b'YOUR ACADEMY AT WORKWelcome to the AAP Advocacy Corner! This new regular feature aims to share how the Academy is working to advocate on behalf of the specialty. Defining advocacy for a diverse membership is a difficult task, but hearing from individual members about what they are doing to support periodontics helps provide a better understanding of this important concept. In this edition of the CORNER Advocacy Corner, Dr. Giorgio DiVincenzo shares his path to leadership and the role advocacy has played throughout his career.Where would we be asThose early days impacted my career and love for the profession. I a profession withoutwent on to become the President of the Component Dental Society, Advocacy?and eventually the President of the State Dental Association. Once I My journey in organizedcompleted my tenure as President, I was asked to serve on the ADPAC dentistry started back inboard of the ADA by my District Trustee. Currently, I am in my sixth year 1993 at a Component Dentalon the board and serve as Chair, representing 159,000 ADA member Society meeting in Newdentists and advocating on a federal level to protect the interests of Jersey. I had recently completeddentists and their patients. ADPAC builds relationships with members my periodontal residency andof Congress, the Senate, and their staff. Dentistry holds the number 3 was getting involved in starting a practice.position on healthcare PACs thanks to the generosity of ADA member Like most young specialists that start adentists. As you are aware, without funding we could not be a strong practice from scratch, you needed to buildunited voice on Capitol Hill. ADPAC is not only involved in fundraising, relationships with colleagues. What betterbut also in educating, grass roots initiatives, and branding the name place to start than a local component in thatof the ADA in Washington D.C. It is through the generosity of 13-15% area? In essence, I was developing my skillsof the ADA membership that we hold this strong position amongst in advocacy and advocating on behalf of myhealthcare PACs. I am blessed to serve with an amazing group of 27 practice to my new colleague dentists.board members, and a D.C. staff that is second to none. The AAP, AAE, and the AGD each have a representative member on the board because What inspired me the most at the meetingsthey do not have an independent PAC of their own. was the attendance of older, retired docs that still saw the value of participating as memberAs a practicing periodontist I am aware that what affects dentists dentists, voicing their opinions, and beingaffects us all, including every specialty group. I am hopeful that there to help the younger docs in navigatingperiodontists will see the value of ADA membership and participation their new chosen profession. We had onewith ADPAC to keep our profession strong! We can only achieve this common tie, that we were all dentists,when we are united. regardless of our specialties, and a commonGiorgio T DiVincenzo, DMDgoal to protect dentistry and our patients fromChair of ADPACoutside external forces.7th District AAP Trustee AAP Periospectives| 13'