Advocacy Resources

Use the District Map to confirm your district and your District Trustees.

Below is a list of current AAP members who represent periodontology in other organizations.

National Commission on Recognition of Dental Specialties and Certifying Boards

• Donald Clem III, AAP Representative: 2021-2025
• Wayne Aldredge, National Commission Appeals Board: 2022-2026

American Dental Association (ADA)

ADA Trustee

• Scott Morrison, 10^th District Trustee

ADA Committees

• Howard Zolot, Budget and Finance Committee
• Maria Geisinger, Science and Research Institute Committee
• Martha Somerman, Science and Research Institute Committee

ADA Commissions

• Maxine Feinberg, 2021 ADA Delegation to the FDI World Dental Federation; Commission on Dental Accreditation
• David Kim, Commission for Continuing Education Provider Recognition, 2022
• Peter Loomer, Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (2025)

ADA Councils

• Uri Hangorsky, Admission Test for Dental Hygiene Committee, Council on Dental Education and Licensure (2022)
• Prabha Krishnan, Council on Communications (2023)
• Jessica Stilley-Mallah, Council on Dental Benefits Programs (2023)
• Joan Otomo-Corgel, Council on Dental Education and Licensure (2023)
• Leigh Kent, Council on Government Affairs (2024)
• Stephanie Briggs, Council on Members Insurance and Retirement Programs (2022)
• Kerri Simpson, Council on Membership (2024)
• Effie Ioannidou, Council on Scientific Affairs (2023)
• Purnima Kumar, Council on Scientific Affairs (2024)

ADA House of Delegates

• Currently there are over 30 AAP members who are Delegates and Alternates for the ADA.

American Dental Political Action Committee (ADPAC)

• Giorgio DiVincenzo, ADPAC (Chair-Elect)
• Michael Breault, ADPAC (2024)
• Matthew Neary, ADPAC (2024)

Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)

• Maxine Feinberg (2024)

Review Committee on Periodontics Education

• James Katancik, Commissioner (2022)
• Paul Luepke (2023)
• Angela Palaiologou-Gallis (2024)
• Georgia Johnson (2022)

2022 Commissioner Trainees (Term 2023-2026)

• Paul Luepke (2026)

2022 Appeal Board

• Timothy Walsh (2023)

American Dental Education Association (ADEA): Section on Periodontics

• Sangeetha Chandrasefaran, Chair
• Kai-Chiao (Joe) Chang, Chair-elect
• Jessica Owens, Councilor
• Anuja Doshi, Secretary

AAP’s Insurance Consultant

The AAP’s Insurance Consultant, Marie Schweinebraten, is a Life Active member and represents the AAP on the following committees until 2024.

• Code Maintenance Committee
• Standard Committee on Dental Informatics (SCDI)
• SNODENT
• Dental Quality Alliance

Message from the ADA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs

New dentists are starting their careers owing nearly $305,000 in educational debt ($270,125 for graduates from public dental schools and $349,730 for graduates from private dental schools).  A new dentist’s educational debt may influence their career choices, such as pursuing an associateship or corporate career, pooling resources to purchase a retiring dentist’s practice, or practicing in underserved areas. It can also affect other areas of their life, even decisions about starting a family.

Talk to your congressional representatives today! Urge them to support the following bills that are pending in Congress. These bills will not achieve all of the student loan reform needed, but they will make educational debt more manageable until broader solutions are found.

This message is in alignment with the ADA policies on student loans, which can be found here.

Grassroots Alert

URGE YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO SUPPORT STUDENT LOAN REFORM

https://actioncenter.ada.org/support-student-loan-reform/

H.R. 4631, the Protecting Our Students by Terminating Graduate Rates that Add to Debt Act (POST GRAD Act), would reinstate eligibility for graduate and professional students with financial need to have their student loan interest subsidized while attending school.

H.R. 4122/S. 3658, the Resident Education Deferred Interest Act (REDI Act), would allow medical and dental residents to defer payments on their federal student loans—and delay the point at which interest begins to accrue—until after completing their residency.

H.R. 2160, the Student Loan Refinancing Act, would enable borrowers to refinance their federal student loans on multiple occasions to take advantage of lower interest rates.

H.R. 1918, the Student Loan Refinancing and Recalculation Act, would provide a chance for borrowers to refinance their federal student loans when interest rates are lower. It would also eliminate loan origination fees and allow medical and dental residents to defer payments until after completing their residency programs. Additionally, it would delay the accrual of interest for many low- and middle-income borrowers while they are in school.

H.R. 4726, the Student Loan Interest Deduction Act, would double the student loan interest deduction (from $2,500 to $5,000) and eliminate the income limits that disqualify those with higher incomes from reaping the benefit.

H.R. 7539/S. 2874, the Indian Health Service Health Professions Tax Fairness Act, would allow dentists participating in the Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program to deduct interest and principal payments from their federal income taxes, as well as certain benefits received by those in the Indian Health Service Health Professions Scholarship Program.

H.R. 1285/S. 449, the Dental Loan Repayment Assistance Act, would allow full-time faculty members participating in the Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program (DFLRP) to exclude the amount of the loan forgiveness from their federal income taxes.

H.R. 2295, the HIV Epidemic Loan-Repayment Program Act (HELP Act), would offer up to $250,000 in educational loan repayment to dentists, physicians, and other health care professionals in exchange for up to five years of service at Ryan White-funded clinical sites and in health profession shortage areas.

The American Dental Political Action Committee is the nonpartisan dental professional political action committee (PAC) working to support and elect pro-dental candidates. Learn more about current issues and how you can be involved here.