Judith Kozal

It really is true that time flies, especially when your life is filled with purpose, good friends, colleagues, and work you enjoy (at least most of the time!).

Your Central Office is very happy to report that even in these tough and uncertain economic times, our hard-working Section Chairs have managed to recruit 380 new Fellows (and counting) since the start of the new year. This is a major accomplishment, and I am so proud of them! We need to be grateful and show the Section Chairs our appreciation, because recruiting new active Fellows keep the Academy alive and well as they take the place of the Fellows who become eligible for Life status after many years of continuous financial support. Trustees, please give your Section Chairs a pat on the back and some words of appreciation for the dedication and hard work they have done and continue to do.

Inductions and meetings are not the only things keeping us busy these days. We also have processed 15 requests for Distinguished Dentist Awards and have prepared and sent 45 Senior Student Certificate of Merit awards to Dental Schools in the United States and Canada, with 14 more waiting in the wings. Dental schools continue to send letters of thanks for these certificate awards, which honor and recognize deserving senior students for their academic excellence. The long-standing tradition of providing these certificates to U.S., Canadian, and international dental schools continues to be a much-appreciated gesture that goes a long way in promoting the goals of the Academy, and leads to the possibility of Awardees becoming future PFA Fellows.

Judith Kozal

Work on the new print Leadership All-in-One Directory continues to be a priority project, and we will finish it shortly. Some of the International Section Chairs have not yet responded to our request for updated information, but we have decided to proceed with the information we have at present and will make updates as new information arrives.

Many Section Chairs have helped us with the huge task of collecting e-mail addresses for Fellows who have forgotten to provide one on their return dues payment envelope. E-mail addresses are an absolute necessity for successful implementation of our new online program to collect 2011 U.S. national dues. If you would like to pay your 2011 dues online, please submit your e-mail address to the Central Office if you have not already done so. Of course, you will still have the option of paying your dues by sending a check to the Lock-Box.

Planning for our meetings and functions in Orlando, Florida, this October is proceeding. I hope that everyone who is planning to attend has made their reservations. If not, it would be wise to do so soon. Next year will be a very special time for the Academy as we will be celebrating the 75th anniversary of PFA. More details will be forthcoming in future issues of Dental World!

Be kind to each other and to yourself....

Judith D. Kozal Executive Director of the Pierre Fauchard Academy

Our mission as Fellows in the Pierre Fauchard Academy is to consistently focus on professionalism, integrity, and ethics worldwide by our own conduct as worthy role models, by the advancement of dentistry to the highest level, by supporting and honoring colleagues for their distinguished work, research, contributions, and public service, and by providing excellence in programs, education, and leading by example.