NMDA Directory 2020-2021

4 I recently watched a documentary series about the year 1968. It was a year of social turmoil for Americans that has never been surpassed until perhaps this year. That year started with the Tet Offensive followed closely by the siege of Khe San in Vietnam stoking a lot of disillusionment with the war. The country struggled with violent civil unrest following the assassination of Martin Luther King and brutal police suppression of anti-war protesters during the Democratic presidential convention. The nation sorrowed over the assassination of Robert Kennedy and that threw the Democratic primary and the presidential general election into deep-seated divisions that have continued to this day. The year ended with the US establishing their claim on the space race when Apollo 8 orbited the moon creating some much-needed hopefulness for the future. As I write this mid-2020, we have seen our share of turmoil. Interestingly, some of the issues are eerily similar. Like 1968, the country is desperately divided on politics and social issues. Unlike 1968, the COVID pandemic and the economic carnage it has created threatens our day- to-day lives unlike anything we have seen since the Great Depression or world wars. America has bounced back from all these crises before and we likely will again. To succeed we will have to pull together and overcome the harsh divisions that are fueling the turmoil. The dental profession has already rallied around our core values to sustain us through the economic challenges and navigate through unfamiliar bureaucracies created by the pandemic. I’m proud of our response and the early signs of recovery our profession is seeing already. What once seemed hopeless is beginning to feel doable, but we have a long way to go. I hope that by the time you read this, you will be seeing even more progress toward a new normal that allows practices to thrive and dentists to succeed. We are in this struggle together and what we have in common is far more important than the superficial differences of race, culture, and philosophy that sometimes seem to divide us. I hope you will also be seeing more from the Association. We are taking more steps toward our NMDA 2.0 goals that I think will let us serve your needs even more effectively. Your staff is working hard to bring you more value and services. Being a member has a new importance in our rapidly changing world. Thank you for being one. Tom Schripsema, DDS NMDA Executive Director Peace

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