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The Week That Was Blog: April 10-14

By Paul Roberts

April 14, 2023

Members in Bloom After a short week and a beautiful Easter weekend, the sunshine and good vibes continued through a busy travel week. When we travel, we get to see you, our wonderful members. Here’s a brief recap of the action. Tuesday 4/11, Jerri Wildhaber from MDIS and I attended the SIU Vendor Fair. On the way we dropped off EFDA supplies at the office of father/daughter combo Drs. Steven and Angelyn Rosenberger. They greeted us with warm smiles and took a moment to visit. I’ve known Angelyn since dental school and see her at almost every Greater St Louis Dental Society (GSLDS) event, as well as many MDA events. She must enjoy it! No surprise there. And every time I chat with Steven, I learn something new about something. He’s a bit of a renaissance man. This time he told me about orchard efforts and amateur wine making. That same day, Jerri and I rolled on to exhibit at SIU and visit with a variety of students who loved our booth goodies. Two of MDA’s finest are now instructors at the school. Dr. Bill Seaton and Dr. Vince Rapini paid us a visit and caught us up on the local buzz. Both men have served organized dentistry well over their careers. I like that they can dish it out with a little humor as well. Thursday 4/13, I was honored to visit the Cardinal Rigali Center which houses all the central offices of the Archdiocese of St Louis. The grounds are beautiful as is the ornate chapel and stately old buildings. I was told this used to be a seminary. While I didn’t get to meet the Archbishop, I did get to visit with Dr. John LandgrafDr. Greg Casalone and Ms. Katie Leverich. I was learning more about their burgeoning work with the archdiocese mobile dental van. I tried to share some feeble knowledge from my MOMOM experience as they assemble strategies and systems around fundraising, volunteer recruitment, supply inventory, etc. They have an exciting story to tell and they are passionate about their work. I encourage our GSLDS members to volunteer for a shift. After we met, Drs. Casalone and Landgraf treated me to lunch. I enjoyed their friendship and stories from their satisfying careers to date. Thursday 4/13, I stuck around for a special GSLDS event that evening targeting the “Middles”. I applaud this new approach. There are always many events for new dentists. And some excellent member-wide programs as well. But what about that “middle career” stage where you’ve been out of school more than 10 years, you are getting established in practice, and you may have a young and active family with children, what’s there for you to do? This social brought out 20+ members in this stage of career. You could sense how happy they were to see friends and have a chance to connect and reconnect. Funny how food and beverage can foster such good vibes. After some interesting conversations and fun raffle drawings (no one ever gets too old to win prizes), I headed home with a smile thinking about how enjoyable it is to see the diversity and quality of our MDA members. I wish we could do that all across the state. In the many photos you might recognize these names and faces. I hope I didn’t leave anyone out. Meg Stagina, GSLDS ED, was our host. Dr. Megan Lenahan, GSLDS President, was on hand even after recently giving birth. Others in the photos include Drs. Alfredo CalderonTrinity BoszkoAvana ReddyJeff AnglimHallie LillmarsEllen BattelDanielle RiordanKatie GarrityEmily HahnKatie WolkenAaron CampbellRobyn HayesAndy Hayes and more! Thursday 4/13, on the other end of the state, Jerri and Stacey Hemmel and Vicki Wilbers were attending the UMKC Midwest Dental Conference. They ran across a gaggle of members in the hotel lobby including Drs. Lisa Bosch, Ron WilkersonDan Kessler and Drs. Emily and David Mattingly. I expect more highlights to come, but the booth set up is awaiting everyone to get out of CE courses. Friday 4/14, more action to come from Kansas City plus a big Missouri Dental Board meeting. The Week Ahead Looks like more of the same as we have trips to Kansas City for National Signing Day followed by a jog down to Joplin to tour the new KCU School of Dental Medicine campus and attend a Southwest Dental Society meeting. And Jerri will attend board exams and provide lunch for the MOSDOH D4s in St. Louis. Travel can make a person weary, but it’s the best way to connect with a variety of members and address a plethora of important topics. As much work happens out of the MDA office as does in the office. Quote of the Week “In both business and personal life, I’ve always found that travel inspires me more than anything else I do.” – Ivanka Trump