Dear Alumni and Friends,

Saturday, June 16, 2012 was a monumental day for the University of Florida College of Dentistry (UFCD), the dental profession, and for two outstanding leaders in organized dentistry.

What a proud, moving and emotional experience -- sitting in the audience and witnessing the transfer of the presidential pin from the lapel of Dr. Cesar Sabates, the first Cuban-American president of the Florida Dental Association and a revered faculty of the UF Hialeah Dental Center, to the lapel of Dr. Kim Jernigan, the first woman president of the FDA and a UFCD alumnus. And this occurred shortly after Dr. Paul Benjamin, the first graduate of UFCD, received a presidential citation for his outstanding service to the FDA. Life as a dean doesn’t get better than this!

UFCD is celebrating its Tradition of Excellence spanning 40 years from the time that Paul and the Charter Class enrolled at UFCD in 1972 to when we welcome our 41st entering DMD class in August. Cesar, Kim and Paul are three examples of the outstanding men and women with UFCD ties who have served the dental profession so admirably.

During his presidential year, Cesar represented the FDA in an enthusiastic, thoughtful and tireless manner, including visits to Gainesville to represent the FDA during our commencement programs and our professionalism or "White Coat" ceremony. He consistently delivered a passionate message about the importance and power of organized dentistry and his love of the dental profession. He challenged our students and graduates to continue in this tradition of excellence. During the discussions about establishing new dental schools within the State University System, Cesar was a tireless advocate for the University of Florida and the importance of maintaining a strong commitment to the only state supported dental school in Florida. He spoke intelligently and factually about the fallacies associated with the notion that graduating additional dentists who are burdened with large educational debts would somehow miraculously solve Florida's access to dental care challenge. Always a voice of reason and substance, Cesar faced challenging issues head on, like the importance of requiring the completion of accredited educational programs prior to licensing internationally educated dentists. I was always proud to be a member of the FDA when in Cesar's company.

I had the pleasure of meeting Kim Jernigan when she enrolled at the College of Dentistry in 1993. I was an assistant professor teaching geriatric dentistry at the time and Kim was an extraordinary student. She was focused, committed, organized, and she demonstrated outstanding qualities in her ASDA leadership roles. Unlike some students, she knew exactly why she was in dental school and was there to make the most of her experience. I never doubted for a moment that she would one day become the president of the FDA, and watching that presidential transition occur from Cesar to Kim was one of my proudest moments as dean. Of course, being the first woman president makes the event even more special to me. As organized dentistry is challenged to maintain a strong single voice on critical professional issues, it also has to balance that need with the recognition that dentistry's voice is more diverse than ever – with male and female members from many cultures and backgrounds. In her presidential address she reminded us not to "let them get you down, and stay focused." She discussed her single goal as president – increasing the FDA's membership.

I left the FNDC meeting exhausted and exhilarated. And proud! Congratulations to all of the leaders of the FDA, and thank you for your hard work and support of all issues facing dentistry and dental education. Your advocacy and leadership have never been more important.

Sincerely,

Teresa A. Dolan, DDS, MPH
Professor and Dean

FNDC 2012 was memorable for the alumni, donors, friends, faculty and staff who attended. Alumni and friends of the college were honored with numerous awards and, as is tradition, we hosted numerous events during the convention including an Alumni & Friends reception, board and committee meetings, a booth in the convention center's exhibit hall, and an unprecedented five class reunions.

AWARDS

The following college alumni and friends were recognized for their achievements at this year's Florida Dental Association 2012 Awards. We are proud to honor the following recipients:

PRESIDENT'S AWARD
Cesar R. Sabates, D.D.S., in recognition of and appreciation for outstanding leadership as President of the Florida Dental Association 2011-2012

DENTIST OF THE YEAR
Donald C. Erbes, D.D.S., in recognition of current remarkable contributions and exceptional dedication enhancing the dental profession

SERVICE AWARD
Paul L. Benjamin, D.M.D., in recognition of distinguished service and outstanding contributions to the dental profession

FLORIDA DENTAL ASSOCIATION TRUSTEE’S AWARD
Paul L. Benjamin, D.M.D., in recognition of and appreciation for outstanding leadership as a trustee of the Florida Dental Association 2002-2012

FLORIDA DENTAL ASSOCIATION SERVICE AWARD
George C. Weeks, D.D.S., in recognition of distinguished service and outstanding contributions to the dental profession

FLORIDA DENTAL ASSOCIATION SERVICE AWARD
Cecil White, D.M.D., in recognition of distinguished service and outstanding contributions to the dental profession

FLORIDA DENTAL ASSOCIATION LEADERSHIP AWARD
Steven C. Bryan,D.M.D., in recognition of distinguished service and outstanding leadership

FLORIDA DENTAL ASSOCIATION SPECIAL AWARD
Alan E. Friedel, D.D.S., in appreciation for dedicated service as the FDA's Speaker of the House 2009-2012

LEGISLATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD
During this year's Capital Hill Club Legislative Reception at FNDC, Sen. Alan Hays (R-Umatilla) took pleasure in presenting his colleague and friend, Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff (R-Ft. Lauderdale), with the FDA's 2012 Legislator of the Year Award. Senator Bogdanoff is married to Dr. Steven Bogdanoff, past President of the Academy of Alumni and Friends.

Congratulations to all and go Gators!

ALUMNI & FRIENDS RECEPTION

On Friday evening, more than 350 alumni, friends and family attended the alumni annual reception at FNDC, exceeding attendance from previous years. This annual tradition is a favorite among Dental Gators attending the conference. Attendees enjoyed a special array of appetizers, a variety of drinks and sampled different flavors of custom cupcakes. This year's sponsors included the Academy of Alumni and Friends, Heartland Dental Care and Delta Dental.

REUNION NEWS

Seven reunions are planned for 2012; five were held over two days at FNDC and the Gaylord Palms Convention Center proved a perfect location for the gatherings. More than 80 alumni and their guests attended reunions at FNDC this year.

Left to right, Dr. Teresa A. Dolan, Dr. Lewis Garrish, Mrs. Juanita Boyd, Dr. Brian Boyd and Mr.Tom LaFleur Class of 1977 – 35th Reunion Planned with the help of 1977 class leader Dr. Marvin Wells, the class of 1977 celebrated their 35th year reunion with an intimate dinner at Sam's Sunset Fish Camp. Alumni were joined by Dean Teresa A. Dolan and Sr. Director of Development Thomas LaFleur. The group discussed UFCD, issues challenging dentistry today and the future of the profession. The small group later joined other parties held simultaneously by the classes of 1982 and 1987.

Class of 1982 – 30th Reunion Planned with the help of 1982 class leader Dr. Jay Garlitz, the class celebrated their 30th year reunion at the Villa De Flora restaurant. The party was planned to end at 9:30pm, but the festivities continued on late into the night. Attendees had a wonderful time catching up with old friends and recounting their time at dental school.

Class of 1987 – 25th Reunion Dr. Hank Miller, 1987 class leader, answered the call and helped gather his fellow alumni as they celebrated their 25th year reunion. Their reunion was also held at Villa De Flora restaurant. Alumni enjoyed the Italian villa atmosphere as they shared stories and reconnected with friends. This year's attendees included current AAF President and '87 alumnus, Dr. Eddie Martin.

Class of 1992 – 20th Reunion Class leader Dr. Craig Oldham took the lead in planning the 1992 reunion. They celebrated with a Key West style noon reunion at Sunset Sam's Fish Camp. Members of the class came from far and wide to be a part of the event. Dr. Ronald Charity travelled the greatest distance, coming from Colorado to attend this year's reunion.

Class of 1997 – 15th Reunion Planned with the help of 1997 class leader Dr. Peter Lemieux, the group celebrated with an afternoon poolside BBQ. Attendees enjoyed the beautiful weather under wide, shady umbrellas. It was a family affair as many alumni were joined by family members. The children played games and cooled off with ice cream. All shared proudly in their class member Dr. Kim Jernigan's accomplishment on being inducted the first woman president of the Florida Dental Association.

COMING SOON…

Class of 2002 – 10th Reunion and Class of 2007 – 5th Reunion

Planning for Fall 2012 reunions for the Class of 2002 and 2007 are underway. Both events will take place during Dental Fall Weekend on November 2 and 3. In addition to a class reunion party, highlights will include other dental fall weekend activities including block seating for the UF v. Missouri game, bus transportation from the college to the tailgate area, tailgate party with the dental students and CE course opportunities. Don't miss out on this great event; registration begins soon!

Planning for 2013 reunions has already started. We're working with class leaders and volunteers to celebrate the "3's and 8's" – reunions for the classes of 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2008! If you are interested in helping, please contact us at 352-273-5780 or email us at alumniandfriends@dental.ufl.edu.

SAVE THE DATE!

Dental Fall Weekend is November 2 and 3.

Highlights include:
Block seating for inaugural UF vs Missouri game
Bus transportation from college to tailgate area
Tailgate party with dental students
CE course- 2CEUs

Check the website www.dental.ufl.edu for more information. Registration opens soon!

ALUMNI BOARD & COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Annual meetings of the Academy of Alumni & Friends Board and Class Leaders and of the college's Development Advisory Committee were well attended during FNDC. At this year's meetings, we honored the service of immediate past president of the AAF, Dr. Gerry Weaver and welcomed the new slate of AAF officers, including Dr. Eddie Martin, president; Dr. Jan Westberry, vice-president; and Dr. Robert P. Fields, treasurer. Thank you to the AAF Officers and to the many volunteers and class leaders who give their time to help us to maintain strong relationships with our alumni and friends.

Booth

As is tradition, visitors to the our exhibit hall booth have the opportunity to learn more about the college, our alumni community and our annual events. The booth was once again a popular spot for convention visitors to visit with faculty and staff, secure a Gator football poster, learn details on upcoming Continuing Dental Education courses and view photographs of other alumni & friends taken during the meeting. Please stop by next year-we look forward to seeing you!