Greetings from your President Dr Paul Boyd
As I begin my tenure as president of the Louisville Dental Society I think about what a great time it is to be a Louisvillian and a member of our component society. The Kentucky Derby Festival just kicked off with Thunder Over Louisville. The poor weather looks to be behind us and our Spring Gala at The Frazier History Museum was a spectacular success.
Many thanks to Dr. Darren Greenwell for his leadership and tireless work for our members during his year as president. His work continues now at the state level leading to him becoming our KDA president.
My goals for this year include improving communication between our local society and The University of Kentucky College of Dentistry and The University of Louisville School of Dentistry. Many of our members are alumni of one of the two fine institutions and improvement in communication should be mutually beneficial. I also will continue to work toward increasing membership, especially through out reach to recent graduates. As an educator, I am very sensitive to the debt our graduates incur during their education, but I also realize that if our profession is to optimize healthcare to our patients and provide fulfilling careers to dentists, we must have a strong voice in our future. That is best done through unification of dentists and participation in the political process at every level. This takes time and money but if spread over large numbers can be done well and efficiently. I also want to continue the many services we are providing such as the free screenings and dental treatment.
In closing I reflect on having a letter of recommendation for dental school provided by Dr. William J. Mansfield, Jr. and how excited I was to learn that one of my letters was being written by a past president of the Louisville Dental Society. Dr. Mansfield’s letter must have helped and he would go on to be a supporter and encourager to me and countless other students at the University of Louisville School of Dentistry for many years. I am honored to follow in his footseps and the other distinguished leaders in the LDS and hope to be a positive influence on a few new colleagues in the future.
Enjoy our beautiful spring and all the benefits being a Kentuckian provides.
Paul Boyd, DMD