President’s Message 

As my year as ASD President winds down, I would like to express my gratitude for the honor of leading such a superb dental organization. My time on the board has been very enjoyable, and I look forward to the next year as Past President. You can’t get rid of me yet!

The ASD administration team has seen changes this past year. I want to thank our Executive Secretary, Kate Cole, for everything she has done for us over the past few years, Jim Whitehead for his time as our first Executive Director, and Lisa Larson, our Event Planner.

ASD welcomes the following people to our team:
Dr. Vinnie Mascia – Executive Director
Tracy Abel – Executive Secretary and Event Planner
Sharon Muniz (NCN Technology) – Website and Social Media

We have had the opportunity to become associated with Dr. Vinnie Mascia. Dr. Mascia has accepted the position of Executive Director of the Academy. We are extremely excited about Vinnie’s enthusiasm, motivation and experience; his impact has already made a difference. As many of you know, Kate Cole has decided to retire and will be stepping down as Executive Secretary of ASD. We are transitioning from Kate's position as Executive Secretary to Tracy Abel. Tracy brings experience and a passion to assist ASD as we move forward. With deep gratitude and thanks, we wish Kate much happiness and success in the new chapter in her life. Vinnie and Tracy will be a great team and an asset in moving our organization forward.

On behalf of ASD, I would like to thank Dr. Brett Kessler for supporting Sports Dentistry. It was a pleasure to welcome him at our symposium last year in Las Vegas and we look forward to him attending our Symposium in DC this June.

We aim to increase ASD’s value and membership and create a more robust annual symposium. ASD has positioned itself as one of the Global Leaders in Sports Dentistry. We are developing and strengthening our relationships worldwide with organizations such as CATA, CASEM, ADA, AOASM, IADT, EA4SD, and the Indian Academy of Sports Dentistry (IASD); ASD plans to partner with other organizations.

A Memorandum of Understanding has been entered into with the Indian Academy for Sports Dentistry. There are 390 Dental Schools in India, and Dr. Reena Kumar, along with the Indian Minister of Education, has been instrumental in inserting Sports Dentistry curriculum into their education protocol. ASD is working on MOUs with other organizations. I was happy to present virtual lectures to the IASD this past February and March.

I look forward to representing ASD at the 2025 Canadian Dental Convention this August in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Drs. Jan Chithalen, Michael Salyzyn, and Hans Stasiuk will join me for a three-hour Sports Dentistry presentation.

This year’s local Symposium Committee, led by Drs. Emilio Canal and Mike Messina have put together an outstanding lineup of speakers. Please plan to attend our 2025 Symposium in DC, which will be held at the historical Willard Hotel from June 26-28, 2025.

I look forward to seeing everyone in Washington D.C. for our exciting program.

Wishing you all the best,

Byron Blasco, DMD, FASD
ASD President 2024/2025