CHICAGO (July 8, 2013)—The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) is pleased to announce its new executive committee. The following leaders were elected and installed during the AGD 2013 Annual Meeting & Exhibits, held June 27 to 30, in Nashville, Tenn.
President: Linda J. Edgar, DDS, MEd, MAGD
An AGD member for more than 20 years, Dr. Edgar has served the association in numerous leadership roles. She was a Board of Trustees member for Region 11, which is composed of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. She also has held all elected offices for the Washington AGD and served as its executive director for four years. During her tenure on the AGD Membership Council, Dr. Edgar developed a student transition manual and helped to create an AGD constituent marketing program, which aids constituents with their local recruitment efforts. Because of this work, Dr. Edgar received the AGD’s Overall Recruitment Award in 2003.
President-Elect: W. Carter Brown, DMD, FAGD
A member of the AGD since 1985, Dr. Brown has served the organization in many different capacities, including secretary/treasurer, Program Approval for Continuing Education approval officer, and webmaster for the South Carolina AGD. He also has been editor, delegate, vice chair, and trustee for Region 19. Dr. Brown has authored articles for AGD Impact, served on the AGD Communications Council, and presented at AGD Leadership Conferences. He also has been chair of the AGD Strategic Planning Task Force, chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, and Board of Trustees liaison to the AGD Communications and Legislative & Governmental Affairs councils. In 2007, he was nominated for the Humanitarian Award.
Vice President: W. Mark Donald, DMD, MAGD
An AGD member since 1988, Dr. Donald previously served the Mississippi AGD as membership chair, vice president, and president, and was a delegate from 1997 to 2001. He currently is the Mississippi AGD legislative chair. Nationally, Dr. Donald served two terms as AGD Speaker of the House. He was a member of the AGD Legislative & Governmental Affairs Council from 2000 to 2006, serving as chair for three years. He also was Region 12 regional director for six years and chair of the regional directors for two terms. Dr. Donald has served on the AGD Professional Relations Committee since its inception and is an AGD spokesperson.
Secretary: Manuel A. Cordero, DDS, MAGD
Dr. Cordero joined the AGD in 1987. He has represented the New Jersey AGD as a delegate since 1991 and has held nearly every position on its board, including president in 2000. He also has served as a regional director and trustee for the constituent, working on many critical task forces. Nationally, he was a member of the AGD’s first Staff Compensation Committee and currently serves as an AGD spokesperson.
Treasurer: Maria A. Smith, DMD, MAGD
An AGD member since 1985, Dr. Smith became a board member for the Connecticut AGD in 1987 and its president in 1991. She also represented her constituent as a delegate to the AGD House of Delegates from 1988 to 2003. On the national level, her AGD involvements include service on the Membership Council from 1987 to 1993 and the Council on Constituent and Component Development from 1993 to 1999. She also was the Region 1 regional director from 1997 to 2003, as well as both vice chair and chair of the AGD regional directors. Dr. Smith became the Region 1 trustee in 2003 and was appointed to the Budget and Finance Committee in 2005, serving as its chair from 2006 to 2010.
Speaker of the House: John C. Comisi, DDS, MAGD
A member of the AGD since 1990, Dr. Comisi has been involved with the organization in numerous ways on both the local and national levels. He has held many positions with the New York State AGD, including president, and he has served as a delegate or alternate delegate to the AGD House of Delegates since 1991. He is a member of the IT Oversight Task Force, and previously was a member of the AGD Budget and Finance Committee and AGD Group Benefits Council. He also has served as a member or chair of many AGD Board committees during his tenure, and he currently is an AGD spokesperson.
Editor: Roger D. Winland, DDS, MS, MAGD
An AGD member since 1975, Dr. Winland has served as a member of the Legislative & Governmental Affairs Council and chair of the former Self-Assessment Committee. He also is a former president of the Ohio AGD and the Hocking Valley Dental Society. As editor, Dr. Winland is responsible for the innovative and informative publications of the AGD: AGD Impact, the monthly newsmagazine, and General Dentistry, the bimonthly peer-reviewed, clinical journal. Before becoming AGD editor, he was the editor of the Ohio AGD’s award-winning newsletter, The Family Dentist.
Immediate Past President: Jeffrey M. Cole, DDS, MBA, FAGD
A member of the AGD since 1988, Dr. Cole has been actively involved with the AGD Board of Trustees representing Region 5, which is composed of Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. Before he was elected to the Board, Dr. Cole served on the former AGD Dental Care Council, as well as the Dental Education Council. He was elected AGD treasurer in 2006 and held that position for four years. On the constituent and regional levels, Dr. Cole served as treasurer for Region 5 before becoming regional director, and was a delegate to the AGD House of Delegates. Additionally, Dr. Cole is a past president of the Delaware State Dental Society and currently serves as an American Dental Association delegate on the society’s behalf.
