Want to get involved with ODHA Leadership?

ODHA Leadership Structure History

In 2016 ODHA moved from a House of Delegates governance model to a voting membership structure.  This allows every professional member to have a vote while allowing members to participate in the association as their own interest and available time allow.  In addition, component boundaries have been adjusted to better support our local components and provide equal opportunities for all of our members.  With this change, there is a new leadership structure.  The Board of Directors will be composed of 13 directors including officers, committees and component representatives. 

In 2020, ODHA created a new Nominating Committee to support interested board candidates and created a more streamlined succession plan by adding the President Elect role and eliminating the Immediate Past President role.

How do I become involved?

We want it to be as easy as possible with just two easy steps!

1- Read the below leadership opportunities and identify where you think you could best contribute. Please reach out to the current board with any questions you may have.

2- Complete the 2022-2023 Leadership Candidate Interest Form (Now closed). Stay tuned for 2024! Our Leadership Development Committee will be in touch with you to discuss the different positions and what the responsibilities and commitment are for each. 

3- Send us a photo to add to the ODHA leadership page. We value transparency and communication and want our members to know who you are and the work you do to support the association and the dental hygiene industry.

What is the Election Process?

Elections for state leaders and state representation will be held in the fall prior to the Annual Membership Meeting. The Nominating Committee will recommend a slate of candidates for the positions, however any member in good standing is eligible to complete the interest form and run for a position. If the slate is uncontested, no election will occur. If a position is contested, an election for that position will take place.

Oregon holds a total of six positions in the ADHA Delegation.

ADHA Alternate Delegate - 3 positions available, 1 year term - Voting position when a Delegate is not available.

Learn more about ADHA House of Delegates.


Click here to view the current calendar  

State Leadership

Vice President and President-Elect – The President Elect will succeed to President at the Annual Meeting the following year. The Vice President does not succeed into any role. As Vice President and President-Elect you learn about the ODHA strategic plan, finances and advocacy. You will also become familiar with how the activities of the association are planned. You are responsible for administering the awards programs giving you an an opportunity to mentor new leaders who may support you as you move into other positions. You will also be responsible for leading the review of ODHA policy and procedure with the Executive Committee and Board of Directors. You are a Board Director and a member of the Executive Committee. You are involved with assisting the President and Association Manager in making decisions that direct the work of ODHA. You are also a member of the Finance Committee.

President – You will be the lead representative of the organization and run Board of Director meetings. You are responsible for working with the Board and Association Manager in making decisions that direct the work of ODHA. You are a Board Director and a member of the Executive Committee.

Secretary  Your organizational skills are needed in this position. You are responsible for recording minutes for Board of Directors and annual membership meetings. You are the Chair of the minutes review committee, whose members are appointed at each Board meeting. Additionally, you provide supporting documentation to the Executive Committee, make sure all board and membership motions are appropriately recorded, and provide assistance for planning the annual membership meeting. You are an indispensable member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors. Please email [email protected] if interested or need more information. 

Treasurer - Your attention to detail and general understanding of finances are needed in this position.  You will serve as the Chair of the Finance Committee.  You are responsible for ensuring accurate records are maintained by reviewing monthly financial statements, facilitate the filing of the association's required tax reports and verify that the Oregon Corporation Report is filed annually.  The treasurer will meet with the Finance Committee at least twice a year to prepare and present to the board a balanced proposed budget.  You will prepare handouts or electronic documentation of the current annual budget with columns of year-to-date income and expenditures and a current balance sheet to present at board meetings.  You will work with the President, other officers and association management company to manage the finances of the association  Please email [email protected] if interested or need more information.

Component Director - You are a Board Director and the conduit of information between the state and your local component. You are responsible for working in close partnership with component leaders to ensure that communication is clear, accurate and timely between state and local component. You will serve as a resource to support the local component leadership in planning and operations to ensure all activities are in support of the state mission and component purpose. You will also be responsible for bringing ideas, concerns and feedback from the local component to the state Board. You will then work with your fellow Board members to thoughtfully evaluate all perspectives of the membership to make decisions in the best interest of the full membership. Please email [email protected] if interested or need more information.

Advocacy Director - You are a Board Director and the Chair of the Advocacy Committee. As Chair you will lead the advocacy committee in evaluating state and local policies that directly impact the practice of dental hygienists in Oregon; and make recommendations to the Board of Directors for consideration on legislative policy, position statements and partnerships that will advance the profession. You will then work with the Board to implement approved action and report regularly to the Board. Please email [email protected] if interested or need more information.

Membership Director – You are a Board Director (duties listed below) and the Chair of the Membership Committee. As Chair you are responsible for leading the membership committee in membership recruitment and retention efforts, and you will report regularly to the Board. Please email [email protected] if interested or need more information.

Student Liaison Director - You are a Board Director and the conduit of information between the state and the dental hygiene programs. You will be the Chair of the Student Relations Committee. You will help develop and implement strategies that support students’ needs and address students’ concerns. You will help to establish and maintain effective communication with the Dental Hygiene Program Directors, Student ADHA Chapter Advisors, and Student Officers. You will work with the Membership Committee and Leadership Development Committee to promote student ADHA membership and engagement. Please email [email protected] if interested or need more information. 

At-Large Director – You are a Board Director (duties listed below) and may be responsible for helping to implement one portion of the Strategic Plan, as determined by the President and Board of Directors. Please email [email protected] if interested or need more information.

Board Director – As a Board Director you will be responsible for working as a team to guide the direction of the organization. The board is the governing body of the association ensuring the organization is operating professionally, ethically and in line with federal, state and local requirements. The Board governs, develops policy and sets a course for the future while maintaining a focus on the mission and strategic goals. The Board works in partnership with the Association Manager, who is responsible for the day-to-day operations, to implement action. You are responsible for preparing for and attending all Board meetings (approximately 4-6 per year), and the annual membership meeting / Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference. You are also responsible for submitting quarterly and annual reports to the Board of Directors Secretary on your activities and accomplishments. Please email [email protected] if interested or need more information.

Immediate Past President (Ex-Officio)– Your experience as President will help guide the current President and help mentor the President-Elect as they prepare for their Presidency. You will assist with the execution of the strategic plan and help ensure continuity as the role of President transitions. You are a Board Director and a member of the Executive Committee.


State Representation:

ADHA Delegate – You will join other Oregon Delegates at the ADHA Annual House of Delegates Meeting. The location of this meeting changes each year. Currently there is no funding for delegates, but if our work to increase membership and host profitable events is successful, funding for our delegates is our number one priority. Approximate costs are $199 for Conference Registration, $500 Airfare, $500 Lodging. Additional costs may be incurred during your trip. Costs are approximate and subject to change. As a member of the delegation you will attend online meetings with the other delegations from District 12 (Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Alaska, Hawaii and Nevada), read all delegate materials provided by AHDA, and attend all ADHA business meetings and District 12 meetings! Prior experience as a delegate or alternate delegate is required to run for this position. Please email [email protected] if interested or need more information.

ADHA Alternate Delegate – All of the fun that a delegate has without so much responsibility. See the ADHA Delegate paragraph for additional information. You must attend as an alternate before you can run as a Delegate. This gives you the opportunity to experience all that the ADHA meeting has to offer. It’s a wonderful way to learn about how our association links hygienists from around the country and see how we are stronger together. You will be mentored by our delegates, and will be asked to step in for them if they are unable to attend any of the inpidual meetings. Please email [email protected] if interested or need more information.

Finance Committee Member - The committee shall meet a minimum of two times yearly for the purpose of preparing and presenting a balanced proposed budget to the Board of Directors. The Board will work with the finance committee to prepare a budget report for the general membership for review only. Other duties include assisting the treasurer and reviewing requests from the Board. Please email [email protected] if interested or need more information.


Other Leadership Opportunities:

Committee Member – We need members from all around the state of Oregon to help support our committees. Each committee has the opportunity for perse levels of time commitment and participation.   There is something for everyone!

Committees include:

  • Advocacy Committee

  • Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference Committee
  • Finance Committee
  • Membership Committee
  • Leadership Development Committee
  • Professional Development Committee

Local Component Leadership:

Our local components are an important part of ODHA. They provide our members an opportunity to support and stay connected to their local community through networking and community outreach programs. The component structure has evolved a great deal in the past years. ODHA is able to provide significantly more resources, tools and support for local components. Under the new structure each component will need to have a Chair and Secretary at a minimum.

Component Chair - As component chair you will work closely with the component director to establish and implement component operations. As a team you will develop the annual component calendar and budget which support the ODHA mission and component purpose. You will lead component meetings and ensure component events are conducted professionally and appropriately.

Component Secretary – As component secretary you are responsible for recording notes of all component events and minutes of Component meetings. You are responsible for submitting reports to the state and national levels of the association. You are responsible for maintaining membership list, potential member lists, and event attendee lists. You work with the Component Chair and Director on other component activities.

Other Component leadership - Are you passionate about a specific area and would you like to support your local leadership? Tell us how! Membership, community outreach and service, education… the opportunities are endless!


Contact Information:

Please email [email protected] if interested or need more information.