Join a Committee
Volunteers play a crucial role in our work by serving on committees.
Committee members are appointed to serve by fellow members. Appointments may be made by political party, branch directors or board officers. For more information on how to join any of our committees, please contact Joanne Girardi.
Each committee also includes officers, who may be appointed or elected. For more information on the policies governing CDS committees, logged-in members may view our constitution and bylaws.
Committee members receive a per diem of $100 per meeting to defray expenses incurred while traveling to and attending meetings. Depending on the duties of the committee, CDS in some cases covers the cost of members to attend conferences, including the Midwinter Meeting.
Types of Committees
We have three types of committees.
Standing Committees
- Access to Care: Helps create, promote and support programs that improve oral health for all in the metro Chicago area. The committee focuses in particular improving access to dental care among underserved groups.
- Communications: Advises on strategies to promote CDS and oral health through public relations activities, including outreach to media and community relations programs like National Children's Dental Health Month. Oversees spokesperson training for the society; members serve as primary spokespeople for the society.
- Dental Benefits: Educates members about dental insurance issues and tracks member complaints about insurers. The committee works hand-in-hand with their counterpart committee at ISDS.
- Continuing Education: Helps expand our offerings of high-quality CE programs, suggesting speakers and topics, and acts as a resource to the Board on continuing education issues.
- Government Affairs: Monitors legislative and political issues that affect dentists in Cook, Lake and DuPage Counties. It builds relationships with legislators; collaborates with ISDS and ADA; and recommends policies that improve oral health.
- Mediation: Receives patient complaints about dental treatment and works to resolve them. If a dispute cannot be settled quickly, the Mediation Chairman may refer it to the Peer Review Committee.
- Membership: Recruits new members and helps to meet the needs of existing members by attending the ADA's annual New Dentist Conference, assisting with the Mentorship Program at the UIC College of Dentistry, and making recommendations to the CDS board as to how to best serve dentists.
- Regional/Educational Meeting Program: In collaboration with the Director of Scientific Programs, plans and executes the educational programs at our regular meetings.
- Peer Review: Evaluates disputes referred by the Mediation Committee or Ethics and Special Issues Committee.
- Special Events: Suggests and promotes social events open to members throughout the year. Special events include baseball games, the CDS picnic and musicals.
- Sponsorship: Works with corporate sponsors of the Midwinter Meeting and makes sponsorship policy recommendations to the Board.
Midwinter Meeting Committees
- Entertainment: Works with the President-Elect and staff to arrange entertainment for the Midwinter Meeting.
- Exhibits: Assist Midwinter Meeting exhibitors. Responsible for monitoring exhibitors' compliance to CDS policies and ensuring that exhibitors have a great experience.
- General Arrangements: Responsibilities include providing directions, managing signs, resolving any issues with venue staff, managing the lost and found, and staffing information and message centers.
- Course Division: Responsible for full-day paid and ticketed courses at the Midwinter Meeting.
- Lecture Division: Oversees non-ticketed lectures, panel discussions, and selected exhibits at the Midwinter Meeting.
- Registration and Credentials: Responsibilities include monitoring the registration area, resolving registration issues, and helping recruit new CDS members.
- Spouses' Luncheon: Responsible for planning the fashion show and assisting with the VIP Spouses Luncheon.
- VIP Reception: Welcomes distinguished guests and manages the VIP Suite during the meeting.
Ad Hoc Committees
On an as-needed basis, ad hoc committees are formed by the Board. Some are dissolved once they have served their purpose, while others become standing committees. As of June 2011, our ad hoc committees include:
- Building Committee
- Sesquicentennial Committee
- Virtual Reality
For more information on how to join any of our committees, please contact Joanne Girardi.