Welcome to The Great Lakes Association of Orthodontists!
The Great Lakes Association of Orthodontists (GLAO) is a constituent of the American Association of Orthodontists. The GLAO advocates on behalf of its members and promotes the value and advancement of the Specialty of Orthodontics. Component organizations of the GLAO include: Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Ontario (Canada), and Pennsylvania (west of the Alleghenies).
A Message from The GLAO President...
“Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better.” These words were expressed by legendary basketball coach Pat Riley, and while he was speaking about pursuing excellence on the hardwood, this concept connects extremely well with orthodontics in the 21st century. The theme of the 2024 GLAO/MASO joint annual meeting is Reflect, Refresh, and Renew. But this is also the lens through which I hope to guide the GLAO as President over the next year. Have you recently stopped to reflect upon the impact you have had as an orthodontist and community leader? In the last year, have you endeavored to refresh the habits and systems you leverage to conduct your professional activities? Have you allocated any time recently to assess, recenter, and renew your professional purpose to yourself, your team, and/or community? For many of us, the answer to some or all these questions is “No”. And while we all continue to push forward, I can’t help to think that we, as a profession, could be more impactful and efficient by intentionally allocating time to reflect, refresh, and renew. It is my hope that over the next year, we can offer opportunities for each of you to do just that.
The GLAO has many ongoing initiatives but one of the most important activities that we will conduct this year as an organization is the comprehensive review of our strategic plan. This is a wonderful opportunity to assess our organization’s roadmap and ensure that our various activities support our ability to realize our vision, mission, and goals. As our world continues to change and evolve, we must be intentional about including initiatives that support the primary purpose of our organization. The GLAO leadership and I encourage you to review our current strategic plan and share your thoughts so that your voice is heard as we work to update this essential document.
For the last several years, one of the organization’s main goals has been to increase member engagement. Along with the annual session, the GLAO has initiated virtual Coffee Chats as a means of enhancing our sense of community. This platform has allowed us to create another channel to disseminate pertinent information to the membership and receive timely feedback from members, which helps to inform the decisions of the GLAO leadership. We have also enhanced our social media presence as another mechanism to facilitate the exchange of useful clinical, business, and professional information. While these have been positive changes, we still have much work to do regarding the enhanced engagement of the general membership. Please share your ideas of possible topics and/or content that you would like to see in future GLAO communication activities (Coffee Chats, e-News, etc.). You can share your thoughts and ideas with Debbie, Karla, or any of the GLAO leadership.
I am excited about our 2024 joint Annual Session with MASO at the Westin Frenchman’s Reef in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. The annual session will occur October 17-20, 2024 and will be a wonderful opportunity to reflect upon our many accomplishments as individuals and an organization. To refresh ourselves in a serene environment, guaranteed to help you enhance your mental wellness and overall well-being. And to renew our pledge to safeguard our communities and protect the prestige of the orthodontic profession. It is set to be a wonderful meeting and opportunity to connect with one another and I look forward to seeing you all there!
As I close, I would like to extend two challenges to our membership for this next year. First, I challenge you to find one to two ways that you can become more engaged in this organization. Your professional experiences, current/future needs, and voices are all highly valued and needed for our organization to continue to evolve and attain its highest potential. YOU are the GLAO and as you strengthen your professional abilities and engagement, so too will our organization be enhanced. Next, as Pat Riley shared “strive to do better” and help infuse our communities with the excellence that will be produced in the process! Each day is a precious opportunity to become a better version of ourselves, and I hope that you will renew your commitment to the perpetual process of self-improvement. I hope that each of you find an abundance of joy and success over the coming year.
Respectfully submitted,
Kelton T. Stewart, DDS, MS, FACD
GLAO President
2023-24 GLAO President