In mid-2016, then-President Dr. Raymond Martin appointed a Governance Task Force to help fulfill a goal of the MDS Strategic Plan, which was to “Build the organizational capacity and structure that meets the current and future demands of the Society.” An objective of that goal was to “Develop a relevant governance structure that will lead the Society into the next decade.” In formulating these recommendations, the Governance Task Force’s intent was to maintain the current governance structure as closely as possible while making each structure more responsive to the emerging needs of members. As recommended by the Task Force, the Districts would remain intact, but the new Board of Trustees would have fewer Officers and would consist of Regional Trustees rather than District Trustees. It is important to note that this change does not in any way modify the current composition of Districts. Along with this change, the Executive Committee would be eliminated. Reducing the size of the Board will allow MDS leadership to become more nimble and responsive to emerging issues in this rapidly changing dental landscape. Additionally, the House of Delegates would also be reduced in size for similar reasons. The House of Delegates passed the related resolutions at the 154th Annual Session in June 2018.

In 2018, then-President Howard Zolot appointed a Governance Implementation Task Force to continue the mission to propel the Society forward with this governance transition. Under the leadership of Chair Dr. Mina Paul, the Task Force was charged with creating the governance implementation plan. The plan calls for a two-year phase-in, which when completed in 2021, will result in a nimble Board of Trustees consisting of six Regional Trustees, one At-Large Trustee, President, Vice President, Immediate Past President, Secretary, Treasurer,* Speaker of the House,* and Executive Director.* The size of the House of Delegates has also been reduced and the Annual Session will now convene in January of each year instead of the previous June timeframe.

The 2019 House of Delegates voted to approve Resolution 2-19, an Amendment to the MDS Constitution and Bylaws to implement the recommendations of the MDS Governance Implementation Task Force, which addresses the transitional period and Trustee terms as the organization transitions from District Trustees to Regional Trustees.

*In a non-voting capacity