IDEAS always marks a time of change for the IDA. It also allows us to reflect on the work of our outgoing IDA President, Dr. James Larsen. Dr. Larsen worked to ensure the IDA continued to move toward a better position than when he assumed the presidency, and he pushed the IDA to achieve new heights that will pave the path to a better future for IDA members.

Many of you may know Dr. Larsen as a soft-spoken and thoughtful man. However, one of his strongest leadership qualities is providing a solid foundation and support base, thereby setting up others for great success. Dr. Larsen would sit in on every legislative committee call but would often remain silent during the calls. Once the call was over, he encouraged the IDA advocacy team behind the scenes and made sure they had the knowledge and resources necessary to continue fighting on behalf of Iowa dentists. 

This led to one of the most successful IDA legislative sessions in years. His leadership and direction pushed the IDA to pass the first dental insurance reform legislation in Iowa in over a decade and retained the current structure and dentists' positions on the Iowa Dental Board when other professional boards were being eliminated, consolidated, or decreased in size. 

Under Dr. Larsen’s leadership, the IDA is third in the country for membership market share, up from fourth last year. This was driven by Dr. Larsen’s continued desire for the IDA to offer more benefits to its members. During his presidency, he helped usher in and was one of the first in line to promote the new IDA-endorsed benefits through Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust and the 401k Plan through Jon Heim and Derek Hertges with the Principal Financial Network. He wants dentists to know the IDA continues to work hard so dentists can better focus on their patients and their practices. 

 

Whether it was at the numerous IDA Board or district meetings across the state, the Iowa Mission of Mercy in Waterloo, or the ADA Dentists and Student Lobby Day in Washington DC, Dr. Larsen worked for a better future. His tireless efforts did not go unnoticed, and we are proud to express our thanks and gratitude to Dr. Larsen for sharing his time and talents with us over the past year. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Larsen on a wonderful presidency!