July/August 2018 | Page 29

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. JU LY/AU G U ST 2018 | P EN N SYLVAN IA DEN TAL JOURNAL 27