I am Jay Freedman and I ’ m running to be your next ADA 2 nd Vice President .
My pathway to leadership was in no way a straight line . In fact , I wasn ’ t even an active member until my late 40s . I mostly attended meetings and CE programs . Occasionally , I wondered who I should talk to get involved , but somehow life would get in the way and I ’ d shelve that thought . One day at my office , I received a call from a dear friend of mine asking me if I could help him and fill a vacant committee chair position on our local board . I finally had my opportunity and I wasn ’ t going to wait any longer , so I said yes !
Before that opportune call , I had served on the board of directors of our community Nature Center and Museum , learning the valuable skill of fundraising . I am also an attending at our regional General Practice Residency , where I serve on a variety of committees . I was excited and a little nervous about this new responsibility , but planned to dive in feet first !
As it turned out , I LOVED being part of our professional organization . There was a bit of a learning curve , but with a little help from my friends , I became efficient in my role and was eager for more . There was so much available for our members and I felt it became my personal responsibility to share what I was learning . As additional opportunities become available , I volunteered and my depth of leadership expanded . From an officer at my local and eventually president , to an officer at my PDA district and president there , to various committees for the Greater Philadelphia Valley Forge Dental Conference , committees for the Pennsylvania Dental Meeting , the PDA Membership Committee , our first ever PDA Vacation CE Conference and the committee for the PDA Leadership Academy . And let ’ s not forget being a part of MOM-n-PA since its first mission !
I am honored to have been elected multiple times to serve Pennsylvania as a Delegate to our ADA House of Delegates , to be selected to serve on a Reference Committee and to put into motion several significant resolutions . It was my privilege to be appointed to the ADA Council of Membership and to be elected by my peers to serve as its Chair .
I am now running to continue my service to you and our profession as ADA 2nd Vice President , where I will be able to bring all my experience , expertise , enthusiasm and skills to the ADA Board of Trustees . Our profession is at a critical juncture , with so many moving parts , that a board must be well-informed in order to make the most appropriate decisions . I am still practicing at the office I started from scratch and understand the pressures and problems of the every day practitioner . I continue to teach my residents and that keeps me in touch with their issues and I remain active at all three levels of the Tripartite .
I look forward to serving you , our profession and making a difference for the better ! Respectfully yours , Jay Jay Freedman , DDS , FACD , FICD , FPFA
MAY / JUNE 2023 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL 29