Although Dr. Jack Dillenberg did not attend this year’s ADEA International Women’s Leadership Conference, he did send six women to represent ASDOH. Keynote speaker, Dr. Benoit Varenne–Regional Advisor on Oral Health, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (Republic of Congo)–spoke on Oral Health as an Essential Component of General Health. Other topics included The Landscape for Women Leaders in Education, Research and Practice and Global Leadership for Oral Health Collaborations for Interprofessional Education. Poster presentations and oral presentations covered various topics such as cultural competency concepts, gender matters, trends in the oral health workforce globally and strategies to enhance leadership potential of emerging women leaders.

ASDOH’s women, including Drs. Michelle L. Gross-Panico, Klud Razoky, Maureen Munnelly Romer and Janet Woldt along with Colleen Reidhead and Monica Williamson Nenad, shared their poster presentation on Assessing the Positive and Negative Aspects of the Dental Education Work Environment:  Are We Happy and Do We Know It? In their study, they concluded that female employees overall are more satisfied with their work environment, which supported their hypothesis. Further study is needed in areas of differences in satisfaction to ensure that female employees are given the same opportunities, benefits and support as their male counterparts. All enjoyed their time networking with colleagues around the globe and sightseeing along the way.