More than 80 participants took part in the 2018 Leadership Development Conference last month in Scottsdale, Arizona. Attendees included component, constituent and council leaders, speakers and AAO trustees. Forty component (state) organizations and all eight constituents were represented. The conference was spearheaded by the AAO Component Support and Leadership Development Committee, chaired by Dr. Ken Dillehay, the AAO trustee representing the Southwestern Society of Orthodontists.

Dr. Dillehay joined other attendees in offering short, videotaped comments on the Leadership Development Conference and how it will help participants to better serve their organizations. Additional participants appearing in the video include:

  • Dr. Jean Asmar, interim president, District of Columbia Society of Orthodontists
  • Dr. Eric Barnes, secretary-treasurer, Illinois Society of Orthodontists;
  • Dr. Allen Chance, director-at-large, Tennessee Association of Orthodontists;
  • Dr. Myron Guymon, AAO trustee representing the Rocky Mountain Society of Orthodontists;
  • Dr. Ali Husain, president- elect, Delaware;
  • Dr. Anil Idiculla, chair of the AAO Council on Communications;
  • Dr. Valerie Martone, secretary-treasurer, Rocky Mountain Society of Orthodontists;
  • Dr. John Monticello, president-elect, Great Lakes Association of Orthodontists;
  • Dr. Suzanne Stock, president-elect of the Iowa Society of Orthodontists;
  • Dr. Emily Willett, new/younger member asked to attend by the Nebraska Society of Orthodontists.

View the Leaders’ Comments Video

During the meeting, participants heard from expert speakers and discussed a range of topics including effective leadership, trends affecting the specialty, legal and administrative issues, diversity, state advocacy, the AAO Consumer Awareness Program, speaker management, parliamentary procedure and facilitating Board meetings.

Learn More and Access Presentations on Conference Topics

Between conferences, constituent and component leaders and other AAO volunteers are encouraged to use the new online Leadership Network. The network, which is available to all AAO members, is a centralized repository of many types of information and resources that the Component Support and Leadership Development Committee identified as being helpful to leaders and volunteers at all levels.