2019 ICD USA SECTION FOUNDATION PRESIDENT'S END OF YEAR MESSAGE

It has been my privilege to serve as President of the ICD USA Section Foundation for the past two years. As my term is coming to an end I want to give you an overview of the accomplishments and changes that have occurred during these two years. 

First, I must again state that much of what has been done was made possible by the great leadership of Dr. Mike Kenney and Dr. Ted Roberson who preceded me. They laid the foundation for and initiated many of these positive accomplishments and now with Dr. Roberson in the new position of Director of Development and with Dr. Margot Culotta-Norton assuming the Presidency of the ICD USA Section Foundation, I believe that the future looks very bright. 

In the past two years, we have substantially modified the governance structure of the ICD USA Section Foundation to make it more efficient and to lower our operating overhead so that more of the money can go to supporting the programs and grants it is intended for. We have also improved and organized our financial operations so that we have better day to day knowledge and control over this important area. Your Treasurer, Dr. Michael Bydalek along with our Section Registrar, Dr. Elaine Wagner, have worked diligently to improve this area. The USA Section is currently undergoing a change over in the whole software system and when this is completed and fully operational in the next couple of months there will be even greater improvements. This teamed with the ongoing hands on activity from Dr. Roberson will allow us to have much improved communications with our Fellows regarding what the ICD USA Section Foundation is doing, and  how we as Fellows can help. 

We have now completed the new Sponsorship Packet that will be used when the ICD USA Section Foundation is talking with a new potential Corporate Sponsor or Donor to tell the story about this great organization and what it represents and what it is doing. Kylie Evans, Paula Rinaudo and Dr. Margot Culotta-Norton all were major contributors to getting this project completed. 

The ICD USA Section Foundation Board of Trustees is a group of talented and hard working people who have made my Presidency a real joy. Please take time to log onto the usa-icd.org website and look at the ICD USA Section Foundation website. You may be surprised by the extensive range of things that the ICD USA Section Foundation is doing. While there look at the various ways you can support the ICD USA Section Foundation from your dues statement to creating or adding to an existing “Named Fund”, or setting the ICD USA Section Foundation as a benefactor in your estate planning, to suggesting a contact person to a potential advertiser, or supporting corporate partner. All you need to do is contact Dr. Roberson or the ICD USA Section Office and let them know how to make contact with this person and the rest will be done by us. A strong organization needs to be financially strong in order to carry out it’s mission. If we all do or part then the ICD USA Section Foundation will be able to do even greater things in the future. 

It has been an extreme honor and a personal pleasure to have had the opportunity to be a Fellow in the ICD and to serve in some leadership roles. The ICD is in my opinion, the premier honorary organization in dentistry, and it’s members are the nicest people I know and some of my dearest friends. 

Thank you,
Deck Barnes
ICD USA Section Foundation President