MEET YOUR PDA PRESIDENT – DR . GARY S . DAVIS
In the midst of a very busy summer for his family , including the planning of his oldest daughter ’ s August 6 wedding , Dr . Davis completed this wide-ranging interview with the PDJ to share more about his vision , his motivations and his ideas for PDA ’ s future .
PDJ : Looking back at the past year or so , and the pandemic crisis mode that swallowed up so much of our lives , what was it like for you ? As president-elect at the time , you were preparing for this , but what was your mindset balancing the planning for your initiatives along with the pandemic recovery period ?
DR . DAVIS : The pandemic crisis was very stressful for all of us at the PDA . We spent hundreds of hours on the phone and on Zoom meetings . I cannot thank past presidents Dr . Charlie Incalcaterra and Dr . Jim Tauberg enough for the amazing job they did as our leaders during this crisis .
There was a lot going on behind the scenes that most members were not aware about . Charlie and Jim formed the Health Crisis Task Force and the Dental Coalition . These two groups fought tirelessly for our members and formed ongoing relationships with the Department of Health , the SBOD and several other regulatory and legislative entities .
This crisis also increased the teamwork and the relationships between PDA and our colleagues at the dental schools , the PAGD , the PDHA and specialty associations . And last but not least , our PDA staff served you well ! Staff worked tirelessly to make connections with several state agencies and got the information you needed out in a timely manner .
The biggest lesson I learned from this crisis was the importance of relationships with all of our colleagues and with our state agencies and legislators . And I promise you that we will continue to build trust and build a meaningful working relationship with all of these agencies .
PDJ : During this year of your PDA presidency , what are some things you are focusing on ? What are your primary goals ?
DR . DAVIS : I actually spent a lot of time reviewing our strategic plan and the discussions of our PDA Board and developed 10 main goals that I have for this coming year . It is going to be a challenge to meet these goals but I truly believe they are attainable and important to the long-term success of the PDA .
But if I had to pick my top three goals , they would be 1 ) leadership development , 2 ) diversity and inclusion ( especially in leadership and with our ADA delegation ) and 3 ) looking for new and innovative ways to increase member value and engagement to support the recruitment and retention of members !
PDJ : Can you tell us about some of the initiatives that you want to see through during this year ?
DR . DAVIS : I am very excited about a new program that the Board of Trustees recently approved called the Leadership Academy . This is a fun , one-year immersion experience where future leaders will interact with current and past PDA and ADA leaders and mentors and develop their skills as leaders ! If you are interested in this free opportunity , please contact me ASAP at shipdentist @ gmail . com .
I am also excited about our Diversity and Inclusion Task Force and programs . Demographic trends have created a more diverse world and we need leaders who reflect the diversity of our membership . It is my hope that in the near future , all of our committees , boards and delegations have better representation of members from different races , ethnicities , genders , gender identities , practice modalities and lifestyle expectations .
And I am also excited about our new endorsed vendor program called PDA Member Advantage . We will continue to improve member-only benefits for you by offering high-quality products and services at discounted prices . Our ongoing goal is to offer great member value and increase the ROI on your membership !
Between all the information and the benefits that ADA and the PDA gave to members during the pandemic crisis , all the benefits we continue to offer only to members and all the benefits we offer through PDA Member Advantage , all dentists need to belong to the PDA !
PDJ : What is your leadership style ? How do you approach a problem or an issue you want to solve ?
DR . DAVIS : I believe that as president , it is my job to clearly articulate where we are going – our goals and vision – why it is important to meet these goals and ways to understand what winning looks like .
16 JULY / AUGUST 2021 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL