Trustee Report

Dr. Gayle Glenn

Denver was the site of the successful 108th AAO Annual Session.  Dr. Raymond George, Sr. from Rhode Island was installed as President of the AAO on May 20, 2008. Other officers installed during the 2008 Annual Session included Dr. Robert J. Bray as President-elect and Dr. Lee W. Graber as Secretary-Treasurer of the AAO.

SWSO members who served as delegates and alternate delegates to the House of Delegates (HOD) included Kirt E. Simmons, Delegation Chair, J. Mark Felton, Devek K. Frech, E. Vann Greer, J. Dean Jensen, Michael L. Mizell, Darrin Storms, Larry P. Tadlock, and Jeffrey J. Thompson.  Mark Felton and Vann Greer also served on reference committees during the meeting. The SWSO was well represented by all of these individuals during the deliberations of the HOD. A special thanks to Kirt Simmons for chairing SWSO’s delegation again this year.
The 2008 HOD reviewed the budget and additional resolutions with budgetary impact. They approved a budget with expenditures of $23,792,211 and with the deficit of $3,227,347 to be funded from excess liquid reserves. For your convenience, a complete report of HOD actions is now posted on the AAO member web site (www.AAOmembers.org).

Consumer Awareness has been identified as one the AAO’s Critical Issues. The “More Than a Smile” campaign will continue in 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, as funded by a three-year $550 member assessment passed by the 2008 HOD. Additional funds to bring the campaign to an $830 assessment level for the 2008-09 fiscal year will come from reserves.  Since part of the funding for the $2,320,000 campaign was funded from reserves for the 2008-09 year, the Council on Communications has given notice that they plan to ask for additional funding to continue the campaign at that same level in 2009-10 and 2010-11. 

Recruitment and retention of orthodontic educators has been identified as a critical issue.  Programs funded by the HOD include: 1) Continue the Full-time Faculty Teaching Fellowship Program @ $600,000 for 2008-09, and 2) AAO Faculty First Awards @ $300,000 to augment the salaries of up to 10 new junior orthodontic faculty members hired in 2008-09. 

A committee of the AAO Board of Trustees (BOT) will discuss with officers of the American Dental Association (ADA) ethical concerns related to the practice of exhibitors at the ADA Annual Session offering “certification” programs for proprietary products and/or services. AAO constituent and component organizations should inform the AAO of members who are serving on ADA constituent board, councils and committees.

ABO/AAO relations were a heated topic of discussion during the 2007 Annual Session. Two resolutions were adopted by the 2008 HOD to deal with these issues: 1) identification of qualifications and characteristics to be considered when individuals are selected to serve as a Director of the ABO, and 2) agreement between the ABO and AAO regarding selection of Directors of the ABO.

Other actions from the 2008 Annual Session: 

1. Requirements were changed for AAO International Student Members. 
2. AAO Bylaws were changed so that International Members may now pay dues in one lump sum for a three-year period. 
3. The issue of advertisement of orthodontic appliances was referred to a committee composed of members of the BOT and HOD. This committee is to monitor the content and accuracy of the promotion of orthodontic appliances to the public and will advise manufacturers of their findings.
4. The AAO BOT was directed to communicate with the CEO’s of orthodontic manufacturers (through the Orthodontic Manufacturers Association) to discuss the future of orthodontic education in resident training, professionally sponsored CE courses, and corporate-sponsored education courses. 
5. A program is recommended to be produced for educating active and student members about existing and emerging ethical issues in orthodontics. 
6. The Committee on Membership, Ethics, and Judicial Concerns (COMEJC) was asked to develop payment plan options for payment of dues and/or assessments by AAO members. 
7. The student member section of the AAO Bylaws was amended to include fellowships (i.e. cleft/craniofacial/special needs programs and/or research programs). 
8. The COE was asked to examine their composition in regards to the number of council members in private practice versus those who are orthodontic educators. 
9. The Task Force on Recruitment and Retention of Faculty and COMEJC were asked to evaluate potential assessment and/or dues relief for half-time faculty and those employed full time as hospital/institution staff.  

Dues renewal notices and membership cards have been mailed. Members can renew their AAO membership online. Go to www.AAOmembers.org and select the link “Pay your dues” on the home page. The link is found in the upper right-hand corner of the page.

Mark your calendar for the 2009 Orthodontic and Periodontic Conference to be held February 6-8, 2009 in Orlando, FL. Attendance will be limited. The 109th AAO Annual Session will be in Boston May 1-5, 2009.

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