela M. Swatts, CDA, EFDA, Indianapolis. Ms Swatts is currently serving as Sixth District Trustee and was cited in general for her long and consistent service to the local, state and national interests of ADAA.

Seventh District: Natalie Kaweckyj, FADAA, CDA, CDPMA, COA, COMSA, RDA, Minneapolis, MN, recognized for her achievements in dental assisting professionalism through earning designations, serving on dental-related committees including consultancy to the Minnesota Board of Dentistry, for community service and for her service to the ADAA including most recently serving as national Secretary and currently as Seventh District Trustee.

Eighth District: Nancy Callaway, recognized for her continuing efforts in behalf of the Kansas DAS and the Johnson County Dental Assistants. Ms. Callaway recently succeeded in developing a new theme for Dental Assistants Recognition Week: "Delivering Excellence Throughout the World."

Ninth District: Kay Mosley, CDA, Oklahoma City, OK. Ms. Mosley went home with the new President's gavel as well as the Award of Excellence for her district recognizing her long list of services and offices held at the state, local and national level.

Tenth District: Jackie Kulbel, CDA, Mukilteo, WA, recognized for organizing and operating the WSDAA information booth annually and working to emphasize the importance of education as the main focus in developing the career of dental assisting as a profession. In addition, she has given testimony at state senate hearings concerning dental assisting matters.

Eleventh District: Brenda Fell, CDA, CDPMA. Recognized as national Award of Excellence winner

Twelfth District: Claudia Pohl, CDA, RDA, Alta Loma, CA, recognized for her leadership in preserving her local ADAA component, she has also contributed regularly to the efforts of the California DAA and as a delegate to the national convention. She was recently elected to a term as Trustee for the 12th District.

District winners are awarded a commemorative crystal globe and a year's free membership. The national winner also receives a check for $250.

Achievement Award: for demonstrating the most outstanding achievements in promoting the objectives of the Association and furthering the profession of dental assisting--awarded to Past President Cynthia K. Bradley, CDA, EFDA, Winter Park, FL, for her collaboration with the Dental Command of the U.S. Army and the strengthening and development of ADAA's ties to it. Additionally, her many years of service to the association and her readiness to advise and counsel those in the profession were cited.

New Member Award: Utilizing the same criteria as the Achievement Award, the New Member Award is presented to a member of no more than five year's standing. This year's award was presented to Becky Levi, CDA, RDA, of Linden, MI, for her leadership of the Genesee District (MI) Dental Assistants Society and her work as Dental Health Fair Coordinator.

Loyal Assistant Award: Presented to the member with the longest consecutive employment with one employer, the 2003 honoree is Karen Davidson, CDA, of Deming, WA--recognized for her employment with Curtis E Smith, DDS, from 1974 until the present. Last year, Ms. Davidson received the Achievement Award.

John O. Butler/ADAA Pride Award: recognition is granted in three categories for the Pride Award, including Business, Clinical and Education. The awards are for dental assistants who have demonstrated loyalty to self as well as to the profession through hard work, motivation of others and enhancement of the career of dental assisting on a state, local or national level.

Recognition this year was presented to Lynn McDonough, RDA, Bremerton, WA, business recipient; Bettie S. Rogers, CDA, Hodges, SC, clinical recipient and Kimberly G. Bland, CDA, EFDA, EFOA, Bremerton, FL, educational recipient.

Journal Award: For the best member written, educational article in an ADAA publication. Presented this year to Laura Najjar, CDA, CDPMA, for her article "The Missing Link" that appeared in the March/April 2003 issue of The Dental Assistant and concerned the "CHIP" child identification program.

Distinguished Corporate Award: Mildred M. Goldstein, President of the Harry J. Bosworth Corporation, Skokie, IL, recognized for her efforts on behalf of the dental assisting profession and her work on behalf of ADAA specifically through her board membership in the ADAA Foundation.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

The first annual P&G/ADAA student poster contest was judged at the Nashville A/C and the three top poster makers were awarded with a $100 cash prize and a one-year paid membership in the ADAA. Winners and their schools were:

Bridget Malinski, Cottage Grove, MN, from Northeast Metro Technical Center, Century College, White Bear Lake, MN; Andrea Rojas, Indianapolis, from Professional Careers Institute, Indianapolis; and Brittany Woody, Maryville, TN, from Northeast State Technical College, Blountville, TN.

Also recognized was Megan Barber, Bradenton, FL, Dental Assisting Student of the Year as selected by Health Occupations Students of America. Ms. Barber received a year's free membership in ADAA, airfare and housing at the Nashville Conference compliments of ADAA and Procter & Gamble.

OTHER WINNING REASONS FOR ATTENDING THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE

International Symposium

An enormously popular preconference activity was the presentation of the International Dental Assisting and Nursing Symposium on July 16. With an attendance of more than 50 dental assisting professionals from the U.S., Canada, and other countries, the theme was globalization of dental assisting and the purpose was to bring together representatives for the exchange of information and practice knowledge.

Past President Cynthia K. Bradley, CDA, EFDA, co-chaired the event with Canadian DAA past president Brenda Moffatt, CDAII. CDAA past president Danelle Fulawka, RDA, facilitated a series of roundtable discussions.

Fun with the Foundation

Murder was afoot at the annual ADAA Foundation Fundraiser when members of the Michigan DAA and others starred in an audience participation murder mystery that was played out under the guise of a staff appreciation dinner for a large dental clinic. The Whodunit was one of the most successful events presented by the ADAAF and a curtain call may be planned for 2004 in Anaheim.

Membership Forum

This year's Forum boasted the presence and leadership of Linda L. Miles who presented opening remarks and remained on hand to make suggestions and reinforce the basic message that grassroot efforts are most effective in new member recruitment and that members must "sell" the benefits of ADAA membership to fellow assistants and to their employers.

See you next year. Anaheim, CA, July 8-11, 2004.