b'and local activities is difficult if not impossible. Thisinspire our future grads and open their eyes to the needs to change. A bi-partite system of membershipwonderful opportunities as well as challenges ofto include a national as well as state or regionalprivate practice.organization, unifying our specialty nationally, needs to be considered as one approach to strengthen ourStrengthen our Annual Meetingsadvocacy efforts for the benefit of our specialty andOver the years, I have had the privilege of participating our members. in the construction of many of our Annual Meetings Increase Membership Breadth as a member of the Continuing Education Oversight Committee (CEOC). And I am proud to say that the As President Andrew Jackson once said, money isAAP Annual Meeting is one of the best programs in power. Approximately, 50% of the AAPs incomeall of dentistry. It is a disenfranchisement however, derives from membership dues. But we have roomthat not all of our members are able to participate in to grow; not by increasing dues but by increasingour pinnacle annual event. For various reasons, many our membership. Certainly, continued effort needs toof our members are unable to attend a 3- or 4-day be made to achieve membership for as many of themeeting at a remote location. Our younger members remaining non-member periodontists in the countryespecially, burdened by high student loans, and busy as possible. However, since 100% membershipraising families are having difficulty attending from participation is unrealistic, we need to be creative. a financial and time standpoint. We must recognize The time has come to develop a membership categorythat the economic condition of the periodontist in past for hygienists in our Academy. This issue has beenyears is very different from that of today. This past discussed on many occasions at the Board ofyear, I was appointed by my fellow board members to Trustees and I fully support the concept. A successfulthe task force that converted our Annual Meeting to relationship between the periodontist and hygienist isa virtual format. Our first ever virtual Annual Meeting invaluable for improving patient care and increasingwas a resounding success as evidenced by the over referrals. In many general practices, the hygienist2000 participants that participated including many is the leader of the periodontal team, often makingfrom overseas. We provided a virtual meeting this past diagnostic suggestions and recommending treatment. year out of necessity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of us have already taken advantage of thisNow we have an opportunity given our experience with mutually beneficial relationship by providing studythis format, to continue offering our Annual Meetings clubs exclusively for hygienists in our communities tovirtually in conjunction with the physical meeting to help educate them on disease management, when toexpand the reach of our program to periodontists refer and for what. It is time to also include them inglobally. These programs can be live and on demand our Academy.and will increase member participation, enhance membership benefit, and promote the image of the Enhancing the image of periodontics to pre-docAAP nationally and internationally. students is yet another way to increase membership. One easy way to implement idea is to create a nationalIf given the opportunity to serve, I will work tirelessly data base that connects periodontal education aton your behalf.I look forward to speaking with as both the pre- and post-doctoral level with interestedmany of you as I can over the next few months to ask private practice periodontists in a given community towhat else the AAP can do for you. Thank you for your serve as part time faculty. There is a faculty shortageconsideration.It would be an honor and privilege to in most dental schools, and many private practicereceive your vote for AAP Secretary/Treasurer in June. periodontists would relish the opportunity to teach andNicholas Caplanis DMD MS FACD FICDhave a faculty appointment, even at a volunteer level. At the pre-doc level, the private practice periodontistAAP District VI Trustee would be an effective ambassador for our specialtyDiplomate American Board of Periodontology and help promote our pre-docs to pursue a careerAssistant Professor Loma Linda Universityin periodontology. At the post-doc level, they wouldSchool of Dentistry AAP Periospectives| 13102378_AAOP.indd 13 3/18/21 2:36 PM'