The Pierre Fauchard Academy Certificate of Merit may be presented by any international section to more than one candidate each year in recognition of a worthy effort on behalf the profession or the Academy. International sections only.
Dr. J. Eric Selnes – CAO Merit Award – 2024
| Dr. Selnes has been an outstanding member of the orthodontic community for almost 30 years. He began his undergraduate education at Queen’s University where he completed a BA/BPHE followed by a M.Sc. in Biomechanics. He was then accepted by the University of Toronto for both his undergraduate dental degree, and his residency in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. Following completion of his residency, he completed a Cleft Lip, Craniofacial and Pediatric Dentistry Residency from Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. Eric has answered the call to serve multiple dental and orthodontic associations on a local, provincial, and national Level. He is the Past President of many organizations, including the Toronto Orthodontic Study Club, the Halton-Peel Dental Association, the Ontario Association of Orthodontists, and the Canadian Association of Orthodontists. He has served on the Faculty Council for the University of Toronto and continues to serve there as a Senior Clinical Instructor for Adult Orthodontics. | The CAO has had the pleasure of having Eric serving as a Board member from 2015 to 2023. He began as a Provincial representative for Ontario and served in several positions, taking on the role of President in During his time with the CAO, Eric was the Chair of the Communications Committee, which implemented our first Consumer Awareness Program, where he dedicated countless hours to overseeing a National ad campaign to combat direct-to-consumer messaging emphasizing the importance of choosing board certified Orthodontists for all treatment needs. Eric’s Presidency closely followed the COVID shut-down and he was therefore integral in the return to in-patient treatment in the Post-Covid era. Eric’s colleagues continue to be impressed by his mentorship, his dedication to the profession and his passion for orthodontics. Congratulations to Eric on this well-deserved award recognizing his many years of volunteerism across all aspects of our profession. Dr. Brian Phee |
Dr. Carl Tremblay, 2024 Certificate of Merit
- Dr. Carl Tremblay is the current President of the ACDQ.
- A graduate of the Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Dentistry, since the very beginning of his career, Dr. Tremblay has shown exemplary commitment to the profession of dentistry, through his local dental society since 1993, and on the ACDQ’s Board of Directors since 2007.
- When Dr. Tremblay became President of the ACDQ in 2019, he said “the challenges are great”, and certainly that became the case with the Canadian Dental Care Plan.
- I can tell you personally that there was no rule book, and it takes a leader like Dr. Tremblay to fearlessly represent Québec’s dental patients and members when fighting for sustainable dental care.
- Dr. Tremblay speaks truth to power, and I’ve witnessed him representing the dentists of Québec and their patients to the Minister of Health.
- I’m glad we are on his side.
Past Certificate of Merit recipients :
Dr. Kim Hansen, Ontario Dental Association President 2019-2020
Dr. Lesli Hapak, Ontario Dental Association President 2020-2021
Dr. Charles Frank, Ontario Dental Association President 2021-2022
Dr. Janet Leith, Vice-Chair of Ontario’s Pandemic Recovery Working Group, (PRWG)
Dr. Ian Furst, Member of Ontario’s Pandemic Recovery Working Group
Dr. Jonathan Mahn, Member of Ontario’s Pandemic Recovery Working Group
Dr. Carlos Quinonez, Member of Ontario’s Pandemic recovery Working Group
Dr. Deborah Saunders, Member of Ontario’s Pandemic Recovery Working Group
ONTARIO DENTAL ASSOCIATION SUPPORT STAFF TO THE PANDEMIC RECOVERY WORKING GROUP:
Mr. Frank Bevilaqua, CEO of the Ontario Dental Association
Mr. David Gentili, ODA Director of Professional and Government Affairs
Mr. Marcus Staviss, ODA Director of Communication, Public Affairs and Events
Ms. Jenna Berndt, Administrative Assistant to Professional and Governance Affairs
Mr. Riti Bhandari, ODA Professional Affairs Coordinator
Mr, joe Chiera,, ODA Professional and Government affairs Administrator Assistant
Ms. Bonnie Dean, ODA Manger of Communications and Public affairs
Ms. Tamara Gilgorevic, ODA Health Policy Specialist
Ms, Roberta MacLean, ODA Professional Affairs Policy Manager
In March of 2020 dental practices in Ontario were limited to emergency and urgent care only due to the COVID 19 pandemic. This meant the vast majority of offices were essentially shut down. This was a crisis of unprecedented and unknown proportion. The Pandemic Recovery Working Group was formed by the Ontario Dental Association to use the best available evidence available to develop solutions and inform dentists how to return to practice with protocols that were safe, sustainable, and ensured access for everyone. The group consisted of volunteer dentists and ODA staff working together to find the right evidence, understand the implications, and relay accurate information to dentists, all in real time. This was a gargantuan task that demanded significant time and resources as well as the ability to adapt and pivot to address an ever changing environment. Throughout the pandemic the PRWG strived to help the ODA lead the profession with not only information, knowledge, and services, but also logistical assistance with the vaccination rollout and PPE distribution. The commitment to our profession from these dentist volunteers and ODA staff was greatly appreciated and cannot be overstated. In addition to leading their own teams through the pandemic, they went above and beyond to help lead the profession.