Dear ACOMS Members:
Autumn is a season of change. Whether you’re sending a child off to college, taking a new step in your career or, as I am, becoming board president of an association, change can both stretch us and bring a new sense of belonging. I’ve been a member of ACOMS for many years, and now as president, I have the chance to find a new place in our community — and to extend that feeling of belonging to our members.
First, I wish to thank Dr. Suzanne McCormick for setting ACOMS’ committees in place during her tenure as president.
As ACOMS’ new president, welcoming members of all backgrounds into our community is my top priority, and I aim to extend this welcoming hand beyond our association and into the OMS community as a whole. My goals as president include encouraging more women to join oral surgery and ensuring people from minority backgrounds (who include the wonderful OMS professionals featured in this article) have more opportunities to showcase their skills. I look forward to learning how we can accomplish these goals together.
Thanks to the guiding hand of our past presidents, our regents currently hail from five districts and include one at-large individual. Our regents are constantly looking for input from our members on courses and ideas that will continue to make ACOMS great. In this issue of ACOMS Review, you’ll meet your regents. Always feel free to reach out directly to them with your ideas.
Along with the rest of the ACOMS team, I look forward to meeting as many of our members as possible at our next meetings, especially at the 42nd ACOMS Annual Scientific Conference & Exhibition in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho May 20-22, 2023. We have a tremendous program lined up at the Coeur D’Alene Golf & Spa Resort, and I hope to see you all there.
Through this transitory time, our team has stepped up and done a great job, namely our treasurer Kevin Arce and president-elect Faisal Quereshy. Going forward, we look to incorporate input from our past presidents into the future of where the OMS specialty is going as they, like me, have seen many changes over the years.
It is my privilege to be your president for the next year and a half. I look forward to continuing to make ACOMS great.
Sincerely,
Dr. Allen Fielding, DMD, MD, MBA