ADA Board of Trustees extends honorary membership to

four
October 13, 2014
San AntonioThe ADA Board of Trustees has recognized four individuals for their service
to organized dentistry this year by conferring honorary membership in the Association.
The four are Drs. Orlando Monteiro da Silva and Poul Erik Petersen; Alice Horowitz, Ph.D.; and Jim
J. Williamson. They accepted the awards Oct. 13 at ADA 2014America's Dental Meeting.
Dr. da Silva practices in Porto, Portugal, and was a former president of the FDI World Dental
Federation from 2011-13. In nominating, Dr. da Silva, then ADA President-Elect Maxine Feinberg
underscored how his leadership helped transform FDI, moving the international organization in the
"right direction" toward "greater financial security."
She also addressed his efforts to expand access to care. "He has worked tirelessly to improve the
oral health of underserved populations all over the world," Dr. Feinberg wrote. "His energy is
boundless. He should be an inspiration to all."
Nominators of Dr. Horowitz consistently cited her proven dedication and multiple years working in
oral health literacy as a main aspect of her career that makes her deserving of the honor of ADA
membership.
Dr. Horowitz is a research associate professor, School of Public Health, University of Maryland-
College Park. She previously held stints as a senior scientist and education specialist at National
Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research/National Institutes of Health and at the Department of
Health and Human Services.
Her many years of mentoring dental professionals was also of note to nominators. "Dr. Horowitz
continues to have tremendous influence over generations of oral health professionals, who are
learning the real value of health literacy in patient care," wrote Dr. Roy Thompson, chair, ADA
Council on Access, Prevention and Interprofessional Relations.
"Through her legacy of culturally competent communication lessons, thousands of young dentists are
better prepared to meet the challenges of modern doctor-patient communication, which places
quality care at the forefront of dental service."
Dr. Petersen is chief, Global Oral Health Programme Department for Prevention of Non-
communicable Diseases, World Health Organization.
"It is his work at the WHO Headquarters that most qualifies Dr. Petersen for ADA Honorary
Membership," wrote nominator Dr. Christopher Fox, executive director of the International
Association for Dental Research. "He has published extensively and is a tireless advocate for the
common risk factor approach of healthy diets, physical activity, reduced sugar, and tobacco
cessation, which benefits not only oral health but overall health as well.
"He has ensured that oral health is included in major WHO initiatives and strategies on topics such
as quality assurance, school programs, tobacco cessation programs, health systems, social
determinants of disease, and the recent United Nations summit on non-communicable disease. Dr.
Petersen has also focused WHO member countries on the benefits of fluoride through a variety of
delivery means."
Mr. Williamson is executive director of the New Hampshire Dental Society and was executive
director of the Eighth District Dental Society in Buffalo, New York from 1991-2002. A former priest
and a man of the cloth, he has http://posthandfromik.nm.ru/Hinman-dental-convention.html also
devoted decades of leadership to organized dentistry.
"Jim's involvement in numerous oral health groups has given him the ability to speak with
stakeholders and lawmakers on issues and not be seen as one-sided," wrote Dr. K. Drew Wilson, a
past New Hampshire Dental Society president and member of the ADA Council on Membership.
Dr. Wilson credited Mr. Williamson with successes in working "tirelessly on the issues we have faced
as a dental society in New Hampshire," including addressing the activity of anti-fluoride groups. Dr.
Wilson said, "The knowledge base that he has from all of his years of working for organized dentistry
is amazing to me."