The President

A Celebration of Opportunities

This past year with Kent Farnsworth's leadership we have laid the "Foundation for Success." By approving the Strategic Plan, the House of Delegates has reconfirmed our shared vision, supported our common goals, and re-emphasized our core values. Now we must step through the door of opportunity to fulfill our vision.

But before we take our next steps, we must remember and honor our past. Indeed CDA has a glorious past. It is a past abundant in visionaries and strong, courageous leadership. It took vision, leadership, and courage to combine northern and southern California into one cohesive organization.

It took vision, leadership, and courage to create the California Dental Service.

It took vision, leadership, and courage to move our headquarters from a small office near Los Angeles International Airport to Sacramento, the hub of state government.

It took vision, leadership, and courage to create The Dentists Insurance Company and 1201 Financial & Insurance Services, Inc., and to build our office building at 1201 K St.

Yes, it took vision, leadership, and courage to build the California Dental Association into the successful and admired organization that it is today.

Through much of our growth and success, many countless outstanding volunteer leaders forged our progress. But two men made exceptional contributions to the success CDA enjoys today -- Dr. Dale Redig and Dr. David Gaynor. I would like to thank them and all of our past leaders for their vision, leadership, and courage.

We now embark on a new era for CDA. For the first time in our history, we have opened the doors wide so members, nonmembers, and allied groups can truly help in the labor of creating our future. Through the applied strategic planning process, we have listened to our membership's wants, needs, expectations, and hopes. We have gone outside of membership into today's ever changing and increasingly complex world to explore the challenges, threats, and opportunities that await us.

I have chosen "A Celebration of Opportunities" as the theme for 2001. I believe this theme will be a rallying point for CDA's work. The next phase of our journey toward the future will not be easy, for it will require great effort and dedication. We must set specific objectives that will help us attain our goals to achieve our vision. We must be open and courageous to take advantage of the opportunities before us. We must be bold and firm in our resolve to overcome the challenges presented to us. We must be true to our vision, diligent in the execution of our mission, and grounded in our core values to turn threats into opportunities. We must celebrate our successes. We must learn from our mistakes. We must instill our enthusiasm for organized dentistry in everyone we meet. By telling and living the success story of CDA, we create our vision, not just with words, but also with the integrity of our lives.

I have a vision of the California Dental Association. As you may have heard me say at the applied strategic planning meetings across the state, I believe in CDA with a big "C" -- an association of dentists, allied groups, specialty organizations, diverse organizations, components, and the ADA, all sharing a common vision of the best possible future -- as our vision statement says -- in "synergistic cooperation." We must have an association that is open to new relationships and alliances with education, government and industry. Relationships that can help us increase access to care for all.

I would like to extend a special invitation to all who may feel that CDA has not represented them in the past. To those who may feel they are not an intimate part of CDA. To our younger members, students, our increasingly diverse members and non-members, and allied groups who believe they have had no voice at CDA. I invite you to become involved in this great effort to create the organization that can represent you and your future.

My vision may not be your vision; however, our collective vision is broad enough to embrace the input from all to start the dialogue toward the future. Together we will continue to strive to be "the best CDA can be!"

We must not make the mistakes of some other professional organizations: turning into a fragmented corpse; truly representing no one; and allowing ourselves to be devoured by government and third-party interests. We must be more aggressive in defending the doctor-patient relationship. We must work diligently to challenge laws that prevent us from securing our best future. We must hold third-party interests accountable for their intrusion into our practices. The applied strategic planning process will help us secure that future. The Applied Strategic Plan is a living, breathing dynamic document. It will change with time. If we do our work well, next year will uncover pathways yet to be discovered and opportunities not yet imagined.

I have been asked what I want to accomplish during my year as CDA president. Our plan for next year is truly a team effort. When Tim Comstock, Kent Farnsworth, and I first presented our vision of the strategic planning process to the Executive Committee, we knew it would be a multiyear project. Kent would lay the foundation by forming the committee and presenting the plan to the House of Delegates. I would begin the implementation process by forming the task forces and workgroups that will formulate the objectives and plans for change and thereby securing a systematic, achievable and prioritized format for change. Steve Chan will focus our efforts on the short-term goals and objectives, such as the new foundation, the message center, the resource center and the learning center. Dennis Kalebjian, Debra Finney, and Russ Webb will work with components, allied groups, and membership to formulate a process to achieve our long-term goals. Our executive management team -- Tim Comstock, Fritz Knauss, Bob Witt, and Rich Krolak -- together with their excellent staffs will provide us with the best corporate and association brain trust in the nation.

At next year's House of Delegates, we will present the initial governance reorganization plans for approval. Additionally, the models for the message center, learning center, resource center, and foundation will be presented for review. We will provide the House with the initial prioritization of our long-term goals.

I ask all of CDA now to join me in our journey to fulfill our vision. I call on the Executive Committee; trustees; subsidiary, council, and committee chairs; representatives from our allied groups; delegates; component executive directors; the membership at large; and CDA and subsidiary staffs to join the journey.

We are the California Dental Association. We have a glorious past and an unfettered future. Listen to our story. Embrace our vision. Help us become the best we can be. Join our Celebration of Opportunities!