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TAPD Officer Spotlight—Benjamin Morgan
Name: Benjamin Morgan
Position: President
Number of years in practice: Eight
Where you went to dental school and completed residency: Baylor and Baylor
Number of years as a TAPD member: Ten total, two as a student member.
What made you decide to get involved as a TAPD officer: Dr. McWhorter, our chair and program director at Baylor, required us to go to meetings in residency and we really enjoyed every meeting. I had a lot of admiration for the people at these meetings and I wanted to have a professional life like theirs.
What is your goal for the year: Support Steven’s big agenda and be a “glue guy” and fill in the voids were I am needed. I am specifically tasked with the Bylaws and Membership committees. We will write and ratify bylaw amendments and likely initiate the TAPD policy manual to help align with AAPD. Membership committee will focus on educating new residents on organized dentistry, making sure our practicing members are heard and their wishes are met, reaching out to dentists who are new to Texas and—most importantly—making sure the membership knows they are welcome at any board meeting. Come join us in person or online!
What have you learned in your time as a TAPD member: If you are not at the table you are on the menu. In the past, we have not been consulted prior to major changes, like slashing our clinical practice purview or our reimbursements. We better be ready to step up and speak up.
What surprised you the most about the legislative process: It is not as adversarial as it appears on the news—there are many on different “sides of the aisle,” but there is a respect for the craft and the call to serve. Also, the young staffers run a lot more of the Capitol than we realize—they work very hard for all of us.
What are you most proud of about TAPD: The ridiculous amount of work these people get done for the practicing community—it is unreal for a volunteer organization. Sealants, coronal polishing, stopping tons of rate cuts, keeping sedation in our offices, and the list goes on and on…