The CDA Foundation’s board of directors plays a vital role in fulfilling our mission to support dental professionals, reduce barriers to care and improve Californians’ oral health through volunteerism and funding. Get to know Kevin Kai, DDS, MS, a member of the board.
Student activities pave the way for career volunteerism
Dr. Kai’s involvement with organized dentistry began when he was a dental student at the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. He served as chair of the student delegation for CDA and was involved with national leadership for the American Student Dental Association.
While at Dugoni, Kai also volunteered for outreach programs for student and faculty volunteer trips to remote or underserved areas during the school’s annual breaks. Over two years, he helped organize and lead trips to Jamaica where more than 120 dental students and faculty members helped provide 2,000 patients with needed dental care, oral health screenings and education.
That involvement as a dental student helped pave Kai’s way to working with the CDA Foundation.
Working with passionate leaders ‘incredibly rewarding’
Kai has a deep commitment to helping others, whether it’s empowering California’s community of dentists through his service on the CDA Board of Directors or expanding access to care and improving the oral health of all Californians through his work with the Foundation.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to work alongside passionate leaders who are committed to creating meaningful, lasting impact through service, education, workforce development and community partnerships,” Kai said.
Getting involved: Big time commitments not always required
When asked what he would tell others thinking about getting involved with the CDA Foundation, Kai replied, “I often hear that dentists don’t have the time to step away from their practices. However, many Foundation activities and other leadership roles don’trequire large time commitments. I encourage anyone who wants to make an impact on a particular aspect of dentistry to ask CDA staff or other volunteers how they can get involved.”