Despite the plethora of options, with more ways than ever
of staying connected, a lot of people are overwhelmed with
work and time commitments, and this climate leads to a
core of dedicated volunteers being counted on repeatedly.
The trick is to keep volunteer groups growing and vibrant,
building on the camaraderie that successful organizations enjoy.
Dr. James Boyle III views his colleagues who volunteer their
time and talent to PDA as the most important strength of the
organization. During his remarks at Pennsylvania’s Dental Meeting,
Dr. Boyle talked about his time aboard the aircraft carrier USS
Carl Vinson and showed a photograph of ships out at sea in
battle group formation when he discussed a vision and a goal
for membership during his presidential term in 2018-2019…
”all of us sailing the same direction as an organization.”
“My primary goal is having our committees, advisory groups
and staff as invigorated as possible, tackling the challenges
PDA faces and functioning as a unit. Our member volunteers
serving on PDA work groups have such a huge impact on the
PDA and the members it represents,” Dr. Boyle said. “Therefore
my role is providing the member volunteers and the groups
they serve the assets to be successful.”
He knows the challenges but Dr. Boyle’s background in
the United States Navy is a strength in dealing with people.
Dr. Boyle has encouraged members to engage and provide
their input at the district, local and state level, and he sees
this as the most important effort he can make during this
year, more so than any prospective new project.
“The one initiative is providing as much connectivity with
the members as possible,” Dr. Boyle said. “We have our local
dental societies, which are the backbone of membership,
districts, Council of Presidents and the Board of Trustees.
We need to arrange our schedules such that any member has
the ability to provide input to the organization as they see fit.
“My leadership style is TEAM. Having served in the U.S. Navy
for 21 years, I have seen a variety of leadership styles. The
most successful have been those that allow everyone in the
organization to feel vital to the organization. Therefore when
an issue comes up we will have the appropriate staff and
work group involved.”
Dr. Boyle is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, from Wrightsville
in York County. He is an experienced leader, having served on
the PDA Board of Trustees, recently serving as the President
of the Pennsylvania Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons,
and on the national level, serving as the chair of the American
Dental Association’s Committee on Education Recognition
Program (CERP), as well as the Council on Dental Education
and Licensure (CDEL). He also served on ADA’s task force to
address student debt. Dr. Boyle is currently one of the
members of ADA’s Commission on Recognition of Dental
Specialties and Certifying Boards.
After completing undergraduate studies at the University of
Pittsburgh, where he also lettered in baseball and volleyball,
Dr. Boyle received his Doctorate of Dental Science from
Northwestern University and completed a residency in his
specialty at the University of North Carolina. Prior to entering
private practice, he served 13 years of continuous active
service in the U.S. Navy, followed by 8 years of reserves, for
a total of 21 years of service.
His tours of duty in the Navy included two aircraft carriers,
USS Carl Vinson and USS Eisenhower, working as staff
surgeon at Bethesda Naval Hospital and the U.S. Naval
Academy, serving for two years at the U.S. Naval Hospital at
Rota, Spain, and retiring with the rank of Commander in the
Dental Corps.
These days, in addition to his practice, Susquehanna Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgery, Dr. Boyle is the Oral and Maxillofacial
Surgery Division Chief in the Department of Surgery at York
Hospital/Wellspan, and is a member of the surgical staffs of
three area hospitals.
Dr. Boyle and his wife Jane Marie have been married for
20 years and have five kids – Chris, Eric, Nicole, Maggie and
Jimmy. He is active in his community, as a longtime youth
basketball and baseball
coach, and is a Boy Scout
leader with Troop 16 in York.
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