This is our future: the Journal presents a special interview with ADAA President, Stephen E. Spadaro, about taking the ADAA in a new and exciting direction

Dental Assistant, The, July-August, 2009

President Spadaro, the next issue of the Journal will carry a bylaw change proposal that is bound to cause a great deal of discussion and raise many questions from ADAA members. Would you please tell our readers what they can expect?

We're going to ask this year's delegates to the Annual Conference to consider a big change in our organization's make-up. Specifically, we will present a program that creates an additional form of membership in the ADAA.

The ADAA has always had a number of membership categories. What makes this one special?

This will be what we call an "eMembership" for those who choose to affiliate with ADAA via the Internet, and receive their information and certain limited benefits through the virtual world. We want to reach out to the vast under-served population of dental assistants in America who are not currently affiliated with any professional organization. We invite them to join the ADAA in this special way at no cost. They can enjoy certain privileges through this affiliation while they learn about the ADAA and consider future traditional affiliation.

Will you change your traditional membership?

No, the traditional member, referred to in our proposal as a "Professional or Sustaining Member" will continue to enjoy all their current benefits and will retain their exclusive rights to hold office at the local, state and national level. We hope to add more and better benefits for this level of member too.

What will the eMember receive?

eMembers will enjoy a special online edition of The Dental Assistant and one hour of free online education each year. They will, of course, be entitled to link to the employment referral service www.dentalworkers.com, ADAA's on-line job board. There will be a discussion board for new eMembers and the privilege of participating in certain member services such as credit cards, life and medical insurance and hotel and rental car discounts. They will also be able to manage their membership records on line and print out an eMembership card. There are e-newsletters planned for special interests such as students, educators, administrators and clinicians. Some of these are available already to our present members.

And for the "Professional or Sustaining Member"?

A whole lot more. "Professional or Sustaining Members" will continue to earn a rebate for their states and to hold office at any level and serve as delegates at the annual conference. They will get four hours or approximately $60 worth of free CE each year with no grading fee for online education. They'll also have first shot at online education before it is made available to anyone else. And they'll receive a hard copy of the Journal as well as the e-Journal with an archive search tool not provided to the eMember. One of the most important member benefits which will be continued and possibly strengthened is the professional liability insurance and the accidental death insurance that comes as part of annual member dues.

That sounds like a pretty solid financial benefit package.

It is and there are additional benefits as well. Student members have access to ADAA scholarships and Professional or Sustaining Members have exclusive access to members--only content on the ADAA website. Plus they will enjoy all the member benefit discount programs offered to every category of membership as well as message board capability for Professional or Sustaining Members only.

We don't want any current member to feel that they are being overlooked. Sustaining Members will be recognized with Life or 25-year seniority pins and certificates and free Journal service at retirement as well as the invitation to participate in the Fellowship/Mastership program and to enjoy the networking, camaraderie and life-long friendships built from personal interaction with their professional association.

To brighten the picture, there will be periodic bonuses for renewing and new Professional or Sustaining Members, such as seniority pins, discount coupons and incentives.

Why are you calling the new category "members"? Aren't they really more like "associates"?

Not really. We are calling them eMembers because we value their relationship to us and we want them to know that they are included in our organization, not peripheral to it.

Because they have chosen to become a part of the ADAA we will provide them with certain member benefits in recognition, such as a limited version of the Journal online and reduced prices for CE; although not as reduced as those enjoyed by Active or traditionally-based members.

How does this membership--with no apparent revenue for the national or state organizations--benefit the ADAA?

We foresee many benefits at all levels principally from non-dues revenue in the area of continuing education and special events. The old adage "Strength in numbers" has never been more truthful. Although states won't receive dues for eMembers, they will receive the contact information they'll need to invite those new eMembers to lectures and meetings and to demonstrate the value of traditional membership.