Attendees Were Inspired and Empowered at the 2025 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition

Written by LaShell Stratton-Childers, ADEA Senior Editor

The 2025 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition in National Harbor, MD, held March 8-11, featured memorable plenary sessions, informative educational sessions and a busy Exhibit Hall floor—all embodying this year’s theme of “Be Inspired, Empower Tomorrow.”

Saturday, March 8

Saturday kicked off with the 2025 GoDental Recruitment Event, sponsored by Liaison International and Crest + Oral B P&G. With almost 1,000 students and nearly 70 schools in attendance, there were numerous networking opportunities and plenty of information to learn and share about dental schools, the application process and financing dental education during presentations, Q&As and on the bustling Exhibit Hall floor.

“I don’t think there have been this many people before,” said Karen P. West, D.M.D., M.P.H., ADEA President and CEO, as she gazed around the packed conference room. “It’s amazing.”

The Opening Session of the House of Delegates took place later that day. It was presided over by Dr. West; Susan H. Kass, M.Ed., Ed.D., RDH, then Chair of the Board; Todd V. Ester, D.D.S., M.S., ADEA then Chair-elect of the Board; Ana N. López Fuentes, D.M.D., M.P.H., FACD, FICD, then Immediate Past Chair of the Board; and Jeffery Stewart, D.D.S., M.S., ADEA Parliamentarian and Staff Ombudsman. The ADEA Board of Directors presented one candidate for the 2025-26 Chair-elect of the ADEA Board of Directors, Dr. Cherae Farmer Dixon, Dean of Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry. As no other candidate was presented, Dr. Farmer Dixon officially became the 2025-26 Chair-elect at the Opening Sessio of the House of Delegates.

During the House of Delegates, Dr. West shared ADEA organizational achievements and highlights of 2024, which are presented in more detail in the 2024 ADEA Annual Report.

Sunday, March 9

The Sunday Plenary began with Dr. Kass presenting award citations and the ADEA Distinguished Service Award to Marsha A. Pyle, D.D.S., M.Ed., ADEA Senior Chief, Knowledge, Engagement and Development; ADEA Senior Scholar in Residence; and President of the ADEAGies Foundation.

The plenary then segued to guest speaker, Michelle Rozen, Ph.D., M.D., “The Change Doctor”, who revealed the keys to becoming part of The 6% Club during her presentation, “Building a Culture of Excellence: Excellence Isn’t Optional.”

Dr. Rozen gave an overview of the survey findings discussed in her best-selling book, The 6% Club. In 2023, Dr. Rozen conducted a survey of 1,000 people around the United States who set goals at the beginning of the year.

“I thought let’s see over time how many of those people actually follow through,” Dr. Rozen said.

The results showed that 94% dropped their personal or professional goals or objectives by February. So, Dr. Rozen interviewed the 6% of respondents who met their goals and determined what they did differently to achieve them. She shared some of those secrets with plenary attendees so that they, too, could become one of the coveted 6%.

The Exhibit Hall opened on Sunday afternoon. It featured more than 90 exhibitors, the new First-time Attendees’ Lounge and the ADEA Showcase, where members could learn about ADEA Research and Data, Learning Initiatives, Advocacy Efforts, ADEA Connect and more.

Visitors to the Exhibit Hall could also peruse student posters and TechExpo presentations.

The day closed with the ADEA Chair of the Board Reception and the Welcome Reception for ADEA Leadership Institute Class of 2026.

Monday, March 10

The Tapestry Table Monday Plenary “Beyond Words: Insights Into More Compassionate Practices”, featured guest speaker Elizabeth Bonker, Executive Director, Communication 4 ALL. She beseeched the audience filled with oral health educators and professionals to operate dental practices filled with, above all else, empathy and compassion to best serve patients who are intellectually diverse.

“Just know that words matter,” Ms. Bonker, who is a nonspeaker with autism, said via a prior recorded video. “Please remember we can think, hear and feel.”

Bonker’s presentation marked the fifth Table Tapestry plenary moderated by Sonya Smith, Ed.D., J.D., M.Ed., M.A., ADEA Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff. It was sponsored by Haleon.

The day ended with the closure of the Exhibit Hall floor and later that night, the 2025 William J. Gies Awards for Vision, Innovation and Achievement Celebration. George Haddad, M.S., Founder of Liaison International, received the Gies Award for Eminence in Innovation. Cecile A. Feldman, D.M.D., M.B.A., Dean at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, received the Gies Award for Eminence in Vision and Leadership. Recipients of the Gies Award for Eminence in Achievement were Lois K. Cohen, Ph.D., Paul G. Rogers Ambassador for Global Health Research at Paul G. Rogers Society for Global Health Research; and Dennis A. Mitchell, D.D.S., M.P.H., Interim Dean, Professor of Dental Medicine (Community Health and Periodontics) at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine.

Tuesday, March 11

The “Closing Plenary: From Survival to Success” featured Dave Sanderson, a speaker, author and survivor of what is known as “The Miracle on the Hudson.” Named one of Inc.com’s Top 100 Leadership speakers, Mr. Sanderson has traveled the world sharing his inspirational leadership lessons, while raising more than $14.8 million for the American Red Cross over the last 10 years through his talks.

During the plenary session, Mr. Sanderson shared the strategies he learned and implemented after surviving the crash of US Airways Flight 1549 to show how attendees can grow from traumatic life events and achieve their most sought-after goals and outcomes.

“These jolts created a lifetime of purpose,” Mr. Sanderson said.

The Closing of House of Delegates held Thursday afternoon marked the ending of the 2025 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition. During the ceremony, Dr. Ester shared that the 2026 Annual Session & Exhibition will take place March 21-24, 2026, in Montreal, Quebec, Palais des congrès de Montréal. The theme next year is “Bridging Pathways, Advancing Access”, acknowledging that oral health education is uniquely positioned in this moment to bridge pathways for greater access to health for all.

In addition, the 2025-26 ADEA Board of Directors was installed at the closing of the 2025 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition.

Published on April 9, 2025