It would be my honor to serve as your next President-Elect of the Virginia Dental Association. The Virginia Dental Association has been a part of my life long before I even considered becoming a dentist. As a kid, I remember traveling with my parents to the annual VDA meetings at the Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach. My childhood memories from these beach trips included watching the friendships my father had with his colleagues; friendships that have certainly transcended the years. Many years later, as I entered the profession, it became apparent to me how the VDA helped provide the network for these friendships. I, too, have made friends with so many colleagues through the VDA, and I expect these relationships to enrich my personal and professional life. I think we can all attest to the network and strength of our VDA. For over 150 years we have successfully advocated for our patients and the profession through our history of strong leadership and robust membership. That tradition must continue for us to maintain our relevancy in such a dynamic market. It is appropriate for us to tout our historical victories, such as non-covered services, de-minimus clause legislation, increased Medicaid reimbursements, etc., but the adversities facing our profession are only growing. Third party intrusion, workforce shortages, and increased governmental regulations are just a few of the current issues facing our members. I mention these challenges not as a doom-and-gloom for our new members but as a reality check that the profession needs the Virginia Dental Association…and the VDA needs its members in order to overcome these adversities. I don’t think anyone would argue that the dental landscape seems to be changing exponentially faster than it has in years past. This is an opportunity for the VDA to capitalize on forward-thinking concepts to continue to poise ourselves for success. I believe that as an organization of nearly 4,000 member dentists, we should leverage our size to exploit opportunities for our membership. These opportunities exist; we simply need the courage to explore them. I am truly excited about the future of the VDA. Our previous leaders have poised our association for success at every turn. With your support, I am ready and willing to put forth the effort needed and required to continue to lead the VDA. I am running for the position of President-Elect because I am committed to the future success of the VDA.
CV - Dr. Justin Norbo