Event details
Location: The Westin Los Angeles Airport
Date: Saturday, March 15, 2025
8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. (registration opens at 7:30 a.m.)
Format: Full-day, interactive event
Cost: CDA leaders may register at no cost. One executive director and one volunteer from each local dental society may also register at no cost. Additional attendees may register for $250.
Leadership Synergy: Empowering Local Dental Societies
About this Event
The Leadership Workshop is an engaging and informative event that’s designed to empower local dental societies and foster stronger connections within the dental community. Discover valuable insights and practical skills to enhance your leadership capabilities and reinvigorate your passion for volunteer service.
Designed for
Local dental society executive directors and member dentists who are interested in leadership opportunities with CDA or ADA. The workshop is intended to build a culture of collaborative leadership and open communication, which can support a thriving future for organized dentistry and the profession.
Why should you attend?
Tap into cutting-edge research on professional trends and association health.
Take part in fun networking opportunities with peers and industry leaders.
Skill up during sessions on board/staff roles, strategic planning and financial management.
Ready to register? Here’s how:
Save spots for yourself and your colleagues at the Leadership Workshop.
Follow the prompts to register each attendee and choose your preferred afternoon breakout session.
Once registered for the workshop, make your hotel and travel plans.
Schedule & Sessions
Take a peek at the workshop agenda, activities and breakouts.
Join us from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Friday evening for a fun event kickoff with colleagues, games, food and drinks! The Welcome Reception for the Leadership Workshop will be held at the Topgolf Swing Suite in the Westin Los Angeles Airport, offering an immersive social experience in a comfy lounge setting with an extensive selection of virtual sports. Just add the reception to your cart when you register.
Sponsored by Bank of America
Check in between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. and get ready for an energized day!
Duration: 45 minutes
Get a warm welcome to the workshop and a helpful introduction to the sessions to come.
Duration: 90 minutes
Hear how effective leadership goes beyond traditional authority and embraces the art of influence. Learn how the shift from power-based leadership to influence-driven strategies, discern and implement skills needed to inspire and engage those around you, and be more prepared to create an action plan.
Duration: 60 minutes
In this general session, hear from experts who will offer insights on the latest research influencing the dental profession.
Duration: 45 minutes
Make meaningful connections and refuel for a busy afternoon!
Sponsored by CareCredit
Duration: 90 minutes
There are three different sessions offered at the same time in the afternoon. Register for the session that’s the best fit for your professional goals. The options include:
- Board Leadership Excellence: Roles, Responsibilities and Best Practices
- Strategic Plans Won’t Save You, but Planning Might
- Strategies for Financial Oversight
This interactive session will equip you with essential knowledge and skills to excel in your local dental society role. Group discussion and practical exercises deliver actionable insights and tools to immediately enhance leadership effectiveness. Whether you’re a seasoned board member or new to your position, gain valuable knowledge to enhance your contribution to your organization’s mission and success.
This session will explore the limitations of traditional strategic plans and learn how focusing on adaptable planning can lead to greater success. Through a clear four-step pathway, discover how to relinquish control, embrace flexibility and implement strategies that drive meaningful results in an unpredictable world.
This session provides a high-level overview of essential financial management concepts, including establishing effective controls, preventing fraud and understanding the roles and responsibilities of the board and staff. Explore the importance of budgeting and forecasting, as well as gain insights into best practices that can enhance your organization’s financial health.
Duration: 60 minutes
In our final session, we’ll come back together to share takeaways and wrap up the day.
Follow-up Webinars
The Art of Conflict Resolution
April 9, 2025, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
This course explores effective strategies for addressing and managing conflict within an influence-based leadership framework. Using the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Modes participants will learn to identify which conflict modes they tend to lean on more than others.
Learning Outcomes:
- Describe the 5 Conflict Modes outlined in the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Indicator.
- Identify individual tendencies within the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode.
- Discuss which Conflict Modes are the most appropriate for a variety of situations.
Turning Conflict into Collaboration
May 8, 2025, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
This workshop focuses on transforming disagreements into opportunities for growth and connection. Utilizing the Thomas Kilmann Conflict Modes and Courageous Conversation tips, participants will apply their learnings through interactive exercises.
Learning Outcomes:
- List the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Modes and explain how they affect conflict resolution.
- Describe 3 ways to start a conversation that potentially could be perceived as high conflict.
- Practice techniques for having open and respectful conversations during disagreements.
Deep Dive: Financial Fraud Prevention and Cyber Security
June 17, 2025, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
This webinar equips association leaders with actionable strategies to safeguard organizational resources. Tailored for executive directors and volunteer leaders charged with financial oversight, this session will cover cyber security fundamentals and simple, effective approaches to minimizing risk. Practical tips, real-world examples and preventive tactics will be shared to empower attendees with the knowledge to identify and combat financial fraud.
Learning Outcomes:
- Identify key types of financial fraud and recognize common fraud schemes, including cyber-enabled threats.
- Understand the role of internal controls in financial fraud prevention and how to strengthen them to protect against insider and external threats.
- Review practical and actionable cybersecurity measures and fraud prevention strategies tailored to executive leadership roles.
Deep Dive: Nuts and Bolts of a Financial Budget and Forecast
September 30, 2025, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
This session will provide actionable insights into building and managing financial budgets and forecasts to ensure organizational success. Participants will explore the key steps in assessing their current financial position, understanding the purpose of forecasting, and implementing practical approaches to budgeting. The webinar will also introduce a user-friendly template designed to streamline your financial planning process.
Learning Outcomes:
- Assess current financial position and align budget with organizational goals.
- Discuss practical approaches to budgeting and forecasting for associations.
- Review use of a customizable budgeting and forecasting template.
Thank you to our sponsors
Travel & Planning FAQ
The deadline to register for the Leadership Workshop is Friday, February 21, 2025.
Onsite parking is available at the Westin Los Angeles Airport.
Please email us for any updates you would like to make to your Leadership Workshop registration.